Electrical failures rarely arrive without warning. Long before a breaker trips or a fire starts, your outlets and circuits begin sending subtle signals that the system is under strain. If you learn to ...

Q: When I plugged my cell phone charger into a kitchen outlet, my phone didn’t start charging as it normally does—rather, it seemed that this one electrical outlet was not working. Is there something ...

While standard receptacles typically use three wires -- hot, neutral and ground -- you'll occasionally find 2-prong outlets in older homes. Since this type of outlet lacks a ground connection, the ...

When you purchase a home, you may notice large boxes covering the outdoor electrical outlets. This is a weather-resistant receptacle outlet box, and it's one of the most common electrical outlets ...

Wall outlets might not steal the spotlight when it comes to smart home upgrades, but they're more important (and more advanced) than ever. As our homes fill up with devices, from phones and tablets to ...

Most electrical outlets are installed vertically, with one receptacle oriented above the other. But if you take a close look around your house, you'll probably find at least a couple mounted ...

Unless there’s a major safety issue, you’re only forced to upgrade stuff when inspections are needed, typically during renovations or major repairs. So it’s not too surprising that a lot of older ...