- 1). Turn off the breaker at the main electrical panel controlling the outlet or switch in question.
- 2). Unscrew the six screws on the cover plate over the three-gang box using the standard screwdriver. Unscrew the two flat-head screws holding each outlet or switch. Pull out the fixture.
- 3). Examine the wires inside the box. Find the black wire. This is the hot, or live, wire. Secondary hot leads are red or blue. Alternative colors for secondary hot leads in a three-phase switch are yellow, brown or orange.
- 4). Look for the white cable inside the box. This is the neutral lead. Alternative colors for a neutral lead in the United States and Canada are grey, if the wiring follows National Electric Code. This wire is needed to complete the circuit.
- 5). Locate the green or bare wire. This wire is the ground, which screws to the chassis of a light fixture, outlet or switch. This wire shunts a ground fault back to the panel, preventing the device or switch from becoming electrically live.
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