I've just bought a Leviton T5633 outlet that features USB A and C ports. I'm looking to swap out my basic wall outlet for this one. However, when I took off the old outlet, I found 4 black and 4 white wires connected to it. Should I be pigtailing the wires to install the new Leviton outlet correctly?
3 Answers
It really depends on what those wires are doing. You might want to check if any of the existing outlet ports are switched, as that could affect your installation.
You should still be able to install the outlet. Most likely, the outlet you took out was daisy-chained to another device. Just keep those connections intact, and you should be good to go! That's pretty standard in wiring setups.
I would advise against doing this as a DIY project. It sounds like your house might not have a proper ground, which is essential for safe grounding of outlets. Many guides assume all houses have a ground, but that's not always the case!
That's not necessarily true! If there's EMT from the panel to the metal junction boxes, it serves as a ground. My house, built in 1962, has no ground wires but EMT is everywhere.
If your house uses EMT conduit all the way back to the box, then it should be grounded. A $10 outlet tester can help you verify that.