On my electrical outlet, the hot and cold are switched. Is that going to be a problem? How can I fix it?

Answer by  KermieB (26)

In saying cold, I can only guess you mean the neutral side of the receptacle. If they have been improperly installed originally, yes you can correct the problem easily. Turn off the circuit (breaker) feeding the outlets and simply unscrew the terminal, swap the wires and screw the terminal back down. Buy an inexpensive tester and check behind yourself.

Answer by  jimbob11 (195)

It can both be a safety hazard and may cause damage to whatever appliances that are plugged into it. Buy a circuit tester from a hardware store before attempting repair.

Answer by  Jdog37 (592)

You will want to switch them around. All you have to do is take the cover off and unscrew the plug out from the box. Simply swap the hot and neutral around. Make sure it is dead if your not used to working on things hot.