- 1). Insert the circuit tester probes into the hot and neutral areas of the electrical outlet. On a standard outlet, there are three slots. There are two vertical slots side by side, one slightly larger than the other, which is the neutral. The smaller slot is the hot. Below these in the center is a U-shaped hole, which is the ground.
- 2). Observe if the tester light is on when you insert the probes in the hot and neutral slots. This indicates a properly powered electrical outlet.
- 3). Leave one probe in the hot slot of the outlet, and place the other probe in the U-shaped ground slot. If the indicator lights up, your electrical grounding is properly wired. If it does not light up, leave one probe in the ground and switch the other to the neutral slot. If the tester lights up, the hot and neutral wires are reversed, but you are still grounded. If neither combination lights up the tester, your circuit is not grounded.
- 4). Correct the electrical grounding problem if the indicator detects one. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, consult an electrician. Do not use the outlet until it has been properly wired.
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