Retrofitting a USB Charger/Receptacle Combo
Upgrade your outlets to charge two mobile devices at once with this USB charger/receptacle combo.
Mobile electronic devices go everywhere yet, being battery-powered, they must stop from time to time to get recharged. Sensing a hot opportunity, electrical suppliers came up with retrofit receptacles in which you can charge two mobile devices at once. So here’s how to replace a standard duplex receptacle with an ingenious Leviton USB charger/receptacle combo that speeds recharging and gets more use out of a one-gang outlet. As a bonus, the bottom portion of the combo is tamper-resistant (TR) receptacle.
What It’s Not
Though the upper portion of this combo device has two USB ports, these ports do not enable you to transfer data. The USB ports exist solely to recharge mobile devices. Because the combo has a built-in transformer, however, you no longer need the cube-like adaptor into which an iPad, iPhone, Kindle (etc.) USB cords insert.
What It Is
The combo shown in the photo sequence has a TR outlet rated 15A, 125V; its USB ports are rated 2.1A (DC), 5V (DC). Quoting Leviton specs, “The right USB port [of the pair] is specifically designed for use with larger battery devices…. The left USB port is ideal for changing smaller battery devices.”
Installation
Turn off the power to an existing outlet and use a non-contact voltage tester to be sure the outlet is de-energized. Lock the breaker panel or remove the fuse controlling the outlet to be sure that no one inadvertently re-energizes the circuit while you are working on it.
Remove the cover plate, unscrew the mounting screws holding the existing receptacle to the outlet box and gently pull the device out from the wall. Disconnect its wires in this order: hot (black), neutral (white), ground (green or bare copper).
Reconnect wires to the new USB combo in the reverse order: First connect the ground wire to the green grounding screw, then connect the neutral wire, then the hot wire.
Our electrician re-used the existing loop to attach the ground wire, but he elected to back-wire the neutral and hot wires. He used needle-nose pliers to straighten their loops, then snipped them so the stripped portion of each wire was 1/2 in. long. He then inserted each straightened wire end into a clamp next to a terminal screw. The neutral (white) wire attached to the clamp next to the silver screw; the hot (black) wire attached to the clamp next to the brass screw. Tighten terminal screws to grip wires firmly in the clamps.
Carefully fold the combo receptacle into the box, tighten mounting screws, and install the cover plate. Re-energize the circuit and you are ready to charge your mobile devices.
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This blog is adapted from Wiring Complete 2nd Edition, featuring 800 photos, 50 detailed schematics, and covers installing advanced components such as wireless switches, LED conversion kits, and whole-house systems. Co-author Michael McAlister is a licensed electrician, C-10 Electrical Contractor, and B General Building Contractor in California.
Wiring Complete 2 has the same DNA as Renovation 4th Edition, which contains thousands of field-tested tips and techniques from master builders across North America. Renovation 4‘s 614 pages include 250+ technical drawings and 1,000 photos selected from the 40,000 that I have taken over the years. I hope you find them helpful. – Mike
— Mike Litchfield, 2013
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This Leviton USB charger/TR receptacle combo charges more quickly than a standard USB adaptor; you can also charge two mobile devices on the top of the combo.
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1. Cut power to the outlet and use a non-contact tester to be sure the power is off. Test all three slots in the receptacle.
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2. Remove the snap-on cover (if any), then unscrew the mounting plate.
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3. Without touching the sides of the receptacle, unscrew the screws that mount the receptacle and pull it gently from the box. Test again for voltage.
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4. After removing wires from the old receptacle, attach them to the new device. The pros always connect the ground wire first, then the neutral, then the hot.
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5. This device can be back-wired by inserting stripped wire ends into clamps next to screw terminals. Tighten screw terminals tightly.
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Wiring Complete 2 has 800 photos, 50 detailed schematics, and covers installing advanced components such as wireless switches, LED conversion kits, and whole-house systems. Click here for a complete Table of Contents.
View Comments
It took and bit of poking around but I found some that have 2 USB chargers AND 2 receptacles. Great thing to have by the bed. Now we can plug in the alarm clock and (in the winter) the electric blanket and still have room for my iPhone. At just over $40 each they were a bit pricey though, especially since I bought one for each side of the bed. Very worth it though. They're made by Cooper.
Argh: Build your vampire loads into the building structure.
The right way to do this would be to standardize on a DC supply system for house wiring and put a single smart converter that would run *all* of the electronics in the house, turning itself on and off automatically. Imagine a world with no wall warts, power supply bricks, thick power cords, or vampire loads! Oh and significantly lower device costs and increased reliability because each one doesn't have to have its own power supply.
I have a Cooper single receptacle, double USB and it only cost $16 on Amazon. Installation was the same as with any other outlet. It's almost comical that there is a 'how to' article for 'retrofitting' one.
FYI; Amazon has several USB outlet styles to choose from. A search for "USB OUTLET" will give dozens of options to choose from. The Leviton shown above will run you $20 and a Cooper double outlet, double USB unit costs $27. There are other brands offered there for even less but when it comes to electrical devices in my walls I prefer a trusted brand name like Cooper or Leviton.
There are obviously a number of positives about these USB outlets, but there are a few negatives also.
- Apple iphones and ipads will charge faster from an Apple charger as they have a wiring change from the standard USB plug that allows them to charge at 2A. They will charge safely from a standard USB but it will be slower.
- I doubt that USB chargers will be prevalent 10 years from now. While I am likely to swap this outlet out if I no longer use it, most homeowners wouldn't.
- The transformer does use power, and unlike normal chargers there is no way to unplug it. Power usage is relatively low, ranging from about 60-200 mw. This adds up though, especially if the charger is no longer being used.
Albany: I bought a USB outlet a while ago, and it does, in fact, charge my iPhone and iPad at the same speed as my wall warts.
https://www.amazon.com/TOPGREENER-TU2154A-Charger-Receptacle-Screwless/dp/B00IAZIU5Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1475606357&sr=8-3&keywords=USB+outlet