Phone jacks come in two styles, surface-mounted or flush. Knowing your style of phone jack is the first place to start before replacing your old one. Although phone lines are low-voltage, minor (but painful) shocks can occur, so it is strongly encouraged to disconnect the power before making any adjustments to your phone lines. If you cannot access the interface box to do so, simply take all other phones off the hook to avoid receiving any incoming calls.

It should also be noted that you should never attempt phone jack replacements, or any type of electrical work, during a storm. This greatly increases the chances of electrocution by lightning.

Let’s get started.

1. Disconnect the telephone line by locating the interface box. This is usually attached to the exterior of a property, in the area where the phone lines enter the house.

2. At the telephone interface box, open the customer access panel so you can unplug the test jack. (If your box is older and does not have a test jack, simply unscrew the terminals to reveal the wires, and then detach them, remembering which wire went to which terminal.)

3. Once the test jack is unplugged, pick up the phone to ensure there is no longer a dial tone.

4. Now unplug the phone from the jack and then completely remove the jack from the wall. Be sure to remember which wire connects to which terminal.

5. Look for four wires, colored red, green, yellow, black, blue, and white. Only two wires are generally needed to connect a phone line; the other wires are used for extra lines or if a line fails. Red and green are used for the first and primary phone line most often.

6. Attach the new wires to the replacement phone jack. At this point, you can choose to use a utility knife to cut and strip the ends of the wires to expose fresh, untouched wire if they look brittle or discolored. Be careful to not cut into the wire. Do not cut more than ½ to ¾ of an inch back.

7. Using needle-nosed pliers, shape the ends of the exposed wires into a U.

8. Wrap each wire clockwise around each appropriate terminal.

9. Re-tighten the terminal screws and replace the jack to the wall.

10. Now you can re-connect the interface box and plug your phone back in!

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