How to Replace a Telephone Wall Plate

By Keith Evans

Telephone wall plates are designed to be decorative and unobtrusive, but still easy to replace when needed. If your telephone wall plate has become damaged or simply no longer matches your decor, you can replace it in just a few easy steps.

Unplug the connected telephone. Before replacing the wall plate, first disconnect the telephone wire plugged into the telephone jack. Most modern telephones use a plastic modular plug to connect to the jack; to remove the connection, simply press down on the small plastic clip, then pull the plug firmly but gently out of the jack. Set the telephone wire aside for later reconnection.

Remove the wall jack screws. Using a flat-head screwdriver, turn the screws at the top and bottom of the wall plate counterclockwise until they come all the way out of the wall. Set the screws aside for later use.

Remove the old wall plate. With the main screws removed, the wall plate should be easily removed from the wall. Gently pull the wall plate away from the wall and discard it or set it aside to recycle.

Attach the new wall plate. Line the new wall plate up in the space vacated by the old wall plate and insert the screws removed in Step 2 into the corresponding screw holes. Using the flat-head screwdriver, turn the screws clockwise until they are secured in place.

Plug in the telephone. With the new wall plate securely affixed to the wall, line the modular telephone plug up with the wall jack and press gently but firmly until the plug clicks into place. The wall plate is now replaced and the telephone is again ready for use.

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