How to Safely Install an Electrical Outlet
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Most homes could use an additional outlet (or 12) added to their existing walls. If your home is among the many older homes with very few outlets in each room, why not add a few? The technical name for these outlets is receptacles, and there is no doubt they make a room a little or a lot more convenient. In this article, you'll learn how to add another outlet to an existing wall. These easy steps can be accomplished without damaging the portion of the wall that you see.
Safety Considerations
As with any other electrical project, turn off the power to the circuit that you'll be working on. To do this, use a tester. Go to the breaker or fuse panel and turn the circuit off that feeds the outlet. Check with a non-contact voltage tester to ensure the power is disconnected from that circuit.
Before You Begin
Before starting the project, clear everything away from the wall that you'll be working on. Locate the base trim and with a pencil, lightly mark the top edge of the base trim so that it leaves a mark on the drywall. This will be the area of the wall face that will be removed to access the wall cavity. Marking the area will allow an easy line to follow to make a cut into the wall and allow you the ability to cover the affected area up afterward.
Watch Now: How to Wire and Install an Outlet
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Pencil
- Razor knife
- Putty knife
- Drywall saw
- Drill
- 3/4" paddle bit or auger bit
- Non-contact voltage tester
- Level
- Measuring tape
- Vacuum
Materials
- Fish tape or a scrap piece of wire
- 12-2 NM (Romex) or 14-2 NM, depending on existing circuit
- Drywall screw
- New outlets
- New outlet boxes
- Outlet plates
Instructions
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Remove the Base Trim
Use a razor knife to break loose any paint that may be attached where the wall and trim meet. Use a putty knife to loosen the trim from the wall and then use a flat bar to remove the trim. Push the flat bar down between the wall and the trim. Pull away from the wall with the flat bar the entire length of the trim. Set the trim aside for now.
Trim Being Removed -
Cut the Drywall
Using a drywall saw, cut just below the pencil mark on the wall. Be careful not to cut too deep, as you could cut a wire hidden behind the drywall. Carefully pull the piece of cut drywall away from the wall. Set it aside so that you can reinstall it later.
A photo of a drywall saw cutting drywall. -
Drill the Studs
Using a drill and a 3/4" paddle bit or auger bit, drill holes in the center of the 2x4s, just above the plate. Do this from the existing outlet to the location where you'd like the new outlet.
Drilling Holes in the Studs -
Add the Wire
Install 12-2 NM or 14-2 (Romex) through the holes that you drilled. Wire with the size 12 or 14 to make the existing circuit. Leave some slack at each end for adjustments later. If your box requires a Romex connector, add it now about 6 to 7 inches from the end of the wire.
Remove the lock nut for now. You will need it later.
Feed Wire Through the Wall -
Feed the Wire to a Box
From the existing box, take the knockout out of the bottom of the box. Feed a fish tape or a scrap piece of wire through the hole until you see it in the opening that you cut below. Attach the Romex to it with electrical tape and pull it through the hole in the box. Attach the lock nut and secure it with a tap on a screwdriver.
Wire Being Installed in a Box -
Mark the New Outlet
Take a tape measure and measure the top of the existing outlet. Now mark the new outlet the same. Use a pencil and a level to align and mark the new cut-in box.
Mark a Box for a Cut -
Install the Cut-in Box
Using the drywall saw, cut the drywall and remove the scrap. Knock out the bottom knockout of the cut-in box, so that you'll be able to insert the wire. Now, install the box and tighten the side straps or add Madison straps to hold the box in place.
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Feed Wire to the Cut-in Box
Feed a fish tape or a scrap piece of wire through the hole until you see it in the opening that you cut below. Attach the Romex to it with electrical tape and pull it through the hole in the box. Attach the lock nut and secure it with a tap on a screwdriver. Your box may have its own wire strap. If so, tighten it once the wire is pulled at least 6 inches into the box.
Install a Wire in a Box -
Install Drywall and Trim
Using a drywall screw, reinstall the drywall piece that you earlier cut out. Reinstall the base trim. Now it's time to vacuum up any evidence. Be extremely careful not to place a screw into the new wire you just pulled through the holes.
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Connect the New Outlet
Strip the outer coating from the Romex and strip the black and white wires about 3/4 inch. Bend a half-moon and wrap the black wire clockwise around the brass-colored screw. The white wire is next and it is attached similarly, only to the silver-colored screw. The bare copper wire connects to the green screw. Tuck the wires into the box and screw the outlet into the box. Install the cover plate and you're finished with this outlet.
The proper order for placing the wires on the outlet usually goes: copper on green screw, white on the silver screw, and lastly, black on the brass screw.
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Connect the Existing Outlet
The existing outlet will need a pigtail connection. This involves cutting scrap pieces of the three colored wires and attaching one end to the outlet and the other to the two pieces of Romex. Find out how to attach a pigtail.
Attach wire nuts to connect the wires. Gently press the wires into the box and screw the outlet into the box. Install the outlet's cover plates and you have finished the outlet installation.
Pigtail Connection -
Turn on Power and Test
The final step is to turn the circuit back on and test the circuit. Be sure to try both the new and the old outlet using your electrical tester.
Turn Breaker On