How to Ghost Wire House Circuits

Ghost wire certain parts in your house for future use.

When building a home or adding an addition, sometimes you want to put in electrical outlets and wiring that you won't immediately use. These ghost wiring circuits are added into the house now to cut down on extra work later when the walls are up and painted. Ghost wiring is not hooked up into the main power, so does not have electrical power running through the line circuits.

Things You'll Need

• Receptacle outlet boxes
• Nails
• Hammer
• 14/2 Romex electrical cable
• Hole saw
• Plastic grommets
• Staples
• Staple gun
• Wire strippers
• Electrical sockets
• Needle-nose pliers
• Phillip's screwdriver
• Wire connector caps

Instructions

1. Plan out wiring before installing any circuits. Decide how many outlets will be on one circuit breaker and what household items will be drawing electricity through those lines. This helps you to evenly distribute household products that draw large amounts of power, such as refrigerators and dishwashers, on separate circuit breakers and electrical outlets.

2. Attach blue receptacle outlet boxes along wooden studs by nailing into place. Set the box so it sits flush against the side of the wall stud. The receptacle outlet box will hold the electrical sockets.

3. Run 14/2 Romex electrical cable to each of the boxes, having enough to connect to the electrical socket. Drill holes through the studs with a hole saw.

4. Fit plastic grommet rings in the drilled holes to protect wires from becoming frayed on the jagged wood edges. Staple the wire to the stud with the staple gun.

5. Strip the insulation from the ends of wires until enough copper appears to hook onto electrical socket housing. Place the black wire (hot wire) on the right side, using the needle-nose pliers to wrap the wire around the screw. Tighten the screw on to the wire with the Philip's screwdriver.

6. Connect the white neutral wire on the left side of the electrical socket. Tighten the screw. Push the extra wiring in the back of the receptacle outlet box.

7. Attach the electrical socket to the receptacle outlet box by tightening the front screws at the top and bottom. Continue to connect electrical sockets and run wires until one room circuit is connected.

8. Run the other end of the wire to the circuit breaker box. Place a wire connector cap on the end.

Tips & Warnings

• Place in extra wiring when you are remolding the house or during new construction when there is no drywall up on the walls. This cuts down on mess where you don't have to cut open walls to place in wiring.

• Ghost wires near or tied together with live wires or circuits may develop a false charge from energized wires carrying electricity that fools multimeter tools that are testing for voltage readings. Use the appropriate stray voltage adapter with the multimeter to locate false voltage charges. Do not use the adapter on low voltage control circuits.

References

• The Circuit Detective: House Wiring Diagram of a Typical Circuit
• Ask the Electrician: Electrical Testing for Stray Voltage