How to Install Electrical Outlets

You can add electrical outlets to your home for convenience, better lighting capability or greater safety in that existing outlets won't be overloaded. You don't have to be a licensed electrician in order to safely install electrical outlets in your home. Read on to learn how to install electrical outlets.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Shut off the electricity in the area where you are going to install an electrical outlet. Use a circuit tester to make sure the electricity is off. It's a good idea to put a piece of duct tape or masking take over the breaker saying "Don't touch," just in case someone comes in while you're working and flips the breaker back on. This is an important safety precaution.

2. Measure the distance from where you are installing an electrical outlet to the point where you'll tie in to the electricity (at your electrical panel). This distance measurement will tell you how much wire you need. Purchase wire length plus an extra 30 to 50 cm to supply extra length to work with. The amperage and voltage of the circuit should match that of the wire you use. Your wire should have three ends. The hot conductor wire is black. The neutral wire is white and you should have a ground wire connected. Clean each end of the wire connections.

3. Decide whether you're going to run your wire from your attic down to your panel or from under your floor to your panel. You'll have holes already drilled with wires running through them. Find a hole and push the wire to your panel. Then, pull out excess wire. Cut a hole for your new electrical outlet in your sheetrock. Drill a hole inside your wall through the floor or your top plate of your wall. Run new wire to your new outlet.

4. Hook up the three wires to your electrical panel. Your breaker will have one wire hook up which will be your black wire. You'll have a neutral bar. This is where your white wire will hook up. Your ground wire goes to your ground bar. Attach your wire ends to the free screws in the outlet that correspond. The black wire goes with the brass screw, the white wire goes with the silver screw and the ground wire goes with the green screw.

5. Screw your new outlet in place in your new box. Install cover and go to the electrical panel. Turn your breaker on. Check the power in your new outlet. Put the cover back on your electrical panel.

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on 5/21/2009 I just completed a small home project of installing an exteria outlet. You can check out my steps and results here: http://revver.com/video/1666497/how-to-install-an-exteria-electrical-outlet/