How to Install an Electrical Outlet Outside

Installing your outlet outdoors will be easy with proper preparation and planning. An outdoor outlet is a safe alternative to drop cords that can be easily damaged trailing from inside your house to the outside. Your outdoor outlet is going to protect you from any ground shorts as well since you are installing a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). A GFCI means the outside electrical outlet will trip when any short to ground is present; this will stop the electricity if you are being electrocuted.

Things You'll Need

• Electrical wire to match the amps of your circuit
• GFCI outlet
• Old construction conduit box
• Outdoor outlet cover
• Caulking gun
• Outdoor vinyl caulking
• Sawz-all
• Pencil
• Phillips head screwdriver
• Flat head screwdriver
• Hammer
• Wire clips
• Wire cutter and stripper

Instructions

1. Turn off the main electricity at the breaker box.

2. Locate the area you want your outlet on the exterior of your house. Choose a location on the sill board since this will allow you to wire the outlet under the house.

3. Place the conduit box on the house and trace around it with your pencil.

4. Use your sawz-all and cut out the area you just traced. You do not need to remove siding to cut as you will be cutting through the siding.

5. Push your conduit box into the cut-out area and tighten the top and bottom screws with your screwdriver until the conduit box is tight.

6. Go under the house and place about 6 inches of wire through the access hole on the conduit box.

7. Run the wire from the conduit box to your breaker box. Run the wire along a joist, fastening it every 12 inches with your wire clips.

8. Remove the breaker box cover by unscrewing the screws with your screwdriver. Bring your wire up through the wall and into the breaker box access hole.

9. Attach the electrical wire to the open circuit you are installing into by first stripping back about a 1/2-inch of insulation on the new wire. Insert the black wire into the breaker switch and tighten down the set screw. Insert the white and bare copper wire into the bar that is in the breaker box and tighten down the set screw. Screw back on the breaker cover by tightening all screws around the cover.

10. Go outside and strip back 1/2 inch of insulation on the wire.

11. Screw the black and white wires onto the appropriate screws. The screws on the GFCI will be labeled as hot and neutral; black is hot, white is neutral. Screw the bare copper wire onto the ground screw that is green on the outlet.

12. Screw the outlet into the conduit box by tightening the top and bottom screws. Depending on the outlet cover you purchased, you may need to put the cover flange on top of the outlet and then tighten the outlet into the conduit box. Next, screw the middle screw into the outlet.

13. Caulk around the edge of the cover to provide a watertight seal. Your outlet is now installed and ready for use. Turn back on the electricity, and test your installation.

Tips & Warnings

• Check all local electrical and building codes before starting any project that involves wiring.

• Turn off the main electricity before starting.