How to Add an Electrical Outlet to an Existing Line
Adding an electrical outlet to an existing room will provide more options down the road for furniture and lighting placement. Additionally, it will cut down on the need for extension cords, which could potentially lead to overloading a circuit. Safety should always come first, so before you begin any electrical work, be sure to consult with a licensed electrician. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hand saw
- Drill
- 1/2-inch wood drill bit
- Screwdriver
- Wire cutters/strippers
- Utility knife
- Length of 12-2 electrical wire
- Fish tape
- Rework electrical outlet kit
- Wire nuts
- Needle-nose pliers
Instructions
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1
At the main circuit panel, turn off the power to the outlet to be worked on.
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2
Using a screwdriver, remove the screw and cover plate over the outlet. Unscrew the two screws at the top and bottom of the outlet and pull the outlet out of the electrical box. Pull it out as far as the wiring will allow. This will allow access to the back of the outlet box.
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3
Using the screwdriver, twist out one of the knockout holes in the back of the outlet box.
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4
In the attic, locate the area over the existing outlet and in the same wall cavity. Drill a 1/2-inch hole in the top of the wall to allow access to the wall cavity.
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5
Run the fish tape down through the wall cavity and pull it through the hole in the back of the existing electrical box.
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6
Tape the end of the electrical wire to the end of the fish tape. Pull the fish tape from the attic and have an assistant feed the electrical wire to you as you pull it up into the attic.
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7
Locate the area over where the new outlet will be placed. Drill a 1/2-hole into the top of the wall, allowing access to the wall cavity.
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8
With a pencil, trace the back of the new electrical outlet box on the wall, at the location where it is to be installed. Make sure it will be in the same wall cavity as the hole you drilled in step 7.
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9
Using the hand saw, cut along the traced outline to make a hole, sized for the electrical box to slide in.
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10
Drop the electrical line down through the hole drilled in step 7, from the attic.
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11
Pull about 12 inches of the electrical wire out the hole in the wall where the new outlet will be placed.
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12
Using the screwdriver, twist out one of the knockout holes in the back of the new outlet box. Run the electrical wire through this hole.
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13
Insert the new outlet box into the hole in the wall, and using the screwdriver, tighten the screws to secure the outlet box in place in the drywall.
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14
Using the utility knife, strip about 6 inches of the outer sheathing off the electrical cable by carefully cutting down the side of the cable. Be careful to not cut too deep and damage the interior wires. Pull the sheathing back and cut it off with the knife.
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Using the wire strippers, strip off about 1 inch of insulation off each of the wires. You will only need to strip the insulation off the black and white wires as the bare (ground) wire has no insulation.
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16
Connect the new outlet to the wiring using the screwdriver and the following connections: the black (hot) wire to the brass screw, the white (neutral) wire to the silver screw, and the bare (ground) wire to the green screw. Tighten each of the screws to a snug fit.
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17
Push the wiring into the box and mount the outlet to the electrical box using the screwdriver and included screws. Mount the cover plate to the outlet as well, again using the screwdriver and included screws.
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18
Using the utility knife, strip about 6 inches of the outer sheathing off the electrical cable at the existing outlet. Carefully cut down the side of the cable. Be careful to not cut to deep and damage the interior wires. Pull the sheathing back and cut it off with the knife.
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Using the wire strippers, strip about one inch of insulation off each of the wires. You will only need to strip the insulation off the black and white wires as the bare (ground) wire has no insulation.
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20
Connect the wiring to the existing outlet using the screwdriver and the following connections: the black (hot) wire to the bottom brass screw, the white (neutral) wire to the bottom silver screw, the bare (ground) wire to the green screw.
If there are already two cables running to the existing outlet, use the following connection method:
Cut a 6-inch length of electrical cable using the wire cutters. Strip away all the sheathing to free up the three wires so you can use them separately. Strip 1 inch of the insulation off the end of each wire with the wire strippers. These short wires will now be called pigtails.
Using the screwdriver, disconnect all the wires from the outlet and make the following connections: twist all the white wires together and one 6-inch white wire pigtail using a wire nut. Connect the other end of the white wire to the silver screw on the outlet.
Twist all the black wires together and one black wire pigtail using a wire nut. Connect the other end of the black wire to the brass screw.
Twist all the bare copper wires together and one bare wire pigtail using a wire nut. Connect the other end of the pigtail to the green screws. -
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Push the wiring into the existing electrical box and mount the outlet to the box using the screwdriver and included screws. Mount the cover plate to the outlet using the screwdriver and included screws.
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22
Turn the power back on at the main circuit breaker panel.
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Tips & Warnings
Never attempt to work on this or any electrical line without first turning off the power.
Be sure that all electrical work meets the electrical codes for your local area.
