How to Add a GFCI Electrical Outlet to Another Outlet
Daisy-chaining electrical outlets is a common procedure in household wiring. Outlets are designed with two pairs of terminals so you can wire a live circuit--called the line--to one pair of terminals and another outlet--called the load--to the second pair of terminals. When you're wiring a regular outlet, there is no difference when the load is another standard outlet or a ground fault current interrupter (GFCI) outlet. You must be careful, however, to connect the circuit wires to the terminals marked "line" on the GFCI. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Electrical box
- Hammer
- Screwdriver
- Electrical cable
- Utility knife
- Wire stripper
- Pliers
- GFCI outlet
Instructions
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1
Install an electrical box at the location where you wish to add the GFCI outlet. Use a plastic electrical box and nail it to a stud with the included nails, or use a remodeling box and screw it to the surface of the drywall with the provided screw anchors.
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2
Turn off the power to the circuit controlling the outlet that will feed the GFCI. Turn off the breaker that controls it on the main electrical panel. Unscrew the outlet from its electrical box. Pull the outlet out.
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3
Run a length of electrical cable between the outlet and the GFCI you are connecting. Use the same gauge of cable as the one that powers the existing outlet.
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4
Pull the ends of the cable through the backs of both electrical boxes. Prepare the ends by stripping away sheathing with a utility knife or a wire stripper. Expose approximately 1/2 inch of wiring on the ends of the insulated wires.
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5
Connect the black wire of the new cable to the unused brass terminal on the existing outlet. Loosen the screw with a screwdriver, hook the wire around it and tighten it. Or push the end of the wire into the self-clamping hole on the back of the outlet, behind the terminal screw. Connect the white wire of the new cable to the unused silver terminal in the same manner.
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6
Loosen the green ground screw on the outlet and unhook the bare wire. Use pliers to twist it together, with the bare wire from the cable going to the GFCI, leaving one end longer than the other. Hook the long end around the ground screw and tighten it.
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7
Hook the black wire in the GFCI box around the brass terminal marked "Line" on the outlet. The line terminals are the pair not covered by yellow tape. Tighten the terminal screw. Hook the white wire around the silver line terminal and tighten the screw. Hook the bare wire around the green ground terminal and tighten it.
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8
Push the wires into both electrical boxes. Screw the outlets onto the boxes. Install the cover plates and secure them with the provided screws.
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Turn the power back on at the main panel. Test the new GFCI according to the manufacturer's instructions to make sure it's working properly.
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Tips & Warnings
You can connect another outlet to a GFCI as long as you connect the new wires to the "Load" terminals after first removing the yellow tape. Outlets connected to GFCI load terminals have ground-fault protection and will lose power if the GFCI trips.
If you connect a GFCI to a circuit without a ground wire, you must affix a label to the outlet that reads: "No Equipment Ground." Appliances plugged into the outlet will still have ground-fault protection.
References
- Photo Credit electric outlet 2 image by Dawn Williams from Fotolia.com
