How to Extend an Electrical Outlet Box

Extending an electrical outlet box is a great way to add more appliances.

There often comes a time when you will want to add more electronic gadgets to your home. More electronics will demand more power outlets. There are two ways to supply power to new electronics -- add a new line from the electric panel or extend an existing outlet. There are two ways to extend an existing outlet -- use a bigger outlet box and add more outlets to the existing location or extend the wiring to a new location and install a new outlet box.

Things You'll Need

• Electrical tester
• 2 Wire nuts
• No.12/2 electrical wire
• Electrical tape
• Sheet rock cutter (if needed)
• Electrical box (either 1900 or 5x5)
• Screw driver
• Hammer
• Stud finder
• Pencil

Instructions

Extend the Outlet

1. 

   Wire nuts are best for connecting two or more wires together.

   Make a piggy tail. A piggy tail is simply the electrical field term for three pieces of wires put together. Piggy tails are the best way to combine two or more outlets so that if one outlet malfunctions, the other will not stop working. The way piggy tails are made is very simple. Take three pieces of electrical wire, preferably the same size about six inches each, remove a half-inch of the insulation from each end, then put the three ends from one side together, and wrap them together tightly with pliers. Then attach a wire nut on top of the wrapped end and tie them together. For this project, you will need two piggy tails, one with three black wires and the other with three white wires.

2. Extend the wiring to the location where the new electrical outlet will be installed. If you decide to upgrade the existing electrical box with a bigger one and add more outlets to the same location, skip this step. Once wires are extended to the new location and installed, locate a stud using a stud finder. Measure 12 inches from the floor or carpet and mark the location. Use a pencil to trace around the new outlet box such that the beginning of the electrical box can be attached to the stud. Use a sheet rock saw to cut along the pencil traced square, and make a clean cut.

3. Open a knock-out in the new electrical outlet back box for wire insertion. Insert the wire into the box and secure the wire using a wire connector. Insert the electrical box into the opening made in Step 2 using a drill and two screws. Some electrical boxes can be installed right into sheet rock if a stud cannot be found in the exact desired location. The surface of the outlet must be aligned with the surface of the finished wall. Remove six inches of the wire's insulation to expose the inner black and white wires. take each wire and remove a half-inch of their outer insulation as well to expose the inner cores.

4. 

   It is important to ensure that your outlet layout is correct and aligned with the finished wall surface.

   Hold the new outlet so the the shorter opening is to your right, the longer opening is to your left, and the round opening is facing downward. The shorter opening is always the hot (live) side, and is connected to the black wire. Take the black wire and make a small hook facing upward with the exposed half-inch part you made in Step 3. Insert the black wire under the brass screw and tighten until snug. Do the same with the white wire, and the white screw on the long opening side of the outlet. Tighten it until snug. Screw the outlet to the back cover using the two supplied screws and attach the cover.

5. Go back to the existing outlet. Remove six inches off the other end of the wire that is traveling to the new outlet to reveal the black and white wires underneath the insulation. Remove a half-inch off the black wire's insulation as well as the white wire's. Take the black piggy tail and connect one wire out of the three to the line coming from the main panel. Connect the second wire to the black wire traveling to the new outlet, and connect the third wire to the existing outlet by making a small hook at the end and attaching it underneath the brass terminal. Tighten the screw until it is snug. Do the same with the white wires. Connect the third white wire to the white terminal screw on the outlet and toward the longer opening on the outlet.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn off electrical power before working. This is the most crucial step in any electrical installation. No matter how skilled you are with electricity, never work on a live circuit.

References

• "The Black & Decker Complete Guide to Home Wiring"; Editors of Creative Publishing; 2005