How To Hook Up Receptacle Outlet

In this diagram two duplex receptacle outlets are installed in the same box and wired separately to the source using pigtails spliced to connect the terminals of each one.

How to hook up receptacle outlet. Use a screwdriver to secure the outlet in place so it doesn t come free. Fit the hooked end of the ground wire around the ground screw on the new receptacle. Don t power your new outlet from a kitchen or bathroom outlet. When you daisy chain receptacles in a residential circuit you re actually wiring them in parallel not in series.

Wiring two outlets in one box. Codes also limit the number of wires that can enter an electrical box or electrical receptacle depending on the inside volume of the box and the gauge of the wires. Connect the white line neutral wire to the silver screw marked line by inserting the wire into the back wire hole. Form a j shaped hook on the end of each wire or pigtail using needle nose pliers.

Push the outlet in front of the wires so the screw holes on the outlet line up with the ones along the sides of the box. Here 3 wire cable is run from a double pole circuit breaker providing an independent 120 volts to two sets of multiple outlets. Included are arrangements for 2 receptacles in one box a switch and receptacle outlet in the same box and 2 switches in the same box. In any case when you replace an old outlet check to see whether the tabs are removed and if so break off the tabs on your new outlet to match.

If the outlet box has four wires plus a ground connect the second black wire to the brass terminal marked load and the second white wire to the silver terminal marked load. The procedure for wiring an outlet is to connect the incoming wires to one set of terminals and the outgoing wires to the other set. This way the screw will close the hook as you tighten the screw. Bend the wires so they can fit in the back of the box.

Tighten the terminal screw. The outlet automatically splits the electric path. Push the wires and outlet into the box so you can screw it in place. Wiring diagram for dual outlets.

One cable is the incoming power source entering the box from one side while a second cable exits the box to continue onward to downstream locations on the circuit. The neutral wire from the circuit is shared by both sets. This wiring is commonly used in a 20 amp kitchen circuit where two appliance feeds are needed such as for a refrigerator and a microwave in the same location. The correct way to power your home through a portable generator is to connect it thru a generator rated power inlet dedicated for just that purpose to a breaker in the panel with an overlay plate between the generator breaker and main breaker that makes it impossible to have both on at the same time.

If you add an outlet to a kitchen or bath it must be gfci protected. When an outlet receptacle falls in the middle of a circuit run rather than at the end there are generally two cables in the outlet box.