How To Wire An Outlet Box

Push the cable into the box opening connector until only about an inch of jacketed cable is inside the box.

How to wire an outlet box. This demonstration shows 2 wire which means each cable contains one black and one white wire plus a ground wire. Tighten the screws on the outlet to the. The outlet addition methods we show here are based on the most common wiring 14 gauge wire on a 15 amp circuit and an 18 cu in. Here a gfci receptacle is added at the end of a row of duplex receptacles for single location protection.

Electrical cables feed through holes in the back or sides of the outlet s electrical box. 1 for each hot and neutral wire entering the box 1 for all the ground wires combined 1 for all the cable clamps combined if any 2 for each device switch or outlet but not light fixtures multiply the total by 2 for 14 gauge wire and 2 25 for 12 gauge wire to get the minimum box size required in cubic inches. Box typical inside dimensions are about 2 in. Disconnect the hot wire which is black from the existing outlet and connect it to the brass line terminal on the gfci.

If you re wiring an outlet in the middle of a chain of outlets you ll have two cables in the outlet box. Wiring two outlets in one box. Screw the outlet into the exterior box to hold it in place. 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.

All wires are spliced with a pigtail at the devices to pass current to the next. One of the cables is the live cable that either comes from another device that has power or directly from the panel. Install cable into box. Generally the outer sheathing of the nm cable should just barely extend into the box with 6 or 7 inches of each conducting wire extending into the box.

The other cable goes to the next outlet in the chain. The first outlet is connected to the source and 2 wire cable runs from box to box. The box will have at least one cable bundle of wires entering through the backside. To replace your two prong outlet with a gfci start by turning off the breaker controlling the outlet circuit and unscrewing the outlet from the electrical box.

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. New work electrical boxes will be nailed to a stud and remodel electrical boxes like the one pictured below will be affixed to the drywall. The outlet location needs to have the wire installed into an old work new work box which is either to be cut in to wallboard or nailed to the wall stud. Use either wood screws or masonry anchors depending on whether you have wood or concrete exterior walls.