Adding electrical outlets to a room can improve its function and safety. Many older homes lack sufficient outlets to meet modern power needs, leading to potentially hazardous situations such as overloaded power strips and cords running under carpets. In the video above, This Old House expert Scott Caron demonstrates how to properly install new outlets, addressing common safety concerns and improving electrical access throughout a room.
Why Add New Outlets?
Beyond convenience, there are several reasons adding a new outlet can be beneficial. Not having enough electrical outlets can lead to several problems, such as these:
- Overreliance on power strips, which can lead to overload or fire
- Tripping hazards from extension cords
- Potential fire risks from cords under carpets
- Clutter and undesirable room setups
Safety Considerations When Adding an Electrical Outlet
Always prioritize safety when working on an electrical project. Follow these guidelines:
- Turn off power to the working area at the main electrical panel to prevent accidental shocks.
- Use proper tools and protective equipment, such as insulated gloves and goggles.
- Follow local building codes and regulations to ensure that your work is up to standard and legally compliant.
- Keep wiring organized and as out of the way as possible to avoid tripping.
- Consider hiring a licensed electrician if you’re uncomfortable with any steps or lack the necessary expertise.
Tools and Materials Needed
To add new outlets, you’ll need the following tools and materials:
- Drill/driver
- Electrical boxes
- Electrical wire (12- or 14-gauge, depending on the circuit)
- Jigsaw
- Outlet covers
- Screwdriver
- Tamper-resistant outlets
- Voltage tester
- Wire nuts
- Wire stripper
How To Add an Outlet
Follow the steps below to install new outlets. Caron demonstrates them in the video above.
Planning and Preparation
Before cutting into walls or running wires, plan your outlet locations carefully. Measure and mark locations for new outlets to ensure they’re evenly spaced. Check for obstructions in walls using an insulation rod or stud finder to avoid hitting pipes or other obstacles. Ensure new outlets will be spaced according to code, typically every 12 feet within living areas.
Cutting Holes for Electrical Boxes
Once you’ve planned your outlet locations, follow these steps to begin installation:
- Trace the outline of the electrical box on the wall where the outlet will be installed.
- Drill corner holes to pilot the saw blade, making the cutting process easier and more accurate.
- Use a jigsaw to cut out the opening for the box, ensuring clean, straight lines for a snug fit.
Running Wires
After creating openings for the boxes, move to the wires.
- Fish wires from the electrical panel to each new outlet location, ensuring there is a continuous path.
- Leave about 4 feet of extra wire at each outlet for making connections easily.
- If necessary, drill through framing to route wires while avoiding structural damage.
Installing Electrical Boxes
With wires in place, tackle these steps:
- Strip insulation from the wires using a wire stripper, exposing enough wire to make secure connections.
- Insert wires into the electrical box through designated openings, leaving enough wire length inside.
- Secure the box to the wall using screws or other fasteners as appropriate, ensuring it is flush and stable.
Wiring the Outlets
To wire the new outlets, do the following:
- Attach white wires to the silver screws, which usually correspond to the neutral connections.
- Then, connect black wires to the brass screws, typically for the live or hot connections.
- Next, secure the ground wire, usually a bare or green wire, to the grounding screw.
- Use electrical tape around the outlet for added safety, particularly in metal boxes to prevent accidental shorts
Caron recommends using tamper-resistant outlets, which have internal shields to prevent foreign objects from being inserted, ensuring added safety.
Finishing Touches
To complete the installation, attach outlet covers securely to protect the wiring and provide a finished look. Turn the power back on at the main panel, carefully checking that everything is functioning as needed. Test each new outlet with a voltage tester to ensure they are correctly wired and operational.
Special Considerations When Adding an Electrical Outlet
Below are a few more factors you’ll need to keep in mind.
Floor Outlets
For added convenience, you may want to consider installing floor outlets. Specially designed floor outlet boxes with protective covers help prevent damage from foot traffic.
When installing floor outlets, place them strategically in open floor areas to provide easy access where wall outlets may not be practical. Floor outlets can help when furniture arrangements and room layouts make it difficult to access wall outlets. They’re particularly useful in large, open spaces where power sources can be far from seating areas.
Surge Protection
Surge protection is crucial for protecting sensitive electronics such as computers and home entertainment systems, as it can prevent damage from unexpected power surges. We recommend installing outlets with built-in surge protection in areas with heavy electronic use for additional safety. Consider using whole-house surge protection for broader protection against voltage spikes.
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs)
In the video, Caron demonstrates installing an AFCI in the main panel. These devices detect electrical arcs that could cause fires and are now required in many areas of the home by electrical codes. Installing AFCIs can add an extra layer of protection, particularly in bedrooms.
Hiding Cables
Keeping cables organized and out of sight can make your room look neat and extend the life of your electronic devices. Consider using cable management solutions such as the following:
- Cable raceways that can hide cables along the walls or baseboards
- Cord covers for areas where cables need to run along the floor
- Wall-mounted systems to keep cables off the floor and away from foot traffic
Maintaining Your New Outlets
To ensure your outlets stay working properly and safely, follow these tips:
- Periodically check outlets for signs of wear or damage, addressing any issues promptly.
- Test GFCI outlets monthly using the test/reset buttons to ensure they’re functioning correctly.
- Keep outlets free from dust and debris to prevent overheating and potential fire hazards.
Video Transcript
HOMEOWNER:
We have one outlet for this entire room, so we’ve plugged in a power strip and we have all of this plugged in and I know that can’t be safe.
SCOTT:
Well, when the electricity came into this room, one outlet was acceptable. There weren’t a lot of things to plug in, but now you have a lot of things. You have cable boxes, radios, televisions, but I don’t like this at all. It’s a plug strip. It has a potential for an overload. You can see all these cords here. The cords are tripping hazards. Look at this. But also, I don’t like this. A lot of people do it, but I don’t like it. You have a cord going underneath a carpet.
What happens is as you walk on that carpet, it goes back and forth and what’s going to happen is you’re going to expose the copper wiring and the copper wiring could actually touch each other, an arc, and that could cause a fire, so that’s not good.
So what I could do is put an outlet where you need it. We’ll put one here, put one for the TV, put one over there, everywhere, we’ll get going on that. What do you think?
HOMEOWNER:
Oh, that sounds great.
SCOTT:
All right, super. Let’s get started.
To get started, I use this insulation rod to locate for any pipes or obstructions in the basement. The rod actually goes through the floor and I can see it from down below.
HOMEOWNER:
What is that, a drill bit?
SCOTT:
Not really. It’s what they call an insulation rod. It’s got a sharp point on it right here and it’s very flexible but strong and we put it on the end of a drill and we use it as a drill bit.
Now we need to put an outlet about every 12 feet. This will cover these two walls. So what we would normally do is we would cut into this wall, which is probably lath and blaster and horse hair and real old and brittle, but we would put that at 18 inches. What I’d like to do for you to match the other outlet in the room is put it right here in the baseboard.
HOMEOWNER:
Yeah, that would look great.
SCOTT:
So let’s trace it out and get started.
So this house is balloon framed. What it means is that the studs carry from the roof all the way down to this sill in the basement. Normally there’s a plate and then the studs stop. It makes it a lot harder to drill, but this case there’s no drilling involved at all.
Niecy, look for the wire, okay?
HOMEOWNER:
Okay. Got it.
SCOTT:
Okay, pull about four feet.
HOMEOWNER:
Okay.
SCOTT:
Now I can strip the insulation off these wires and put them right into the electrical box. All right, we are ready to install the outlets.
What I’ve brought for you here, it’s not a regular outlet. It’s called tamper resistant or TR, and you can see these shields right here.
HOMEOWNER:
Oh, yeah.
SCOTT:
These actually prevent any foreign object from going inside and possibly electrocuting somebody. So I brought a paper clip, and you can see that there’s really no way to get it inside the hole. It has to have two, just like on a plug, and they have to go in just like that at the same time, and therefore it’ll prevent anyone getting hurt.
One set of black and white wires is the power from the panel, and the other set feeds out to the other receptacles in the room. I first attach the white wires to the silver screws, then the black wires to the brass screws, and then I’ll attach the ground.
When I use metal boxes, I like to tape up the receptacle for safety so that it doesn’t touch the metal. I’m using a brown outlet and a brown plate to blend in nicely with the woodwork. Now I’m going to install the other outlets about every 12 feet.
This is a floor outlet that’s specially designed. It has a brass plate with these brass lids, and these lids cover up the outlet when it’s not being used to protect it from dirt and dust.
HOMEOWNER:
Great.
SCOTT:
I also want to hide the audio-visual wires that go up to the TV. These HDMI wires here, they go up through the wall, and they come out this low-voltage plate here. And then right next to it, behind the television, is going to be this outlet here. So everything, when the TV’s pushed in, you won’t see it.
HOMEOWNER:
That’s great.
SCOTT:
This outlet has surge protection built right in. It’ll protect your television from any surges or spikes in voltage.
So I’ve run the wire over from the other side of the house. There’s a dedicated circuit, bringing it right into the electrical panel. I’ve de-energized the whole panel by shutting off the main breaker, so there’s no power here at this panel.
I’m using an arc fault breaker, which will detect any sparks or flashes on this circuit. I attach the white and the black wire directly to the circuit breaker. The white wire from the circuit breaker gets tied directly onto the neutral bar, and so does the ground.
All right, Niecy, the power’s back on, and I’ve put the outlets everywhere you need them. We have one here behind the TV, one down for the entertainment system, and I’ve put a couple throughout the room. And remember, we have this one behind the couch for this lamp in the floor.
