First, you can wire the receptacle so the incoming wires connect to one pair of hot and neutral screw terminals on the receptacle, and the outgoing wires connect to the other pair of screw terminals.
In this configuration, all power for the circuit runs through the metal linkage within the receptacle itself. This makes for fairly easy connections, but its drawback is that if anything goes wrong with the receptacle, the downstream portion of the circuit also goes dead, since no current can flow through the receptacle. For this reason, pros usually wire receptacles using the second method, if possible.
The second method of wiring middle-of-run receptacles is to connect them to the circuit wires via "pigtails. In this configuration, there is a complete pathway running through the electrical box to the downstream portion of the circuit; the pigtails simply tap into the hot and neutral lines to feed the receptacle. The advantage of this configuration is clear: If the receptacle goes bad, there is still an unbroken circuit pathway leading to outlets and fixtures downstream of the receptacle.
Most electricians will use this second configuration where the box has ample room to fit the wire connectors. Polarity is part of a safety system that keeps the electricity flowing in the proper direction. In a typical household electrical circuit, the black circuit wires and sometimes red are the "hot" wires that carry power from the source to the switch or receptacle. The white wires are "neutral" and carry the electricity back to the home's service panel breaker box after it flows through all of the devices or fixtures in the circuit.
To maintain proper polarity when wiring a receptacle, connect the black hot wire to one of the hot bronze-colored terminals. Connect the white neutral wire to one of the neutral silver-colored terminals. When wiring standard switches, the wires connected to the switch are both hot. If neutral wires are present in the electrical box, they are simply joined together with a wire connector, bypassing the switch. With all switches and receptacles, connect the circuit's ground wire bare copper or with green insulation to the device's ground screw.
Many switches and receptacles have holes in the back of the device's body for making "stab-in" connections. Likewise, the black hot wire can go on either brass screw terminal. Confirm that all wiring connections are secure by gently tugging on each wire. Reconnect and retighten any loose wires. Carefully tuck the wires into the box; it often helps to bend them in one or two places, but do not create sharp bends.
Press the receptacle's mounting strap the metal strip at the top and bottom against the box, then secure it by threading the mounting screws into the top and bottom of the box.
The receptacle can be oriented with the ground slot the D-shaped hole facing up or down. Technically, it is considered safer to have the ground slot on top. With this orientation, if a cord plug is partially pulled out of the outlet to expose the plug's prongs, an object falling onto the plug is blocked by the grounding prong before it can short-circuit across the hot and neutral prongs.
Fit the cover plate over the outlet and secure it with the mounting screw. Restore power to the circuit by switching on the circuit breaker. Plug in an electrical device to the outlet to make sure the receptacle is working properly.
You can also use an inexpensive plug-in receptacle tester to confirm that the receptacle has power, is wired correctly, and is properly grounded. Homeowners without experience with home wiring projects and repairs may want to have an electrician run cables to the new outlet location and complete any service panel connections if the outlet involves a new circuit or extension of an old circuit.
This work is certainly possible for a homeowner to do, but any work that involves the main service panel is inherently dangerous and should not be attempted if you don't have experience with this kind of project.
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Create a personalised content profile. Home electrical wiring includes volt outlets and volt outlets and receptacles which are common place in every home. See how wiring electrical outlets for the home are done. Electrical Wire for the Home. Home Electrical Junction Boxes. Understanding electrical junction boxes and what they are used for.
Home electrical wiring is the process of installing electrical wire to a location that will serve electrical devices or an appliance. One very important component is the box where the wire will be installed. The type and size of the home wiring electrical boxes will depend upon the circuit size, application and its location. Electrical Wiring. Get a Quick Reply! Ask the Electrician. Electrical Video 1 Electrical Wiring Tips?
Electrical Video 1 Electrical Wiring Tips. For high loads and amperage, the Line 1, Line 2, Neutral and ground is connected through a 6 gauge 3 wires cable from separate breaker to the related terminals of hot 1, hot 2, neutral and ground terminal as shown in fig below. General Information about Electrical Outlets:. Related Electrical Wiring Installation Tutorials:. Your email address will not be published.
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