Wire Two Electrical Outlets in a Box
Well this item can vary quite a bit so let's assume you already have a single outlet and want to make it a double outlet box–a.k.a. Fourplex in "electrician speak".
Please make sure that doing your own electrical repairs as follows is legal in your jurisdiction.
Steps
- In order to locate the right circuit by yourself it is helpful to plug in a radio and turn the volume up. You should be able to hear it playing from across the house. If this method does not work for you, plug a extension cord into the same outlet to shorten the distance between you and the breaker box. A radio or a light plugged in here can save a lot of time in locating the right circuit.
- Take off the faceplate to the outlet. The steps that follow can also be used for switches.
- Remove the outlet. You should see black wires on one side of the outlet and white wires on the other side. Some outlets also have ground wires which are usually bare in a home.
- Look at the bare ground wire. Most of the time these wires have a crimp sleeve on them in residential homes. You can either try to cut the side of the crimp sleeve and remove it with lineman's pliers or you can cut the wire back just behind it. Before you cut it make sure you have enough ground wire to use later. You might also have luck squeezing the sleeve and working it to get it to release. The goal is to make all of the wires in the box be separated from each other. If you have only one wire in the box, bonus to you.
- If you have wire nuts in the box and there are no tails coming to the outlet, mark these wires so you can reconnect them later on. These probably feed through the box to another location. It is especially important that you note any red wires. This could possibly be a switch leg for a 1/2 hot outlet or a multi-wire branch circuit. It is critical that you make sure these types are reconnected properly.
- Once you have the wires separated take a screwdriver (trim type) and push it into the wall on either side of the box. This should enable you to locate where the stud is. If the box you have is a cut-in style box (it will have screws usually on the top right side and the bottom left side), disregard this step.
- Take your new two gang outlet box (or three gang or whatever size you want), and hold it up to the wall with the edge of your new box on the edge that has the stud.
- Using a pencil, mark out around the new box on the drywall. Use a wallboard saw or razor knife to cut out the drywall following your outline.
- If you are using a Carlon style plastic box with ears and nails, cut off the ears and nails.
- Pry the old box off of the stud and remove the wires from the box.
- Pop out the knockouts on the new box to go in for the amount and size of wires you are installing.
- Slip the new box in the wall and use drywall screws (two in the front and one in the middle in the back to screw the box to the stud. Make sure the box is in the wall even with the wallboard.
- Reconnect all ground wires and add two more tails the them. Wire nuts should suffice.
- Pigtail out two whites and two blacks from the original connections with wire nuts.
- Black wires attach to the gold screw terminal One per outlet.
- White wires attach to the silver terminal one per outlet.
- Ground goes to the green screw (octagon shaped usually on the bottom of the outlet)
- Turn back on power and test with a plug tester (about 10 bucks or so).
Tips
- Klein tools will make your life way easier doing your own electrical work. It is almost impossible using junky tools, even with electrician's skills. Spend some money on real screwdrivers and pliers and you will be thankful.
- This is one of the most useful electrician tools you can own. You can crimp the ground crimps (410 crimps) cut the crimps, crimp stake on connections and pull staples and nails. Also doubles as a stripping tool with some practice and a hammer.
