This is my 34th year of teaching high school students, this dude is an awesome teacher, thanks for saving me thousands of dollars of electrician fees 🤩
Great video. Another tip is to write the circuit number on the back of the plate cover so that next time you need to work on the switch or outlet, you know which circuit to shutoff.
I'm retired now but have done electrical work since 1978 from working on electrical hand tools (before battery operated came around) to residential wiring on to commercial and retiring working for a utility company installing primary voltage, transformers ect. I have never heard that idea about marking the breaker number on the back of a plate, but that's a good idea.... You just taught this old dog a new trick....lol
I don’t care for this suggestion of marking the circuit number on the plate cover because every time I paint, I take all the plate covers off and throw them in a shoe box. I guarantee you the plates never go back on the same place they came off.
These types of videos keep me from burning my house down and electricuting myself so unlike almost all other u tube videos I actually click the like button.
Coming to the end of my first year of apprenticeship. My job is fully residential & some times trying to fish straight down can be super annoying. With the steel fish slightly bending and catching on everything in old walls. A chain makes so much sense!! I’m 100% using this from now on.
Hope you enjoy your apprenticeship. I served mine at a coal mine as both an Electrical Fitter and Mechanic. It involved 11,000V down to 32V. I worked on heavy earth moving machinery like draglines and shovels, underground mining equipment and residential type wiring in offices and workshops. 415V 3-phase often applied there. All very rounded and interesting. My father was an electrician too and worked as an electrical engineer on ships. He was my immediate boss and chief electrician at the mine.
Slightly curl the first 6" of your fish tape and direct the tip of the fish tape so it runs down the corner between the drywall and stud. This is especially useful when there is insulation in the wall. Works like magic and your fish tape will pop right out of your hole.
Although I didn’t look at all the comments, I think it’s worth pointing out, perhaps again, that when you first open the existing switch box, make sure there are separate neutral and load wires in place. Especially in older construction, you can often find only a hot and load in a single romex run, black usually hot and white to the load, no wire to carry the neutral to extend to the outlet.
I've run into this more times than I can count, and it always screams "lazy electrician" to me. Yes, interwebz trolls, I know that copper is expensive and tract homes especially were built in least-time, lowest-cost environments, but I don't give a damn. Do it correctly the first time.
Came to leave a similar comment. Boy do I hate power at the light. I'd say any house before the 80s here in Newfoundland are done that way. Atleast there isnt much aluminum here. I've yet to run into any branch circuits in aluminum.
@@dionh70 Not lazy (unless it is new-ish construction.) That used to be the approved method. Code didn't even require a ground to a switch. Pretty common for a single-pole installation to be just 14-2 from the light fixture to the switch. And only recently has the code required an active neutral be present to accommodate lighted/smart switch devices.
I'm an apprentice electrician and just did a job like this one. I followed the same procedures. I like to use Wago connectors vice nuts. I do be sure the wire is stripped to the correct length and connections are tight. On the receptacle, the hot and neutrals should be aligned, i.e., don't put the hot on the top (gold) screw and neutral on the botton (silver). Thanks for the video. Guys like you are a big help to rookies like me.
The 1st rule of wiring. Never trust the guy who wired it before you. Assumptions are the mother of all electrical deaths. Great video! I would only add that there is generally a minimum height off the floor of 15 inches to the bottom of the receptacle, but one would need to check their local codes to be sure.
I watched a few of your videos and they are very well made and very informative. I am 60 yrs old and done many electrical DYI’s but today I learned about the hole in the wire strippers to make the curve in the wire, I use to wrap the wire around a small screwdriver or clamp the end of the wire with the wire striper and twist into a curve. I’m always looking for the best way to do a job safely and properly and I have a question about receptacle installation that an electrical engineer told me about which makes sense to me but I’ve wrote enough for now and will ask the question later on. thanks for your videos. 👍😎👍
Great vid. When I install a receptacle and have marked it on the wall, I’ll start sawing in the middle of the horizontal line and cut towards the stud (in your example towards the right). 99.9% of the time the stud finder works. I remove the drywall closest to the stud, so I can look inside to determine if I’m lined up like I want to be. If everything looks good I remove the rest of the dry wall. If not, I can realign thus not cutting to big a hole.
@@stephenwilliams6103 a multi tool is the *worst* on drywall. You can easily cut into a romex. If you do that, you’ll have to run a new wire, or open the wall and install another j-box to fix the break. Additionally, a power tool will make a *LOT* of dust that can’t be cleaned up for hours.
@@BitSmythe Hospitals have been using multi tools (same principle)for cutting off plaster casts on broken limbs for years, it's about using the right blade.
Nice video. Very clear and informative. I would like to add a couple of items that I didn’t see in the video nor the instructions. First, seeing that it was a 15A circuit from the breaker box, it’s important to note that using the correct wire and receptacle is a safety concern. Too many people will just grab materials from their home supply store and think they’re all the same. Using the matching wire and receptacle to the circuit is a safety concern. Secondly, using the correct wire nut is just as important. In the video, a yellow wing nut is used with 3 #14 gauge wire. Code would recommend a red wire nut when combining 3 #14.
One comment I would like to add is that sometimes a switch only contains a switch loop and the power is up at the fixture. I personally never wire switches that way but you would definitely want to check that before you cut your hole for the new outlet. Thanks for your video, you do a great job on all of your tutorials.
Actually the "switchleg" you describe is defined in the NEC and is the preferred, if not mandated method to use. As you correctly state, it does prevent adding additional devices by get a wire to the switch box, unless the switchleg is a 3 conductorr cable with ground
@@robbrown9543 2011 NEC 404.2 added the requirement that all switch boxes contain a neutral conductor. The problem was that some people were using the ground wire as a neutral when no neutral was present and they needed one for a smart switch, timer, sensor, or other electronic device.
A very useful concept is how to connect the black live wire. It may seem trivial, but as you explain, it is an important thing that can become a hazzle going forward. Thank you for sharing the details. Being an electrical engineer myself, I really appreciate your professional approach to handle electrical power safely 🙂
A #1 thank you. I gave up on doing this 7 years back because my quite thorough search came up with zero answers on how to do this. One thing i noticed, small thing, is first you verify your tester works, after that you cut the juice and can trust that power is not there.
I normally use the stud on the other side of the cavity from the light. This does make it a little more difficult to fish the wire but it does reduce the risk of the box conflicting with a wire running down the stud with the switch.
Your cameraman/woman should get 'thumbs up' too. Wonderful videos. I have a retired electrician friend who helps me a lot. He told me some of the common mistakes you mention often. But, seeing and hearing these in your videos are very helpful. You are good teacher. Your neighbors are lucky!!!
Thank you man. I just bought a new home and had a small room planned for my Airbnb coffee shack. Went and bought the table and mini fridge, coffee maker etc and then realized there wasn't a single outlet in the entire room. Luckily I only needed one and in 30 minutes I had it done and works great. Tested it with a wiring tested and got Correct lights. So went great. And I wasn't sure if the outlet would be hot only went the switch was on but it wasn't. Hot all the time like I wanted. Saved me from having to call an electrician.
This is good but I think you should have started by explaining that there are two different kinds of switch possibilities. If this switch was just a loop, they could not supply constant voltage to the new outlet. You might want to have a short vid to show the different setups for switches. Someone asked about a three way switch but that won't work typically for this but it could.
Just took apart a light switch in our kitchen and it's all most likely original from 1961 and it has two black wires under one screw just like you showed. It's worked for decades so when swapping in a new light switch I mirrored what it had before. I'm going to go in and do what you suggested. Thanks!
Interesting video, here in the UK we don't mix lighting and outlets on the same circuit breaker, that also means our lighting breakers are 6A rather than 15A.
Lights and outlets are also on a different circuits here in North America (or should be, at least...). I don't believe it's prohibited though and sometimes the lighting circuit is closer to where you want your new outlet and easier to access so this is why you find outlets connected in parallel to lighting circuits like this on older houses.
@@Eduskator not banned here either but lighting circuits are typically lower rated on purpose to stop you mixing appliances with lights. This goes back to how we do our wiring with rings. I could technically add a 13amp socket in the loft for a lighting circuit that needs a transformer and this would be ok as long as the fuse on the plug is 5amp rated or that ring will trip out.
15Amps at 120V is 7.5 Amp at 240V, so the breaker size is comparable, the issue is the breaker and cable are sized for a maximum load of 1.8KW, either it trips for overload and at the same time leaves you in the dark, or some idiot puts a bigger capacity breaker and ends up cooking the wires if not replaced, it could be seriously dangerous.
@@digihorse6730 The UK system is much safer. Most standards are based on it now anyways, for a long time US/EU systems lacked even an earth connection (and still do for a lot of connections). Our plugs are secure in the socket at all times. Although we do still have older style ring circuits left from war time our consumer units are much smaller.
It would be important to verify that the switch isn't simply switching on/off power between black/white with the actual "hot" in the light box. Basically switching hot in light box. Also, 3-way switch would have issues too.
If your house was built before 2011 when the NEC made it a requirement to have a neutral in all boxes, you only have a 50% chance or less of having a neutral there. So that should be looked at first before cutting holes in the wall because that may change your plan.
Before you start you should also verify you do have a complete circuit in the switch box. Older homes would have just run a hot switch leg from light to switch, no neutral. So in that case you would have to tun the wire from the light box and not the switch box to gain access to the neutral. But overall, a great tutorial for the novice.
@@j777 Code no longer allows that type of dead leg switch circuit (no neutral at the switch), or the installation dead end switches. Most newer homes want to go the way of smart devices and all of those do require a neutral to function properly unless stated otherwise. So pretty much anything built in the 80's or newer should have a neutral in the switch box. Prior to that the power landed in the light box and branched out from there. But it also depends on what codes that municipality uses. They do not have to use or adopt the most current codes. Where I live they were still going by 2017 codes, and just recently update to the current 2020 codes (in 2021). So things might be slightly different in your area.
I see someone has already pointed this out. A lot of times you will only find a switch circuit pulled into the box. Hot coming in,hot leaving,and ground. The black and white are both hot wires. Make sure you do have a neutral.
By "make sure" he means "you must" have a neutral. If you don't, you can't power the outlet from the switch box. You'll have to run a 3-wire cable from some other source.
Exactly what I want to do in my storage locker at work. Now I know how to supply power to the outlet without needing the switch. Thank you Adam. New subscriber.👍👍👍👍
I like it... another straight forward video and lots of explanations such as the ones you did not the white common wires and the outlet ears you need to remove so the receptable would lay flat. Keep those items in your video, it keeps me from scratching my head on why something like the whites are all bunched together or why can't I get this receptable to lay flat. I will keep watching your videos and hope you have one on adding two receptables and one being a GFCI. thanks again for your clear explanations. Jim
Thank you. This is just what I needed to replace a crappy Wirecon switch that failed in my 2 year old house...you saved me 300$ at least just to have someone come give me an estimate.
Nice video. All I would add is that, once you open the light switch box, you should do a quick check where the existing wires are. In one instance (where I was adding an outlet exactly as you show here), I assumed the wiring was coming to the light switch from above. Then I noticed wiring going both ways out of the box -- I knew I had to be careful identifying the line/load AND that I had existing wiring in my wall in the area I was going to cut.
I was upgrading my parents' 50 year old house at the front door area. Three switches for outside light, indoor fan & light, and an outlet under that, plus an outlet just outside, at four foot height. I made indoor outlet a GFCI and assumed the LINE came to the indoor outlet first, then up to the switches, but I was wrong, and the GFCI was screwy. Only after some research and a lot of YT videos, do I now realize the indoor receptacle was a retro fit 30 years ago (used old-box with wings), and the outdoor one was a separate later addition by my father 16 years ago. I found out after getting into the 3gang switch box. I found two 12/2 were run to the ceiling fan, instead of one 12/3. Also, no wire nuts, just a bunch of electrical tape. smh.
Really appreciate this. Was gonna add an outlet in my bathroom this way and was told that it can't be done. I knew it could and now I know without doubt.
Great Video - exactly what I needed to extend outlets in my garage on an exterior facing wall. The whole wall only had 1 outlet that is already 'overloaded', but there is 2 exterior lights that are on another circuit that hardly get used, so I can tap into those switches and route additional plugs - so thanks!
@@charliedecker7702 you only overload IF you have everything running AND... 14 gauge when paired with new LED lighting can totally handle it. These circuits are not powering woodworking power tools, this is an area of the garage that I am setting up my 5 volt electronics bench....it will more than handle it when combined with the separate circuit. :)
@@graphguy We generally keep lighting and power circuits separated, if we do mix them it's usually outside lights added to power circuit through a fused unit creating a spur/branch circuit.
@Charlie Decker thanks for that. What is the code stating that? I own 3 homes that are from 25 to 5 years old and none follow that, so I'm curious where is the code stating it? Thanks
Very nice imformative video, thank you. I'm not an electrician so please correct me if what i was taught is not correct. When using 12 guage wire, the yellow wire nuts are for two wires and red are for 3 wires? I noticed you switched from yellow to red on the bare ground, but stayed with the yellow wire nut on the load and neutral. Is there a standard for wire nut colors? Wire guage obviously plays a role in how many wires safely fit in a wire nut.
One basic problem I have when doing electrical work is the size of the box. Most boxes sold at the hardware stores in Canada are very shallow with not enough room to make other than simple connections. The work done is this vid is great, but the box is deep enough to take all the connectors, making it a lot easier to do.
And if there’s any tight packing of stuff in the box, with a plastic box, be careful to not strip the plastic threads of the mounting screws when putting things back together. Push the switch fully back in the box, and hold it still while tightening the screws. Don’t use the screw threads to compress the box’s contents.
That’s a pretty standard run-of-the-mill box he’s showing, in fact it’s a bit on the small side. I also am not a big fan of the “wings” type old work box; they have boxes which are a bit bigger and not much more expensive, which have screws at an angle to attach to the stud. Just gotta be sure the heads are recessed; I think maybe the heads could also be covered with a hoop of silicone. Surprised you can’t get these in Canada - I know there’s Home Depot there at least. Maybe you need to come over and smuggle a few back 😅 (Hey we go there for medicine, so why not? 😅)
@@peacefrog0521Boxes with “...screws at an angle...”? Please tell us more. Have never seen or heard of such. Remarked me wife just a few days ago, that it would be wonderful if such boxes were available. Really do not like the old work boxes with the little flip up wings, or the way such boxes are supported only by the drywall. Would much rather secure a box to the stud.
Great video. I'm looking to teach my daughter how to do these things so she is capable when she has her own home. This is easy to follow and I appreciate your efforts. Thanks.
I agree with other commentors, would be good to have a video explaining how to do the project when there's no neutral in the switchbox. I've rarely found a switch with a neutral in the box.
Thank you.. this is what I was thinking but for some reason I was completely overthinking the whole thing, second guessing myself as I often do and wasted a ton of time trying to work it out in my head because I knew I wanted constant power to my outlets but I wanted this light to be on a switch in between the run of of outlets.. either way you cleared things up for me and I was finally able to complete my wiring project.. 🙏
I'm not an electrician but my grandfather told me to always tape around an outlet or switch so the screws were covered. Of course in those days all the boxes were metal before plastic. I also tape wire nuts going clockwise the same way they're screwed on, guess it goes back to the old rubber tape and then cloth tape over that. Guess I'm just old.
I purchased a Blink Wired Flood Light and Camera and wanted to install it and install a switch and outlet combo for it as well. This video helped me to understand how to wire the switch. Awesome video. very clearly explain and easy to follow. Thank you.
Alternately if you only need a single receptacle and don't mind it being switch height, you can buy a switch/outlet combo receptacle. You can hook it up so the receptacle is always on or controlled by the switch.
True, that is a good solution for a garage where you want the socket at work table height, but for a living room, you want lamp plugs and ugly stuff where it is invisible. That would not look good in a living space. Plus, you still need to know how to do both separately, hence the video.
First of all, great video, very straightforward and easy to follow. I installed the outlet and tested with outlet tester showing wiring is correct, but when I plug something into the outlet, the light where the switch controls start blinking/flickering. What can I do to fix it?
I have an idea for residential installations! Each box has a QR label on it. The QR label goes to a User interface LAYOUT map. When ever work is done the strings / wire runs / terminations are all mapped in the software user interface app (possibly displayed in 3d modeling software). So whenever ANYONE scans that QR code they will be prompted with the current and all past (logged events) wiring that has taking place at that box/receptacle! It's sort of like a PCB schematic for your home's wiring. You could add photos, dates of work, names of subs, devices, time frames, programmable settings, ect. It could be as simple as image overlays or as in depth as full building blueprints with 3d rendering!
@@danlux4954 Micro sd, cloud , or even converted to text to be cross platform. It's a really good idea I wonder why it hasn't been used. Perhaps because subs lie about what is REALLY there or not and it would be hard to tell unless you have hands on verification. Which would lead to more regulations if it was.
Thank you for the video, this exactly what I need to do in order to install a compact refrigerator and microwave within a small area next to my wife's tall and long and extremly heavy dresser within the masterbedroom. Now the only thing I have to do is to move the wall outlet switch from the rear part of the wall and install it to the left side of the wall then run the new electrical wire from the left side of the wall to the rear of the wall in order to install the wall outlet behind both appliances...thank God for both of my crawl spaces,... this job will be easy pezzzy... by the way that wall switch that going to be moved is used to light up the light with one of two crawl spaces, also I always like to use electrical tape on all of the electrical nuts once they're screw onto the electrical wires and the same goes both sides of the electrical switches, just as an extra safety precaution....once again thank you.
One thing I think that is worth pointing out on this type of wiring method is the box fill. Per NEC 314.26 (B) the box being used for the switch should have at least 20.25 cu. In. in it for the fill based on the wire size and devise used. Perhaps you can do a video on it explaining how to calculate proper box fill based on wiring size and devices being used. Good video.
That needs to be done with GFCI receptacles. I run into too many where the box is to shallow. I wanted to put them in my kitchen which had three different circuits around the sink are. The number of cables and splices made it impossible to install them. I opted to put them in the electrical panel and found that the guy who had refurbished the kitchen had split the cables with the neutral from one circuit being used in another circuit to a couple of receptacles a number of times. I had to take all the splices apart in every box and rewire all the connections. If the circuit is split the new GFCI panel breaker keeps tripping. You won't know this until you try to use the receptacle. Most of the bad workmanship isn't from DYers. It's from contractors who think they know the whole job and do it all themselves. Probably unlicensed.
I greatly enjoy your videos. They are accurate and tooth’s point w/o extra chatter. Just a couple of things on this video. Many switches, when fed from the top, do not have neutrals in the box. Also, starting 15-20 years ago, it was recommended that outlets be installed w the ground up as a safety precaution.
Use your beautiful white wall as a school board, explaining what you are doing or going to do. Use colored markers and it makes your video even more complete. Thanks for sharing.
Your video was very helpful. New subscriber. I’ve seen lots of videos where people don’t really explain the process unlike you. You are very thorough about it. Thank so
Really nice video. I have only had experience replacing GFCI outlets and no other electrical experience. I found this video really easy to follow. Thanks so much for such a thoughtful presentation.
This was very helpful. Thank you! I found written instructions that were very clear except for explaining the pigtail from the hot wire. Watching your video did the trick.
in Australia lighting circuits and power circuits need to be kept separate. In many older homes there are no neutral wires run by light switches. The neutrals loop at the lights. Until recently it's been an impediment to retrofitting "smart switches" in older homes. You can't use the live from the old switch and run a neutral from an adjacent power outlet. You would have to run a new neutral wire from the fusebox or off the neutral loop for that circuit.
In Turkey, in old legislation, keeping the lighting and power circuits was not a must (today it is). But even so, most of the old houses it is kept separate. And as you said, there won't be any neutral wires run to light switches (either new, or old building). For renovating INSIDE a house, you don't need any permissions here, so no one will check what you are doing. Only, if there is natural gas inside your apartment flat, that will be checked. Since we live in concrete apartments (also deteched houses are concrete), there are juction boxes on top of every single switch and outlet (somewhere close to ceiling). That juction box will contain neutral (that is going to the light) and you can take neutral from there. There won't be a need for taking the neutral from a outlet. In Turkey there is not circuit braker on outlets. There will be one circuit braker for the entire house. So if phase and neutral differentiates, it cuts the houses entire electricity. There are both one phase and three phase versions of it. Advantage: Easier for application, cheaper, same safety. Disadvantage: refrigirators (especially old ones) are inductive loads. When cold starting sometimes they can trigger circuit braker. This is not important if you are in the house. A refrigirator can keep itself cold for 24h. But if you are on vacation, you will loose all the stuff in your refrigirator. :D So, In Turkey, if our refrigirator is old and we can't change it, we connect the fuse of the refrigirator BEFORE the circuit braker (this is against regulations), untill we renew the refrigirator.
The US was this way too, but recent codes changes now require a neutral at the switch in the case the own adds smart switches and need neutrals. There are 2 methods of wiring in the US each room on a circuit light and outlets, or common lighting for several rooms on a circuit and outlets per room on a circuit. Both are legal by code and is just preference.
Thanks for the very clear, short and to the point video - I think I’ll still hire a pro but appreciate you confirming for me that this can be done and helping me understand what the job entails!
Why would you hire an electrician for such a simple job? That makes no sense. Shut off the main fuse then for added safety while you poke around. Sometimes, the electrician does a sloppy job too and resents it if you tell him how you want it done. Cheap supplies too. Always better to do it yourself for a quality job.
If you're thinking about doing this make sure you're aware of the regulations in your country In some places it's highly illegal to combine lighting and power points on the same circuit because they have independent circuit breaker requirements.
In the US most outlets in homes are required to be on a AFCI and/or GFCI. Lighting only circuits will not be on either, but you could upgrade the breaker when adding an outlet.
Totally agree Ben. In actual fact I think it is a terrible idea to combine lighting and power in all circumstances. Especially these days lighting circuit current demands are so low that 5A circuits are more than sufficient for most needs. Another reason that I hate this is you can often noticeably see light flicker from large load switching on the same 12 awg cable...this doesn't happen if the lighting is on a dedicated wire / circuit.
@@aquacruisedb I can't think of a house I've owned or lived in that was ever wired like that. I've seen houses where each room had it's own circuit but not separate for lighting and receptacles. That's either something that's only done in Europe or really high-end builds. I think in general it's a better idea to be as flexible as possible. Having specialized circuits only makes it more difficult to retro fit things later.
@@Psi105 Ya we don't do that here. I frankly don't see the point. We stuff our boxes with 15 or 20 amp breakers and run multipurpose circuits. Electricity is electricity, it doesn't really matter what it's powering.
amazing videos my friend. i have learned more electricity with your videos than when i was in school. Now i feeling more confident to do my own electrical jobs. thanks. I would like to know what will be the best way to fix a light switch installation than does not have enough deep into the wall., so i have part of the switch coming out not flush to the wall. I cant dig more because i have concrete .
Very well thought out teaching. Great communication. Obvious you planned the content before you started filming. Thanks for all the work to create something this good.
Thank you. The house I'm currently living in is a bit old-fashioned, so there are not many outlets where I need them. I'm a hands-on person, so I love to do things myself if I have the info on how to. This helped another.
Before cutting holes and running wire, you need to check to see if the switch box has a neutral wire. They all do not have one. They don’t have one if the feed wire comes into the light fixture box first. In that situation you will only have two wires and a ground at the switch. One feed coming from the light box and a switch leg wire back to the fixture.
another great idea is to actually, CAREFULLY, pull the switch out before turning off the power and check to see which wire is line so you can save yourself two trips to turn the power on and off to figure that step out.
That was just brilliant. I ad electricians come and they told me that it couldn't be done.....to difficult. But I have a light switch in the bedroom which i could attach to the hallway on the other side as I have no power point in the hallway. So now I know it can be done. Thank you so much you are a master electrician.
Before I cut the outlet hole I usually run a flexible rod down from the light switch to the depth of where I want to cut the hole for the new outlet, just to be sure there are no obstructons in the wall. Also not all light switches are number 12 wire. It's not code to combine a number 14 to a 12 for an outlet in my city.
Cathy that's in the NEC about combining 12 & 14...but I ran into this where whomever ran the 14 off the 12 prob ran out of 12 or did not have any but at least they actually put a note inside that box indicating this was a 15 Amp run and the breaker #.....That was a very thoughtful gesture!
I wish you’d make the same video but making an outlet out of a double or triple switch. Most of these outlets I need to install are needed to be fed from double switches or triple, and it’s a lot more intimidating for some reason. I can imagine most people have the same issue. Good idea for another video
This is what I'm struggling with right now. in one config, the switch has to be on for the outlet to work. In another config, the outlet has to be powering something for the switch to work. No clue what to do now....
@@MarvinBowen if I remember correctly, I’ve had the same problem a while back. I ended up playing with the random wire positions till I got what I needed it to do. I’ve had a digital mirror hooked up to a new outlet fed from an old outlet and I messed up the wirings where my light wouldn’t turn on anymore with the switch, but instead kept turning on and off the digital mirror. All in all, I kept turning power off and on while I kept trying different wirings till I got the switch to turn the main light on, while the digital mirror stayed always on.
I have learned to check EVERY wire in a box for stay voltage, before considering the power off. Because of common neutral between crcuits I have found "hot" white wires, and once a leakage current on the bare ground wire. The first "hot" neutral cause my arm to tingle for a couple of hours, so I always check.
I'm not an electrician I learned by trial and error and also research if I run into a problem. I have put breakers in I have run independent wire for a space heater to an outside breaker cuz it's in a mobile home and mobile home wiring is out there so I put it on a independent circuit when I have replace so many outlets & switches my mobile homes & my mom's place I take everything out and I put back together like it was . I also ran an independent power in a shed for the refrigerator to the outside breaker like I did the space heater dug a trench and everything. Again I'm not an electrician but nothing's burnt down yet LOL. I'm going to keep watching your videos learn a little more
The best method to attach a wire (and doubling them also) is to crimp the curved wired around the screw (using a needle nose) to make a complete circle (this requires a 1/8 inch more of insulation removed). A high torque tightening will keep the single wire (and subsequent wire) from coming loose. Also I very often use my linemen's pliers to twist the wire nut tighter. When adding stranded wire to solid wire inside the wire nut, extend the stranded wire about 1/8 inch past the solid wire ends. Then pull on the stranded wire once you tighten the wire nut to confirm it's attached securly.
Good to know, thanks. An even better way: 1. Use circle type connectors on each loose end going around the socket screw. Now remove as often as you like without stressing the wire or cursing. 2. Use Wago connectors instead of these dinosaur wire nuts. This is what women would do. And we know they are much smarter than men.
Yes, terminal connectors help tremendously, if you're pulling stranded awg 12-14 thru conduit and attaching to many, many switches/outlets. But if the crimp on the terminal is poorly made, trouble down the road. A lot of connections loosen up from the expansion and contraction of the amperage flow. With either way, (terminals or wire alone) torquing the screws is the absolute best way for no arcing or call backs. Wagos are not preferred by most older master electricians. Some new inventions seem to have all the answers but in actuality, the former way that's been used for decades and decades, as in this case (100 yrs), if done properly by twisting before applying the nut is a sure thing. Just yesterday, I had to replace four switches in a 4 gang box. Two groups of neutral wires had two seperate wire nuts. The new switches were larger and to make room I grabbed each of the two neutral wire nuts and pushed them further back towards the rear of the box and upon doing so a neutral wire pulled out. I removed the wire nut and found three untwisted wires, which made me remove the other neutral wire nut to check for twisting (which was done). The metal box wasn't grounded either. This extra work raised the labor rate by 30 mins. It's time consuming working with so many wires in a box and adding larger switches. Professionals or DIY'ERS need to practice all the basic codes before working on any project and apply them without taking short cuts, for any electrical, plumbing or carpentry undertaking. I find many mistakes constantly with all three.
Pigtail or newer switch that has back wiring (not back stabbing, which is what you showed not to do). A lot of the back wiring connectors have a hole on both the top & bottom of the screw to allow for 2 wires. I'll agree with you on the back stabbing. I've also seen them fail several times. Even better, use 12/3 or 14/3, as appropriate for the rating of the circuit, to make 1/2 the plug hot and 1/2 the plug switched. Of course, this may or may not be appropriate, depending on the use you have for the plug.
Is this what is done when you bring one run and terminate to the top of switch and then terminate from bottom to an outlet in a gang box next door? I thought I had a bad GFCI, until I called Lutron to find out I didnt pair the runner up correctly when disconnecting(reversed)... 👌
@@brawlman: I'm not sure what you're asking, but I think I know. I'll try to clarify. An outlet usually has 2 hot and 2 neutral screws with a copper connector between them. The upper screws power the upper half of the outlet and the bottom screws power the bottom half of the outlet. With the copper connector between them, both the upper and lower outlets are powered at the same time. This allows you to use one set of screws for incoming power and the other set to run out to the next outlet. However, if you remove the copper connector between the 2 hot (black wire) screws, the top and bottom halves of the outlet work independently. One use of this would be to make one of the outlets switched and the other one hot all the time. If this is what you're wanting to do, you would run 12/3 or 14/3 (as appropriate) Romex from the switch to the outlet. The black and white cables in the Romex would connect to the black and white cables in the switch box. The red cable in the Romex would connect to the switch and only be hot when the switch is on. You would then connect the other end (outlet end) of the Romex to the outlet with the white wire to one of the neutral screws, the black wire to one of the hot screws, and the red wire to the other hot screw. With the copper jumper between the hot screws removed, this will allow the half of the outlet with the black wire to be hot all the time and the half of the outlet with the red wire to only be hot when the switch is turned on. In all locations, the ground wire in the Romex would connect to the ground screw on the device and the ground wires from the power supply (breaker box or upstream device). Also, one wire per screw. Use pigtails as necessary. If you accidentally remove the copper jumper from neutral side of the outlet, you can connect 2 pigtails to the white wire in the Romex and run the 2 pigtails (one each) to each of the neutral screws on the outlet. If you're talking about backstabbing, backstabbing is using the small hole in the back of the device to push the wire into the device. It is then held in place by a spring loaded piece of copper inside the device. The problem is that after a while, as this piece of copper heats up and cools down repeatedly, it looses its springiness and the wire comes loose. Many newer devices allow for back wiring. This is different. When back wiring, the wire is pushed straight in, like in backstabbing, but it's pushed in under a plate that this then tightened down by the screw. So, there's not spring to get weak. When wiring a GFCI, there are 2 sets of screws. Set 1 is the power coming into the GFCI outlet. Set 2 is for passing GFCI protection onto the next device, such as a 2nd outlet further down the wall. A GFCI works by detecting greater amperage on the black (hot) wire than on the white (neutral) wire. This difference is VERY small, so they trip easily. If you get the black and white wires backwards or get the input and output sets of screws backwards, you'll have a problem. Also, if you connect another GFCI outlet to the output side of an upstream GFCI outlet, they'll interfere with each other and cause each other to trip. So, to daisy chain GFCI, you either use non GFCI outlets downstream from the GFCI outlet and connect them to the output screws of the GFCI outlet or, if you want all the outlets to have their own GFCI reset buttons, you would string the GFCI outlets by using only the input set of screws. A few other nice things to know about GFCI outlets. 1) They can be used to replace 2-hole outlets (no ground wire outlets) so that you have a 3-hole outlet. When you do this, the outlet is required to be labeled "No equipment ground." This and other labels will come in the box with the GFCI outlet. The labeling requirement also applies to any downstream outlet that's protected by the GFCI outlet. 2) When you test a GFCI outlet using a plug-in tester, it shorts the hot (through a resister) to the ground terminal, not to the neutral terminal. So, a plug-in tester won't trip a GFCI outlet that has no equipment ground. You have to test by using the built-in button on the outlet. If the tester shorted to the neutral terminal, you would have the same amount of amperage on the hot & neutral terminals. So, the trip condition wouldn't be met. 3) Since GFCI outlets can protect downstream outlets, a standard outlet may be GFCI protected (and should be labeled as such). The GFCI outlet protecting it does NOT have to be in the same room as the protected standard outlet. However, it's nicer, from a user standpoint, if it is. I'm not aware of any GFCI outlets that will allow for switching only half the outlet, as mentioned above. If you were going to do that, you'd probably want to use a GFCI breaker on the circuit instead, then use a standard outlet. There are other options also, but this would probably be the simplest.
Couple of points. Many times the feed is to the light, not the switch and there is no neutral in the switch box to connect to, just a hot white wire coming in and a switched hot black wire back to the light. Also back when I did wiring in the 80s the back push in connectors accepted 12 ans 14 gauge both, and I personally never use anything smaller than 12 gauge to outlets, safety first.
So what do you do if the feed is to the light, and you have a 12/2 jumper from light to switch, can you still use the video method when adding a receptacle?
@@daviddelacruz7158 You wouldn’t be able to do this method if the feed is to the light and you only have 12-2 or 14-2 coming to the switch. The reason is that BOTH the black and white wires AT THE SWITCH are being used to carry the current to the light. The black would be the hot coming from the ceiling, going through the switch and then to the white which is now carrying the current to the light. (Per code, the white wire should be marked at both ends with black electrical tape or a black marker to designate it as the ‘hot’ wire. ) To accomplish your task, you would need to bring another cable down from the light OR SOME other location. When I did this recently, I was fortunate to have a receptacle on the other side of the wall in the adjacent room. Using pigtails and an ‘old work box’ like he used, I moved over a few inches and cut through and then ran a short section of 14-2 with ground over to my new location. If you’re not lucky, then you’ll need to either fish wires down from the attic or up from the basement/crawlspace.
@@glasshalffull2930 Right. When the light is off, it would work; when the late is on, you're fucked. Can't believe the guy doing the video didn't even consider this and may have misled innocents down a very bad path.
@@diannelenihan6143 I comment every once in a while when someone needs help or there is something dangerous. I also commiserate as I’d like to add a fan/light combo in my bathroom, but the trusses in the attic make it a nightmare and I just keep postponing.
Thank you for all your hard work that you do and all your videos that you put out there you make learning from you enjoyable and fun and make it understandable. You have saved a lot of people from getting injured or hurt along with a lot houses have been saved from being burned down. I could never say thank you enough for that …So please keep making your awesome videos.❤ thanks for all you help
I've come across situations where the black hot wire is actually hot coming from the light itself, meaning the circuit breaker (CB) is wired directly to the light and then down to the switch, rather than the hot coming from the CB to the switch and then up to the light as the video has it. The test you did wouldn't detect that until plugging something into the outlet causes the light to go on.
The connection you just stated is called "being made hot at the light box" but that black hot wire isn't connected to the light fixture. It requires a switch leg. Either way, made hot at the light box or hot at the switch, the black wire connected to the bottom terminal of the switch is going to be hot. In older wiring though this would probably not have a neutral wire at the switch unless the switch leg was ran out of 14-3 wire (black, red, white, bare ground). Older switch legs ran out of 14-2 use the white wire with black tape wrapped around it as the hot feed.
Wiring can be fun or it can be a chore. I have a shop building with an office, built circa 1950, where there are six ceiling lights and some outlets. The entire office had been on a single 15 amp circuit. Fortunately the wiring was separate wires in buried EMT in or under the concrete slab floor. So I pushed additional wires through to split the office into four 15 amp circuits and ran a 220V circuit above the ceiling that was used for an electric heater until I got the old oil burning furnace replaced with a gas one. The plan now is to use that 220V line for a mini split heat pump that will replace the 115V window AC mounted where one of the old transom windows was. Boards will go on inside and outside, with insulation between. That will allow for easy pass-through for the wires and pipes since the building is concrete block.
First thing is making sure you have a neutral wire in the light switch box. Second never go as low or close to a stud as this guy. Doorways tend to have unpredictable studs. Always go to the other side or center. I always do a test cut with my rock saw to the left and right to confirm I am not hitting a stud before marking the wall. Also if working on an older home you may run into plaster and lathe or sheetrock over plaster and lathe. Good luck using that blue rework box. I use a bakelite (usually brown or beige) if I run into plaster and lathe. You can trim the brace leafs back to allow a good install.
Great video. You did a great job not only teaching this but having a actual example as well. I'm going to have to perform this same addition of an outlet. But my outlet needs to go on the other side of the wall.
Good ideas but a very important safety concern was left out: Most lighting circuits use 15amp 14/2 Romex wire & breakers. If you add 20 amp 12/2 Romex to bring power from the switch box to a new outlet box, then either the outlet is under powered or worse, someone "corrects" / upgrades the outlet breaker to 20amp leaving part of your outlet circuit with 15amp wire... a bad thing.
Exactly. Why add heavier guage wire, to a circuit not designed to handle what the new wire is capable of? At home, probably to use up old 12 guage wire, where 14 is not handy/ left over. As a pro, or as an instructional vid, hopefully this is never done.
I agree with all of the points you both have made, have seen it plenty and then some. One would hope that anybody changing a breaker would notice the color of wire sheathing or even the gauge at the panel being different and figure out what was going on and just leave it be. Although I've seen 12 at the panel, 12 at the box, and a twenty foot run of 14 in the middle, hidden in the wall... behind door trim no less. Luckily, most DIY'ers don't usually mess around with electricity, let alone breakers. But then there's the ones that do! 🤦
2:40. Mark ONLY the first bit of the bottom edge, to avoid marking the wall if you must move the box a bit. Just like cutting toward the stud first to be sure there’s enough room, raise the box away from the floor to avoid the bottom plate.
I have found that those ears when removed are useful as spacers in old boxes to flush-out the outlet so the outlet protrudes through the cover-plate properly.
The FIRST thing you have to do is make sure that the light switch is not just a switch leg. If there is no neutral, you can't draw power from that switch in the first place! If there are only two wires, it is definitely a switch leg and you can't get your power from there! Second. I try to avoid going directly under the light switch. Wire pulls are usually straight up or straight down, so avoid cutting into wires by jogging the cut-in box over where it won't be a problem. The best way to cut drywall is with a small circular saw that is set a little less than the thickness of the drywall. That way you will never nick a wire. But drywall saws, multi-tools, drywall routers, and jig saws and sawz-alls will work, but you have to be very careful not to hit the wires or you will be doing 10 times the work that you need to!
Multi-tools are nice in that if one pays attention one can be precise in the depth of cut. Even use a bit of painters tape on the blade to set the depth.
Good video. Caution to check local code. Lighting and outlet loads shouldn’t be combined due to potential outlet connected load shorts taking out the lighting in the room as well.
Super dumb question here but I’m learning. Wouldn’t adding a plug where the switch is essentially like adding a plug anywhere along the line? Careful not to overload the circuit obviously by adding more receptacles….I think I’m not letting myself understand what you’re saying by talking about the switch as a location. Just trying to learn. Thanks
@@JonathanPostins Not a dumb question at all. I believe what he is saying is some jurisdictions may not allow receptacles to be wired on the same branch as lighting, regardless of location of the receptacles or switches. When I say branch, that means the entire circuit that comes off of a particular breaker. If you had a situation where a device that is plugged into a receptacle creates a short, it would (hopefully) trip the breaker, and every other receptacle and any lighting fed from that same breaker would lose power as well. This could create a potentially dangerous situation if you were to no longer able to see right at the same time as a piece of equipment had a failure. I didn’t know receptacles had to be fed from separate branches from lights in some jurisdictions, but it’s probably a good idea either way.
Nice video. First step for me would have been to make sure line, neutral and ground are all available in the switch box. Cutting in the old work box, only to discover no neutral is a bummer.
How can I determine this? The switch box I'm working in is powering two different light switches. There are three separate 14/2 coming into the box. Can't get the receptacle to work without one of the swtiches being on. I've wired it pretty much like in this video, with the exception there are 2 switches.
I really wish outlets and switches would supply better attachment points than just flat head screws. I much prefer the clamp type. In this example I might have used a 3 port wago connector for the hot and the commons.
Nice mock-up. Editing is concise and tight, not lingering like a lot of these videos. A little more info on wire gauge would help. Not sure if it applies here, but screws in contact with electricity need to be torqued. A new code thing. Well done.
One comment I would like to make is that the rating of th circuit should have been figured in before the outlet was added to make sure there wasn’t already loading at or near the limit of the circuit the light switch was on.
Nice video. I would add that the screw terminal and push ins are are not allowed to be used at the same time, its either one or the other. Also I would have mentioned the wire direction around the screw terminal, many get that wrong. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the video. It was very helpful! I opened up a switch box and found this mess! I believe the extra wires go to outlets for an in floor radiant heating system. The homeowners do not want to use the system. How do I determine which wires to get rid of and which ones to use to keep my light switch and new outlet working?
I don’t normally comment on anything. I just watch hehehe but because you’re a dewalt fan I’m commenting. I’m to a dewalt fan. Yea I just thought I would add that. 😅😅😅 your videos are great!!! Carry on!!!
You show it in the video, but don't describe that the new wire nut for the grounds needs to be red, since there are 4 wires being connected together. The yellow wire nut only supports 3 #12. The red wire nut supports 4 #12.
This is my 34th year of teaching high school students, this dude is an awesome teacher, thanks for saving me thousands of dollars of electrician fees 🤩
Wow! 34 Years?! You must be a great teacher…most would probably burned out long ago. Thank you for your teaching!
Great video. Another tip is to write the circuit number on the back of the plate cover so that next time you need to work on the switch or outlet, you know which circuit to shutoff.
You can take this opportunity to add it to the description in the service panel so you look smart from that side, too.
@@richsimcoe2683 k
I'm retired now but have done electrical work since 1978 from working on electrical hand tools (before battery operated came around) to residential wiring on to commercial and retiring working for a utility company installing primary voltage, transformers ect. I have never heard that idea about marking the breaker number on the back of a plate, but that's a good idea.... You just taught this old dog a new trick....lol
I don’t care for this suggestion of marking the circuit number on the plate cover because every time I paint, I take all the plate covers off and throw them in a shoe box. I guarantee you the plates never go back on the same place they came off.
why are you not useing green wire nuts
These types of videos keep me from burning my house down and electricuting myself so unlike almost all other u tube videos I actually click the like button.
Coming to the end of my first year of apprenticeship. My job is fully residential & some times trying to fish straight down can be super annoying. With the steel fish slightly bending and catching on everything in old walls. A chain makes so much sense!! I’m 100% using this from now on.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the feedback! Good luck in the rest of your apprenticeship!
Hope you enjoy your apprenticeship. I served mine at a coal mine as both an Electrical Fitter and Mechanic. It involved 11,000V down to 32V. I worked on heavy earth moving machinery like draglines and shovels, underground mining equipment and residential type wiring in offices and workshops. 415V 3-phase often applied there. All very rounded and interesting. My father was an electrician too and worked as an electrical engineer on ships. He was my immediate boss and chief electrician at the mine.
Slightly curl the first 6" of your fish tape and direct the tip of the fish tape so it runs down the corner between the drywall and stud. This is especially useful when there is insulation in the wall. Works like magic and your fish tape will pop right out of your hole.
Yes!! This idea is simultaneously ON AND OFF THE CHAIN!! 🤣
Fish sticks fish sticks
Although I didn’t look at all the comments, I think it’s worth pointing out, perhaps again, that when you first open the existing switch box, make sure there are separate neutral and load wires in place. Especially in older construction, you can often find only a hot and load in a single romex run, black usually hot and white to the load, no wire to carry the neutral to extend to the outlet.
I've run into this more times than I can count, and it always screams "lazy electrician" to me. Yes, interwebz trolls, I know that copper is expensive and tract homes especially were built in least-time, lowest-cost environments, but I don't give a damn. Do it correctly the first time.
I run into this more than not doing remods.
Came to leave a similar comment. Boy do I hate power at the light. I'd say any house before the 80s here in Newfoundland are done that way. Atleast there isnt much aluminum here. I've yet to run into any branch circuits in aluminum.
@@dionh70 Not lazy (unless it is new-ish construction.) That used to be the approved method. Code didn't even require a ground to a switch. Pretty common for a single-pole installation to be just 14-2 from the light fixture to the switch. And only recently has the code required an active neutral be present to accommodate lighted/smart switch devices.
That's why I'd rather have to deal with an extra wire in the box. Makes future changes easier.
I'm an apprentice electrician and just did a job like this one. I followed the same procedures. I like to use Wago connectors vice nuts. I do be sure the wire is stripped to the correct length and connections are tight. On the receptacle, the hot and neutrals should be aligned, i.e., don't put the hot on the top (gold) screw and neutral on the botton (silver). Thanks for the video. Guys like you are a big help to rookies like me.
I was wondering why you couldn’t use wago connectors to that last connection? Could you?
The 1st rule of wiring. Never trust the guy who wired it before you. Assumptions are the mother of all electrical deaths. Great video! I would only add that there is generally a minimum height off the floor of 15 inches to the bottom of the receptacle, but one would need to check their local codes to be sure.
You've been to my house, then? Lol
I've never heard of a minimum height. Custom homes frequently have receptacles in the baseboard.
Min height is 18" AFF ( above finished floor ) ADA NEC code
@@-flem-266ADA says 15 minimum, 18 would be acceptable though
@@phi5headnah dude, it has to be in between floor joists.
I watched a few of your videos and they are very well made and very informative. I am 60 yrs old and done many electrical DYI’s but today I learned about the hole in the wire strippers to make the curve in the wire, I use to wrap the wire around a small screwdriver or clamp the end of the wire with the wire striper and twist into a curve. I’m always looking for the best way to do a job safely and properly and I have a question about receptacle installation that an electrical engineer told me about which makes sense to me but I’ve wrote enough for now and will ask the question later on. thanks for your videos. 👍😎👍
Great vid. When I install a receptacle and have marked it on the wall, I’ll start sawing in the middle of the horizontal line and cut towards the stud (in your example towards the right). 99.9% of the time the stud finder works. I remove the drywall closest to the stud, so I can look inside to determine if I’m lined up like I want to be. If everything looks good I remove the rest of the dry wall. If not, I can realign thus not cutting to big a hole.
Multi tool is best on dry walls
Thanks for the input!
… not cutting *TOO* big a hole.
@@stephenwilliams6103 a multi tool is the *worst* on drywall. You can easily cut into a romex. If you do that, you’ll have to run a new wire, or open the wall and install another j-box to fix the break. Additionally, a power tool will make a *LOT* of dust that can’t be cleaned up for hours.
@@BitSmythe Hospitals have been using multi tools (same principle)for cutting off plaster casts on broken limbs for years, it's about using the right blade.
Nice video. Very clear and informative. I would like to add a couple of items that I didn’t see in the video nor the instructions. First, seeing that it was a 15A circuit from the breaker box, it’s important to note that using the correct wire and receptacle is a safety concern. Too many people will just grab materials from their home supply store and think they’re all the same. Using the matching wire and receptacle to the circuit is a safety concern. Secondly, using the correct wire nut is just as important. In the video, a yellow wing nut is used with 3 #14 gauge wire. Code would recommend a red wire nut when combining 3 #14.
No long or unnecesary talk, direct to the point, easy to understand. Excelente video buddy. You just got a new suscriber.
One comment I would like to add is that sometimes a switch only contains a switch loop and the power is up at the fixture. I personally never wire switches that way but you would definitely want to check that before you cut your hole for the new outlet. Thanks for your video, you do a great job on all of your tutorials.
Actually the "switchleg" you describe is defined in the NEC and is the preferred, if not mandated method to use. As you correctly state, it does prevent adding additional devices by get a wire to the switch box, unless the switchleg is a 3 conductorr cable with ground
@@robbrown9543 2011 NEC 404.2 added the requirement that all switch boxes contain a neutral conductor. The problem was that some people were using the ground wire as a neutral when no neutral was present and they needed one for a smart switch, timer, sensor, or other electronic device.
@@larrybav Wouldn't the breakers immediately trip if the grounds are used as neutrals?
@@aurvaroy6670 no it would not
I bet 75% of switch’s do not have a Neutral in the box
A very useful concept is how to connect the black live wire. It may seem trivial, but as you explain, it is an important thing that can become a hazzle going forward. Thank you for sharing the details. Being an electrical engineer myself, I really appreciate your professional approach to handle electrical power safely 🙂
A #1 thank you. I gave up on doing this 7 years back because my quite thorough search came up with zero answers on how to do this. One thing i noticed, small thing, is first you verify your tester works, after that you cut the juice and can trust that power is not there.
I normally use the stud on the other side of the cavity from the light. This does make it a little more difficult to fish the wire but it does reduce the risk of the box conflicting with a wire running down the stud with the switch.
Your cameraman/woman should get 'thumbs up' too. Wonderful videos. I have a retired electrician friend who helps me a lot. He told me some of the common mistakes you mention often. But, seeing and hearing these in your videos are very helpful. You are good teacher. Your neighbors are lucky!!!
Learned something new today. I will be removing the ears on my future outlets when using old work boxes from now on. Thanks!
I am an older woman and I understand you and believe I can do this after your 101-110 exam explanation 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾Thank You
This guy is awesome. I replaced a complicated light fixture in my almost 100 yr old home in no time and with confidence!! Thanks
Thank you man. I just bought a new home and had a small room planned for my Airbnb coffee shack. Went and bought the table and mini fridge, coffee maker etc and then realized there wasn't a single outlet in the entire room. Luckily I only needed one and in 30 minutes I had it done and works great. Tested it with a wiring tested and got Correct lights. So went great. And I wasn't sure if the outlet would be hot only went the switch was on but it wasn't. Hot all the time like I wanted. Saved me from having to call an electrician.
Great job 👏 👏👏👏
This is good but I think you should have started by explaining that there are two different kinds of switch possibilities. If this switch was just a loop, they could not supply constant voltage to the new outlet. You might want to have a short vid to show the different setups for switches. Someone asked about a three way switch but that won't work typically for this but it could.
Just took apart a light switch in our kitchen and it's all most likely original from 1961 and it has two black wires under one screw just like you showed. It's worked for decades so when swapping in a new light switch I mirrored what it had before. I'm going to go in and do what you suggested. Thanks!
Interesting video, here in the UK we don't mix lighting and outlets on the same circuit breaker, that also means our lighting breakers are 6A rather than 15A.
Lights and outlets are also on a different circuits here in North America (or should be, at least...). I don't believe it's prohibited though and sometimes the lighting circuit is closer to where you want your new outlet and easier to access so this is why you find outlets connected in parallel to lighting circuits like this on older houses.
@@Eduskator not banned here either but lighting circuits are typically lower rated on purpose to stop you mixing appliances with lights. This goes back to how we do our wiring with rings. I could technically add a 13amp socket in the loft for a lighting circuit that needs a transformer and this would be ok as long as the fuse on the plug is 5amp rated or that ring will trip out.
15Amps at 120V is 7.5 Amp at 240V, so the breaker size is comparable, the issue is the breaker and cable are sized for a maximum load of 1.8KW, either it trips for overload and at the same time leaves you in the dark, or some idiot puts a bigger capacity breaker and ends up cooking the wires if not replaced, it could be seriously dangerous.
The big question, is the US system protection and safety inadequate. Or is our UK system overkill.?
@@digihorse6730 The UK system is much safer. Most standards are based on it now anyways, for a long time US/EU systems lacked even an earth connection (and still do for a lot of connections). Our plugs are secure in the socket at all times. Although we do still have older style ring circuits left from war time our consumer units are much smaller.
You are the BEST! My bf couldn’t get the switch in. I watched your video and we were able to complete the project!! 😊
You need a new boyfriend I think yours expired
It would be important to verify that the switch isn't simply switching on/off power between black/white with the actual "hot" in the light box. Basically switching hot in light box. Also, 3-way switch would have issues too.
If your house was built before 2011 when the NEC made it a requirement to have a neutral in all boxes, you only have a 50% chance or less of having a neutral there. So that should be looked at first before cutting holes in the wall because that may change your plan.
Right. If it's a switch loop set up it wont work.
Before you start you should also verify you do have a complete circuit in the switch box. Older homes would have just run a hot switch leg from light to switch, no neutral. So in that case you would have to tun the wire from the light box and not the switch box to gain access to the neutral.
But overall, a great tutorial for the novice.
Yeah, I was wondering where the neutral was going to come from.
True, if the power is closer to the light than the switch, the power will go to the light first, so no neutral to the switch.
This should have been mentioned before anything was done. Can’t install a receptacle without a neutral.
@@j777 Code no longer allows that type of dead leg switch circuit (no neutral at the switch), or the installation dead end switches. Most newer homes want to go the way of smart devices and all of those do require a neutral to function properly unless stated otherwise. So pretty much anything built in the 80's or newer should have a neutral in the switch box. Prior to that the power landed in the light box and branched out from there. But it also depends on what codes that municipality uses. They do not have to use or adopt the most current codes. Where I live they were still going by 2017 codes, and just recently update to the current 2020 codes (in 2021). So things might be slightly different in your area.
@@barrybutts6396 True but I do not blame the creator for the small oversight. It happens. That is why there are electricians like me.
I see someone has already pointed this out. A lot of times you will only find a switch circuit pulled into the box. Hot coming in,hot leaving,and ground. The black and white are both hot wires. Make sure you do have a neutral.
How do I make sure there's a neutral?
By "make sure" he means "you must" have a neutral. If you don't, you can't power the outlet from the switch box. You'll have to run a 3-wire cable from some other source.
Exactly what I want to do in my storage locker at work. Now I know how to supply power to the outlet without needing the switch. Thank you Adam. New subscriber.👍👍👍👍
I FIXedD IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everythings CORRECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.Thank you for your video brother. Inspirational for real.
I like it... another straight forward video and lots of explanations such as the ones you did not the white common wires and the outlet ears you need to remove so the receptable would lay flat. Keep those items in your video, it keeps me from scratching my head on why something like the whites are all bunched together or why can't I get this receptable to lay flat. I will keep watching your videos and hope you have one on adding two receptables and one being a GFCI. thanks again for your clear explanations. Jim
If you don’t know why the neutrals are put together then you shouldn’t be doing electrical.
Thank you. This is just what I needed to replace a crappy Wirecon switch that failed in my 2 year old house...you saved me 300$ at least just to have someone come give me an estimate.
Nice video. All I would add is that, once you open the light switch box, you should do a quick check where the existing wires are. In one instance (where I was adding an outlet exactly as you show here), I assumed the wiring was coming to the light switch from above. Then I noticed wiring going both ways out of the box -- I knew I had to be careful identifying the line/load AND that I had existing wiring in my wall in the area I was going to cut.
Good tip!
I was upgrading my parents' 50 year old house at the front door area. Three switches for outside light, indoor fan & light, and an outlet under that, plus an outlet just outside, at four foot height. I made indoor outlet a GFCI and assumed the LINE came to the indoor outlet first, then up to the switches, but I was wrong, and the GFCI was screwy.
Only after some research and a lot of YT videos, do I now realize the indoor receptacle was a retro fit 30 years ago (used old-box with wings), and the outdoor one was a separate later addition by my father 16 years ago.
I found out after getting into the 3gang switch box. I found two 12/2 were run to the ceiling fan, instead of one 12/3. Also, no wire nuts, just a bunch of electrical tape. smh.
@@redmatrix I've never saw or heard of a 13/2 wire. I'm assuming you meant a 12/3 wire, but in electrical work you NEVER assume anything.
@@Dixie6716 You were right. My fingers were too fast for their own good. Fixed.
Really appreciate this. Was gonna add an outlet in my bathroom this way and was told that it can't be done. I knew it could and now I know without doubt.
Mike if you're installing an outlet in the bathroom just make sure it's a GFI if you're 6' from a water source.
Bro, you are the man!!! You hit all the key points , and provide necessary information to to complete a project.
This video is exactly what I need to wire a new outlet for a bidet from the light switch. Great video!
Ha, that's what I came here for too 👍
Great Video - exactly what I needed to extend outlets in my garage on an exterior facing wall. The whole wall only had 1 outlet that is already 'overloaded', but there is 2 exterior lights that are on another circuit that hardly get used, so I can tap into those switches and route additional plugs - so thanks!
So you're going to overload 14 gauge lighting circuit?
@@charliedecker7702 you only overload IF you have everything running AND... 14 gauge when paired with new LED lighting can totally handle it. These circuits are not powering woodworking power tools, this is an area of the garage that I am setting up my 5 volt electronics bench....it will more than handle it when combined with the separate circuit. :)
@@graphguy We generally keep lighting and power circuits separated, if we do mix them it's usually outside lights added to power circuit through a fused unit creating a spur/branch circuit.
@Charlie Decker thanks for that. What is the code stating that? I own 3 homes that are from 25 to 5 years old and none follow that, so I'm curious where is the code stating it? Thanks
@@graphguyno code but if you use a high powered appliance it can make the lights flicker
Very nice imformative video, thank you. I'm not an electrician so please correct me if what i was taught is not correct. When using 12 guage wire, the yellow wire nuts are for two wires and red are for 3 wires? I noticed you switched from yellow to red on the bare ground, but stayed with the yellow wire nut on the load and neutral. Is there a standard for wire nut colors? Wire guage obviously plays a role in how many wires safely fit in a wire nut.
I found it best to follow the manufacturer's wire gauge instructions on the wire nut package regardless of the wire nut color.
One basic problem I have when doing electrical work is the size of the box. Most boxes sold at the hardware stores in Canada are very shallow with not enough room to make other than simple connections. The work done is this vid is great, but the box is deep enough to take all the connectors, making it a lot easier to do.
And if there’s any tight packing of stuff in the box, with a plastic box, be careful to not strip the plastic threads of the mounting screws when putting things back together. Push the switch fully back in the box, and hold it still while tightening the screws. Don’t use the screw threads to compress the box’s contents.
That’s a pretty standard run-of-the-mill box he’s showing, in fact it’s a bit on the small side. I also am not a big fan of the “wings” type old work box; they have boxes which are a bit bigger and not much more expensive, which have screws at an angle to attach to the stud. Just gotta be sure the heads are recessed; I think maybe the heads could also be covered with a hoop of silicone.
Surprised you can’t get these in Canada - I know there’s Home Depot there at least. Maybe you need to come over and smuggle a few back 😅
(Hey we go there for medicine, so why not? 😅)
@@peacefrog0521Boxes with “...screws at an angle...”? Please tell us more. Have never seen or heard of such. Remarked me wife just a few days ago, that it would be wonderful if such boxes were available. Really do not like the old work boxes with the little flip up wings, or the way such boxes are supported only by the drywall. Would much rather secure a box to the stud.
Great video. I'm looking to teach my daughter how to do these things so she is capable when she has her own home. This is easy to follow and I appreciate your efforts. Thanks.
You’re very welcome. I do the same with my kids. They are important life skills that just aren’t taught anymore. Thanks for the feedback! Take care.
I agree with other commentors, would be good to have a video explaining how to do the project when there's no neutral in the switchbox. I've rarely found a switch with a neutral in the box.
it seems obvious that in those cases you extend the neutral from wherever it ended.
Yes I agree it seems obvious, but I would still like to see a professional do it.
Thank you.. this is what I was thinking but for some reason I was completely overthinking the whole thing, second guessing myself as I often do and wasted a ton of time trying to work it out in my head because I knew I wanted constant power to my outlets but I wanted this light to be on a switch in between the run of of outlets.. either way you cleared things up for me and I was finally able to complete my wiring project.. 🙏
I'm not an electrician but my grandfather told me to always tape around an outlet or switch so the screws were covered. Of course in those days all the boxes were metal before plastic. I also tape wire nuts going clockwise the same way they're screwed on, guess it goes back to the old rubber tape and then cloth tape over that. Guess I'm just old.
my dad told me 2 tape everything also... i wrote above, 6 days after u... 😉
Nothing against your dad, but really not needed especially in plastic boxes. Tape makes a sticky mess on outlets & switches
I purchased a Blink Wired Flood Light and Camera and wanted to install it and install a switch and outlet combo for it as well. This video helped me to understand how to wire the switch. Awesome video. very clearly explain and easy to follow. Thank you.
Alternately if you only need a single receptacle and don't mind it being switch height, you can buy a switch/outlet combo receptacle. You can hook it up so the receptacle is always on or controlled by the switch.
Yeah, but that would not make much if a video, it is just a direct replacement.
True, that is a good solution for a garage where you want the socket at work table height, but for a living room, you want lamp plugs and ugly stuff where it is invisible. That would not look good in a living space. Plus, you still need to know how to do both separately, hence the video.
First of all, great video, very straightforward and easy to follow. I installed the outlet and tested with outlet tester showing wiring is correct, but when I plug something into the outlet, the light where the switch controls start blinking/flickering. What can I do to fix it?
I have an idea for residential installations! Each box has a QR label on it. The QR label goes to a User interface LAYOUT map. When ever work is done the strings / wire runs / terminations are all mapped in the software user interface app (possibly displayed in 3d modeling software). So whenever ANYONE scans that QR code they will be prompted with the current and all past (logged events) wiring that has taking place at that box/receptacle!
It's sort of like a PCB schematic for your home's wiring. You could add photos, dates of work, names of subs, devices, time frames, programmable settings, ect. It could be as simple as image overlays or as in depth as full building blueprints with 3d rendering!
That'd be awesome!
Where is this data stored?
@@danlux4954 Same place half the software is nowadays.....cloud storage. Perhaps even municipal storage, since they're also the permit issuers.
@@danlux4954 Micro sd, cloud , or even converted to text to be cross platform.
It's a really good idea I wonder why it hasn't been used. Perhaps because subs lie about what is REALLY there or not and it would be hard to tell unless you have hands on verification. Which would lead to more regulations if it was.
@@darkmagna9004storing info about the house in the city’s computer would not be encouraged by everyone. 😂
Thank you for the video, this exactly what I need to do in order to install a compact refrigerator and microwave within a small area next to my wife's tall and long and extremly heavy dresser within the masterbedroom.
Now the only thing I have to do is to move the wall outlet switch from the rear part of the wall and install it to the left side of the wall then run the new electrical wire from the left side of the wall to the rear of the wall in order to install the wall outlet behind both appliances...thank God for both of my crawl spaces,... this job will be easy pezzzy... by the way that wall switch that going to be moved is used to light up the light with one of two crawl spaces, also I always like to use electrical tape on all of the electrical nuts once they're screw onto the electrical wires and the same goes both sides of the electrical switches, just as an extra safety precaution....once again thank you.
One thing I think that is worth pointing out on this type of wiring method is the box fill. Per NEC 314.26 (B) the box being used for the switch should have at least 20.25 cu. In. in it for the fill based on the wire size and devise used. Perhaps you can do a video on it explaining how to calculate proper box fill based on wiring size and devices being used. Good video.
That needs to be done with GFCI receptacles. I run into too many where the box is to shallow. I wanted to put them in my kitchen which had three different circuits around the sink are. The number of cables and splices made it impossible to install them. I opted to put them in the electrical panel and found that the guy who had refurbished the kitchen had split the cables with the neutral from one circuit being used in another circuit to a couple of receptacles a number of times. I had to take all the splices apart in every box and rewire all the connections. If the circuit is split the new GFCI panel breaker keeps tripping. You won't know this until you try to use the receptacle.
Most of the bad workmanship isn't from DYers. It's from contractors who think they know the whole job and do it all themselves. Probably unlicensed.
I greatly enjoy your videos. They are accurate and tooth’s point w/o extra chatter.
Just a couple of things on this video. Many switches, when fed from the top, do not have neutrals in the box. Also, starting 15-20 years ago, it was recommended that outlets be installed w the ground up as a safety precaution.
I thought the ground up meant that it would be a switched controlled outlet as most say
Use your beautiful white wall as a school board, explaining what you are doing or going to do. Use colored markers and it makes your video even more complete. Thanks for sharing.
I like that idea. Thanks for the feedback!
Your video was very helpful. New subscriber. I’ve seen lots of videos where people don’t really explain the process unlike you. You are very thorough about it. Thank so
Really nice video. I have only had experience replacing GFCI outlets and no other electrical experience. I found this video really easy to follow. Thanks so much for such a thoughtful presentation.
You're welcome! Glad you liked it. Thanks for the feedback!
This was very helpful. Thank you! I found written instructions that were very clear except for explaining the pigtail from the hot wire. Watching your video did the trick.
in Australia lighting circuits and power circuits need to be kept separate. In many older homes there are no neutral wires run by light switches. The neutrals loop at the lights. Until recently it's been an impediment to retrofitting "smart switches" in older homes. You can't use the live from the old switch and run a neutral from an adjacent power outlet. You would have to run a new neutral wire from the fusebox or off the neutral loop for that circuit.
In Turkey, in old legislation, keeping the lighting and power circuits was not a must (today it is). But even so, most of the old houses it is kept separate.
And as you said, there won't be any neutral wires run to light switches (either new, or old building).
For renovating INSIDE a house, you don't need any permissions here, so no one will check what you are doing. Only, if there is natural gas inside your apartment flat, that will be checked.
Since we live in concrete apartments (also deteched houses are concrete), there are juction boxes on top of every single switch and outlet (somewhere close to ceiling). That juction box will contain neutral (that is going to the light) and you can take neutral from there. There won't be a need for taking the neutral from a outlet.
In Turkey there is not circuit braker on outlets. There will be one circuit braker for the entire house. So if phase and neutral differentiates, it cuts the houses entire electricity. There are both one phase and three phase versions of it. Advantage: Easier for application, cheaper, same safety. Disadvantage: refrigirators (especially old ones) are inductive loads. When cold starting sometimes they can trigger circuit braker. This is not important if you are in the house. A refrigirator can keep itself cold for 24h. But if you are on vacation, you will loose all the stuff in your refrigirator. :D So, In Turkey, if our refrigirator is old and we can't change it, we connect the fuse of the refrigirator BEFORE the circuit braker (this is against regulations), untill we renew the refrigirator.
Yep. Switching straps were a way to save money back then, only running two cores down to the switch.
The US was this way too, but recent codes changes now require a neutral at the switch in the case the own adds smart switches and need neutrals. There are 2 methods of wiring in the US each room on a circuit light and outlets, or common lighting for several rooms on a circuit and outlets per room on a circuit. Both are legal by code and is just preference.
Thanks for the very clear, short and to the point video - I think I’ll still hire a pro but appreciate you confirming for me that this can be done and helping me understand what the job entails!
Why would you hire an electrician for such a simple job? That makes no sense. Shut off the main fuse then for added safety while you poke around. Sometimes, the electrician does a sloppy job too and resents it if you tell him how you want it done. Cheap supplies too. Always better to do it yourself for a quality job.
If you're thinking about doing this make sure you're aware of the regulations in your country
In some places it's highly illegal to combine lighting and power points on the same circuit because they have independent circuit breaker requirements.
In the US most outlets in homes are required to be on a AFCI and/or GFCI. Lighting only circuits will not be on either, but you could upgrade the breaker when adding an outlet.
Totally agree Ben. In actual fact I think it is a terrible idea to combine lighting and power in all circumstances. Especially these days lighting circuit current demands are so low that 5A circuits are more than sufficient for most needs. Another reason that I hate this is you can often noticeably see light flicker from large load switching on the same 12 awg cable...this doesn't happen if the lighting is on a dedicated wire / circuit.
@@aquacruisedb I can't think of a house I've owned or lived in that was ever wired like that. I've seen houses where each room had it's own circuit but not separate for lighting and receptacles. That's either something that's only done in Europe or really high-end builds. I think in general it's a better idea to be as flexible as possible. Having specialized circuits only makes it more difficult to retro fit things later.
@@merfishsandwich691 in Australia or New Zealand all fuse boxes have breakers for lights and other breakers for PowerPoints. They don't share.
@@Psi105 Ya we don't do that here. I frankly don't see the point. We stuff our boxes with 15 or 20 amp breakers and run multipurpose circuits. Electricity is electricity, it doesn't really matter what it's powering.
amazing videos my friend. i have learned more electricity with your videos than when i was in school. Now i feeling more confident to do my own electrical jobs. thanks. I would like to know what will be the best way to fix a light switch installation than does not have enough deep into the wall., so i have part of the switch coming out not flush to the wall. I cant dig more because i have concrete .
Very well thought out teaching. Great communication. Obvious you planned the content before you started filming. Thanks for all the work to create something this good.
Thank you. The house I'm currently living in is a bit old-fashioned, so there are not many outlets where I need them. I'm a hands-on person, so I love to do things myself if I have the info on how to. This helped another.
Before cutting holes and running wire, you need to check to see if the switch box has a neutral wire. They all do not have one. They don’t have one if the feed wire comes into the light fixture box first. In that situation you will only have two wires and a ground at the switch. One feed coming from the light box and a switch leg wire back to the fixture.
YES, you need a common wire to make it work.... G O O D point....
Exactly. A dead end switch is what it's called.
That's what I was thinking, "Don't cut that hole until you verify that there's a neutral in that switch box!"
Yep just ran into this while trying to add an outlet from my switch 🤦♂️
My first thought also when I saw the title of this video.
Deadly video, dude. It is exactly what I need to do in a closet. Thanks for being easy to listen to.
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback Robert!
Make sure the power you want is available at the switch before you cut a hole for the new outlet.
another great idea is to actually, CAREFULLY, pull the switch out before turning off the power and check to see which wire is line so you can save yourself two trips to turn the power on and off to figure that step out.
@@renton9999 A buddy on a cell phone in the basement is also helpful, Signed, The Buddy
That was just brilliant. I ad electricians come and they told me that it couldn't be done.....to difficult. But I have a light switch in the bedroom which i could attach to the hallway on the other side as I have no power point in the hallway. So now I know it can be done. Thank you so much you are a master electrician.
Before I cut the outlet hole I usually run a flexible rod down from the light switch to the depth of where I want to cut the hole for the new outlet, just to be sure there are no obstructons in the wall. Also not all light switches are number 12 wire. It's not code to combine a number 14 to a 12 for an outlet in my city.
Thanks for the input Cathy!
Cathy that's in the NEC about combining 12 & 14...but I ran into this where whomever ran the 14 off the 12 prob ran out of 12 or did not have any but at least they actually put a note inside that box indicating this was a 15 Amp run and the breaker #.....That was a very thoughtful gesture!
I wish you’d make the same video but making an outlet out of a double or triple switch. Most of these outlets I need to install are needed to be fed from double switches or triple, and it’s a lot more intimidating for some reason. I can imagine most people have the same issue. Good idea for another video
This is what I'm struggling with right now. in one config, the switch has to be on for the outlet to work. In another config, the outlet has to be powering something for the switch to work. No clue what to do now....
@@MarvinBowen if I remember correctly, I’ve had the same problem a while back. I ended up playing with the random wire positions till I got what I needed it to do. I’ve had a digital mirror hooked up to a new outlet fed from an old outlet and I messed up the wirings where my light wouldn’t turn on anymore with the switch, but instead kept turning on and off the digital mirror. All in all, I kept turning power off and on while I kept trying different wirings till I got the switch to turn the main light on, while the digital mirror stayed always on.
I have learned to check EVERY wire in a box for stay voltage, before considering the power off. Because of common neutral between crcuits I have found "hot" white wires, and once a leakage current on the bare ground wire. The first "hot" neutral cause my arm to tingle for a couple of hours, so I always check.
Hey J it's called an "open" neutral" and they are everywhere when opening up splices and that hit is the worst kind , be safe my friend
If all else fails don't be afraid to shut off the main. It's a pain but it's safer.
I'm not an electrician I learned by trial and error and also research if I run into a problem. I have put breakers in I have run independent wire for a space heater to an outside breaker cuz it's in a mobile home and mobile home wiring is out there so I put it on a independent circuit when I have replace so many outlets & switches my mobile homes & my mom's place I take everything out and I put back together like it was . I also ran an independent power in a shed for the refrigerator to the outside breaker like I did the space heater dug a trench and everything. Again I'm not an electrician but nothing's burnt down yet LOL. I'm going to keep watching your videos learn a little more
The best method to attach a wire (and doubling them also) is to crimp the curved wired around the screw (using a needle nose) to make a complete circle (this requires a 1/8 inch more of insulation removed). A high torque tightening will keep the single wire (and subsequent wire) from coming loose. Also I very often use my linemen's pliers to twist the wire nut tighter.
When adding stranded wire to solid wire inside the wire nut, extend the stranded wire about 1/8 inch past the solid wire ends. Then pull on the stranded wire once you tighten the wire nut to confirm it's attached securly.
I always do that.
Good to know, thanks. An even better way:
1. Use circle type connectors on each loose end going around the socket screw. Now remove as often as you like without stressing the wire or cursing.
2. Use Wago connectors instead of these dinosaur wire nuts.
This is what women would do. And we know they are much smarter than men.
Yes, terminal connectors help tremendously, if you're pulling stranded awg 12-14 thru conduit and attaching to many, many switches/outlets. But if the crimp on the terminal is poorly made, trouble down the road. A lot of connections loosen up from the expansion and contraction of the amperage flow. With either way, (terminals or wire alone) torquing the screws is the absolute best way for no arcing or call backs.
Wagos are not preferred by most older master electricians. Some new inventions seem to have all the answers but in actuality, the former way that's been used for decades and decades, as in this case (100 yrs), if done properly by twisting before applying the nut is a sure thing. Just yesterday, I had to replace four switches in a 4 gang box. Two groups of neutral wires had two seperate wire nuts. The new switches were larger and to make room I grabbed each of the two neutral wire nuts and pushed them further back towards the rear of the box and upon doing so a neutral wire pulled out. I removed the wire nut and found three untwisted wires, which made me remove the other neutral wire nut to check for twisting (which was done). The metal box wasn't grounded either. This extra work raised the labor rate by 30 mins. It's time consuming working with so many wires in a box and adding larger switches. Professionals or DIY'ERS need to practice all the basic codes before working on any project and apply them without taking short cuts, for any electrical, plumbing or carpentry undertaking. I find many mistakes constantly with all three.
Absolutely best electrical guide I've seen and my electrician grandson says same. Thx.
Pigtail or newer switch that has back wiring (not back stabbing, which is what you showed not to do). A lot of the back wiring connectors have a hole on both the top & bottom of the screw to allow for 2 wires.
I'll agree with you on the back stabbing. I've also seen them fail several times.
Even better, use 12/3 or 14/3, as appropriate for the rating of the circuit, to make 1/2 the plug hot and 1/2 the plug switched. Of course, this may or may not be appropriate, depending on the use you have for the plug.
Is this what is done when you bring one run and terminate to the top of switch and then terminate from bottom to an outlet in a gang box next door?
I thought I had a bad GFCI, until I called Lutron to find out I didnt pair the runner up correctly when disconnecting(reversed)... 👌
@@brawlman: I'm not sure what you're asking, but I think I know. I'll try to clarify. An outlet usually has 2 hot and 2 neutral screws with a copper connector between them. The upper screws power the upper half of the outlet and the bottom screws power the bottom half of the outlet. With the copper connector between them, both the upper and lower outlets are powered at the same time. This allows you to use one set of screws for incoming power and the other set to run out to the next outlet. However, if you remove the copper connector between the 2 hot (black wire) screws, the top and bottom halves of the outlet work independently. One use of this would be to make one of the outlets switched and the other one hot all the time. If this is what you're wanting to do, you would run 12/3 or 14/3 (as appropriate) Romex from the switch to the outlet. The black and white cables in the Romex would connect to the black and white cables in the switch box. The red cable in the Romex would connect to the switch and only be hot when the switch is on. You would then connect the other end (outlet end) of the Romex to the outlet with the white wire to one of the neutral screws, the black wire to one of the hot screws, and the red wire to the other hot screw. With the copper jumper between the hot screws removed, this will allow the half of the outlet with the black wire to be hot all the time and the half of the outlet with the red wire to only be hot when the switch is turned on.
In all locations, the ground wire in the Romex would connect to the ground screw on the device and the ground wires from the power supply (breaker box or upstream device). Also, one wire per screw. Use pigtails as necessary. If you accidentally remove the copper jumper from neutral side of the outlet, you can connect 2 pigtails to the white wire in the Romex and run the 2 pigtails (one each) to each of the neutral screws on the outlet.
If you're talking about backstabbing, backstabbing is using the small hole in the back of the device to push the wire into the device. It is then held in place by a spring loaded piece of copper inside the device. The problem is that after a while, as this piece of copper heats up and cools down repeatedly, it looses its springiness and the wire comes loose. Many newer devices allow for back wiring. This is different. When back wiring, the wire is pushed straight in, like in backstabbing, but it's pushed in under a plate that this then tightened down by the screw. So, there's not spring to get weak.
When wiring a GFCI, there are 2 sets of screws. Set 1 is the power coming into the GFCI outlet. Set 2 is for passing GFCI protection onto the next device, such as a 2nd outlet further down the wall. A GFCI works by detecting greater amperage on the black (hot) wire than on the white (neutral) wire. This difference is VERY small, so they trip easily. If you get the black and white wires backwards or get the input and output sets of screws backwards, you'll have a problem. Also, if you connect another GFCI outlet to the output side of an upstream GFCI outlet, they'll interfere with each other and cause each other to trip. So, to daisy chain GFCI, you either use non GFCI outlets downstream from the GFCI outlet and connect them to the output screws of the GFCI outlet or, if you want all the outlets to have their own GFCI reset buttons, you would string the GFCI outlets by using only the input set of screws.
A few other nice things to know about GFCI outlets. 1) They can be used to replace 2-hole outlets (no ground wire outlets) so that you have a 3-hole outlet. When you do this, the outlet is required to be labeled "No equipment ground." This and other labels will come in the box with the GFCI outlet. The labeling requirement also applies to any downstream outlet that's protected by the GFCI outlet. 2) When you test a GFCI outlet using a plug-in tester, it shorts the hot (through a resister) to the ground terminal, not to the neutral terminal. So, a plug-in tester won't trip a GFCI outlet that has no equipment ground. You have to test by using the built-in button on the outlet. If the tester shorted to the neutral terminal, you would have the same amount of amperage on the hot & neutral terminals. So, the trip condition wouldn't be met. 3) Since GFCI outlets can protect downstream outlets, a standard outlet may be GFCI protected (and should be labeled as such). The GFCI outlet protecting it does NOT have to be in the same room as the protected standard outlet. However, it's nicer, from a user standpoint, if it is.
I'm not aware of any GFCI outlets that will allow for switching only half the outlet, as mentioned above. If you were going to do that, you'd probably want to use a GFCI breaker on the circuit instead, then use a standard outlet. There are other options also, but this would probably be the simplest.
Couple of points. Many times the feed is to the light, not the switch and there is no neutral in the switch box to connect to, just a hot white wire coming in and a switched hot black wire back to the light.
Also back when I did wiring in the 80s the back push in connectors accepted 12 ans 14 gauge both, and I personally never use anything smaller than 12 gauge to outlets, safety first.
So what do you do if the feed is to the light, and you have a 12/2 jumper from light to switch, can you still use the video method when adding a receptacle?
@@daviddelacruz7158 You wouldn’t be able to do this method if the feed is to the light and you only have 12-2 or 14-2 coming to the switch. The reason is that BOTH the black and white wires AT THE SWITCH are being used to carry the current to the light. The black would be the hot coming from the ceiling, going through the switch and then to the white which is now carrying the current to the light. (Per code, the white wire should be marked at both ends with black electrical tape or a black marker to designate it as the ‘hot’ wire. )
To accomplish your task, you would need to bring another cable down from the light OR SOME other location. When I did this recently, I was fortunate to have a receptacle on the other side of the wall in the adjacent room. Using pigtails and an ‘old work box’ like he used, I moved over a few inches and cut through and then ran a short section of 14-2 with ground over to my new location. If you’re not lucky, then you’ll need to either fish wires down from the attic or up from the basement/crawlspace.
@@glasshalffull2930 Right. When the light is off, it would work; when the late is on, you're fucked. Can't believe the guy doing the video didn't even consider this and may have misled innocents down a very bad path.
@@diannelenihan6143 I comment every once in a while when someone needs help or there is something dangerous. I also commiserate as I’d like to add a fan/light combo in my bathroom, but the trusses in the attic make it a nightmare and I just keep postponing.
Thank you for all your hard work that you do and all your videos that you put out there you make learning from you enjoyable and fun and make it understandable. You have saved a lot of people from getting injured or hurt along with a lot houses have been saved from being burned down. I could never say thank you enough for that …So please keep making your awesome videos.❤ thanks for all you help
I've come across situations where the black hot wire is actually hot coming from the light itself, meaning the circuit breaker (CB) is wired directly to the light and then down to the switch, rather than the hot coming from the CB to the switch and then up to the light as the video has it. The test you did wouldn't detect that until plugging something into the outlet causes the light to go on.
The connection you just stated is called "being made hot at the light box" but that black hot wire isn't connected to the light fixture. It requires a switch leg. Either way, made hot at the light box or hot at the switch, the black wire connected to the bottom terminal of the switch is going to be hot. In older wiring though this would probably not have a neutral wire at the switch unless the switch leg was ran out of 14-3 wire (black, red, white, bare ground). Older switch legs ran out of 14-2 use the white wire with black tape wrapped around it as the hot feed.
Wiring can be fun or it can be a chore. I have a shop building with an office, built circa 1950, where there are six ceiling lights and some outlets. The entire office had been on a single 15 amp circuit. Fortunately the wiring was separate wires in buried EMT in or under the concrete slab floor. So I pushed additional wires through to split the office into four 15 amp circuits and ran a 220V circuit above the ceiling that was used for an electric heater until I got the old oil burning furnace replaced with a gas one.
The plan now is to use that 220V line for a mini split heat pump that will replace the 115V window AC mounted where one of the old transom windows was. Boards will go on inside and outside, with insulation between. That will allow for easy pass-through for the wires and pipes since the building is concrete block.
I've been a electrician for 35 years. The fun wore off over 34 years ago.
First thing is making sure you have a neutral wire in the light switch box. Second never go as low or close to a stud as this guy. Doorways tend to have unpredictable studs. Always go to the other side or center. I always do a test cut with my rock saw to the left and right to confirm I am not hitting a stud before marking the wall. Also if working on an older home you may run into plaster and lathe or sheetrock over plaster and lathe. Good luck using that blue rework box. I use a bakelite (usually brown or beige) if I run into plaster and lathe. You can trim the brace leafs back to allow a good install.
Great video. You did a great job not only teaching this but having a actual example as well. I'm going to have to perform this same addition of an outlet. But my outlet needs to go on the other side of the wall.
Good ideas but a very important safety concern was left out:
Most lighting circuits use 15amp 14/2 Romex wire & breakers. If you add 20 amp 12/2 Romex to bring power from the switch box to a new outlet box, then either the outlet is under powered or worse, someone "corrects" / upgrades the outlet breaker to 20amp leaving part of your outlet circuit with 15amp wire... a bad thing.
Exactly. Why add heavier guage wire, to a circuit not designed to handle what the new wire is capable of? At home, probably to use up old 12 guage wire, where 14 is not handy/ left over. As a pro, or as an instructional vid, hopefully this is never done.
I agree with all of the points you both have made, have seen it plenty and then some. One would hope that anybody changing a breaker would notice the color of wire sheathing or even the gauge at the panel being different and figure out what was going on and just leave it be. Although I've seen 12 at the panel, 12 at the box, and a twenty foot run of 14 in the middle, hidden in the wall... behind door trim no less. Luckily, most DIY'ers don't usually mess around with electricity, let alone breakers. But then there's the ones that do! 🤦
Finally figured out how my father's 2nd restroom works! Thank you 🙏
Glad I could help!
2:40. Mark ONLY the first bit of the bottom edge, to avoid marking the wall if you must move the box a bit. Just like cutting toward the stud first to be sure there’s enough room, raise the box away from the floor to avoid the bottom plate.
Usually there is a minimum required height at least a foot higher.
Totally agree with you on the wiring. It’s frustrating to see it done the wrong way.😊
I have found that those ears when removed are useful as spacers in old boxes to flush-out the outlet so the outlet protrudes through the cover-plate properly.
Good tip!
i learned same thing 2... 😁
Your way of thinking is the correct way.
The FIRST thing you have to do is make sure that the light switch is not just a switch leg. If there is no neutral, you can't draw power from that switch in the first place! If there are only two wires, it is definitely a switch leg and you can't get your power from there! Second. I try to avoid going directly under the light switch. Wire pulls are usually straight up or straight down, so avoid cutting into wires by jogging the cut-in box over where it won't be a problem. The best way to cut drywall is with a small circular saw that is set a little less than the thickness of the drywall. That way you will never nick a wire. But drywall saws, multi-tools, drywall routers, and jig saws and sawz-alls will work, but you have to be very careful not to hit the wires or you will be doing 10 times the work that you need to!
Multi-tools are nice in that if one pays attention one can be precise in the depth of cut. Even use a bit of painters tape on the blade to set the depth.
Your videos are excellent. Straight to the point. Every second has useful information. Keep it up!
Good video. Caution to check local code. Lighting and outlet loads shouldn’t be combined due to potential outlet connected load shorts taking out the lighting in the room as well.
Super dumb question here but I’m learning. Wouldn’t adding a plug where the switch is essentially like adding a plug anywhere along the line? Careful not to overload the circuit obviously by adding more receptacles….I think I’m not letting myself understand what you’re saying by talking about the switch as a location. Just trying to learn. Thanks
@@JonathanPostins Not a dumb question at all. I believe what he is saying is some jurisdictions may not allow receptacles to be wired on the same branch as lighting, regardless of location of the receptacles or switches. When I say branch, that means the entire circuit that comes off of a particular breaker. If you had a situation where a device that is plugged into a receptacle creates a short, it would (hopefully) trip the breaker, and every other receptacle and any lighting fed from that same breaker would lose power as well. This could create a potentially dangerous situation if you were to no longer able to see right at the same time as a piece of equipment had a failure. I didn’t know receptacles had to be fed from separate branches from lights in some jurisdictions, but it’s probably a good idea either way.
thanks for the great video, no filler, just the essentials.
Nice video.
First step for me would have been to make sure line, neutral and ground are all available in the switch box.
Cutting in the old work box, only to discover no neutral is a bummer.
How can I determine this? The switch box I'm working in is powering two different light switches. There are three separate 14/2 coming into the box. Can't get the receptacle to work without one of the swtiches being on. I've wired it pretty much like in this video, with the exception there are 2 switches.
Thank you for this video. I always for some reason have taken it one step further. I always felt safe taping the wire nuts also. I just feel safer.
First thing to check: make sure the switch box includes more than one wire lol.
Great video! Followed it to the T and got myself everything working on the first go. Thank you for such a detailed and prescriptive video.
I really wish outlets and switches would supply better attachment points than just flat head screws. I much prefer the clamp type. In this example I might have used a 3 port wago connector for the hot and the commons.
I've seen some where the screws are both flat and cross. Clamp style and even one where it was like a washer with teeth.
Nice mock-up. Editing is concise and tight, not lingering like a lot of these videos. A little more info on wire gauge would help. Not sure if it applies here, but screws in contact with electricity need to be torqued. A new code thing. Well done.
One comment I would like to make is that the rating of th circuit should have been figured in before the outlet was added to make sure there wasn’t already loading at or near the limit of the circuit the light switch was on.
Just what the doctor ordered! Well explained and to the point! Appreciate it! Cheers!
Nice video. I would add that the screw terminal and push ins are are not allowed to be used at the same time, its either one or the other.
Also I would have mentioned the wire direction around the screw terminal, many get that wrong.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the video. It was very helpful! I opened up a switch box and found this mess! I believe the extra wires go to outlets for an in floor radiant heating system. The homeowners do not want to use the system. How do I determine which wires to get rid of and which ones to use to keep my light switch and new outlet working?
Love your training videos very well thought out and easy to understand.
I don’t normally comment on anything. I just watch hehehe but because you’re a dewalt fan I’m commenting. I’m to a dewalt fan. Yea I just thought I would add that. 😅😅😅 your videos are great!!! Carry on!!!
You show it in the video, but don't describe that the new wire nut for the grounds needs to be red, since there are 4 wires being connected together. The yellow wire nut only supports 3 #12. The red wire nut supports 4 #12.
You are absolutely right! I do recall talking about it when I filmed it but in edits I missed leaving it in. Thanks for the reminder for folks! 😎