How to Add electrical receptacle outlets with This Old House

Believe it or not, you don't need to hire an electrician to add a few electrical outlets in your home. The only thing you really need to worry about is being safe. This Old House walks you through the entire process of adding receptacles, from cutting the hole in the drywall to wiring the outlet to final checks.

1. Turn off power to the room where the new outlet will be installed

2. Measure to find location of new outlet

3. Drill down through floor and into basement at new outlet location

4. Measure over from drill bit poking into basement to locate the nearest stud bay

5. Cut hole for new outlet box in baseboard or wall

6. Drill down through outlet box hole and into basement with extended spade bit

7. Feed fish tape down hole, attach electrical cable to tape, then pull cable into the room

8. Strip the outer insulation from the cable

9. Pull cable into electrical box; tighten cable clamp

10. Wrap bare copper wire around green grounding screw inside of box and tighten screw

11. Screw electrical box to the wall

12. Attach white wire to silver screw on outlet

13. Attach black wire to brass screw on outlet

14. Attach bare copper wire to green grounding screw on outlet

15. Wrap electrical tape around outlet to protect wire connections

16. Screw outlet to the electrical box; install cover plate

17. Have licensed electrician connect cable to existing circuit or to main electrical panel

18. Turn on power and test the outlet