fire hazard to run power through receptacle, pigtail the white and black wires too! source: electrician at my house today bc outlet was smoking and burning bc wired like this.
@@handydadtv it's in a mobile home. The wires are dropped from ceiling there is no way to get to them. It's the last plug in on the run. It only has one wire coming in.
Now that was exactly what I have been looking for. I've seen dozens of videos on this topic and no one has explained it so perfectly and concisely. Thank you SO MUCH!!
@@handydadtv OMG ! This is how people at the School/College/ Uni should explain electricity . You have done a job of 5 months into 5 mins . HEHE. And yes there any thousands of videos on UA-cam but no one has ever explained it with such detail, accuracy, presentation, etc . Man I want to now become an electrician just by watching your video.
Gosh...THANKS For The THOROUGH Video! Finally, someone who gives a sense-able, easy to understand, detailed video for anyone to gain the confidence to know they're doing the project correctly.
I literally spent 2 hours or more trying to find answers about the ground wire when doing multiple outlets. No video had a straight forward answer like yours. Thank you
Thank you for explaining it in a professional manner. I’ve seen videos where the “instructors” were trying to be funny and we all know that electricity is nothing to play with. Great job.
I have plenty of DIY electrical experience and worked 20 years as an electrical panel assembler. Watched your video anyway and found it very informative and well articulated. Not a fan of back stabbing switches or outlets, prone to failure. Going to check out your channel and may Subscribe. Thanks for posting.
It's funny how many people say not to back stab. But every home I've owned has done it that way. Whether 50 years old or just 3 years old, these electricians stab the wires.
Hi, As you probably know the UK is different to the USA or Canada, we use brown or red = live, blue or black = negative, and bear = earth ( however we put a green and yellow sheath over the earth) our sockets are also different being bigger. If you are wiring a socket at the end or midway the wiring is the same and both wires go into the same connection ( if you are using a metal back plate this is also wired with a small earth going from the socket to the base making 4 wires in all ( this can be a little difficult to get all 4 wires in 1 connection ) also we work on 240 volts and use different thickness of wires for different uses ( 1.5 mm lighting, 2.5mm power and thicker wire for (heavy use such as showers that use a lot of amps ) showers are not to be connected to any other appliance). I hope this is useful to any of your UK followers
Another wiring guide showed two grounds on a single screw for a metal outlet box. I thought that was odd and came across your video. Thanks for explaining how to pigtail a ground.
Here in Canada it seems the boxes are all metal instead of plastic and the ground is connected to it. In a "middle of the run" receptacle, both grounds would be screwed to the box, with one of the bare wire longer to connect to the receptacle.
As an extra safety measure I always use electrical tape and go around the outlet and cover the screw terminals. Helps keep the wires in place and cuts the potential for shock or arching.
Thank you! I just bought a new dishwasher that came with an electrical plug. The old one was wired in, of course. I had an end of the run situation. Thanks to your video I was able to confidently install an outlet.
Doesn't work that way when you have some weird looking old outlet that has three cables coming into it and you have to make it work with a modern outlet (both same ratings, just different designs apparently, the old design looks like a fire hazard). In my current house, I have seen things that blows my mind and makes me wonder about what happened. All of the outlets are very weird and the wiring doesn't make sense, wrong kind of exterior doors, wrong kind of windows, shoddy repairs, chandeliers everywhere. Whoever lived here before I purchased it was a little odd and not very good with DIY. The weird outlets look to be original (from the 1980s) but there is a mix of old and new outlets, old and new light switches, different design switches, and even a dimmer switch in a place that makes little sense. Chaos. Slowly getting everything to the way it should be. Probably going to gut all the wiring and redo it just to be safe.
Nice video, but I have some comments: first, never use the back stab holes on the back of the receptacle it makes for a weak connection, use the screws. Second, wires can be removed from push in connectors, you have to twist the connector back and forth as you pull on the wire or get the Wago lever type. Third, on middle of the run outlets it is preferred to use the pigtails on all 3 wires as long as you have room in the box. The downstream outlets then will be independent of this one.
While not against code, the recommended way to connect the "middle" receptacle neutral (white) and hot/line (black) is to also use pigtails & wire nuts or Wagos for each. It is typically advisable to not use the outlet as the passthrough connection by connecting both sets of screws as the passthrough junction. Again, it is allowed, but not advisable.
I noticed in your diagram that the hot wires went to the top screws and the out going power wires were connected on the bottom and went down line to the second outlet but that outlet had the hot wires go to the bottom instead of the top like the first one. Can you explain why? I know gfci have a LINE (hot) and a LOAD (down stream) and was wondering if an outlet that has (hot) wires connected to the bottom was a problem? Or was it just because it was the end of the line that the process changed?
Yes, GFCI outlets have specific screws for line and load, but not normal outlets. There is no difference between the top or bottom screws because there is a shunt between them. Remove the shunt and the two outlets are electrically disconnected.
This is what I was talking about in the other video. ;) This is easier to understand. I want to add an outlet to my toilet room so I can use my bidet and I want to connect to the outlet on the other side of the wall. So I assume the original outlet (on outside of toilet room) will have the W & B wires on the top and then I run the NEW wire from the bottom of that outlet to the new outlet in the toilet room (opposite side of wall). Can I connect to either TOP or BOTTOM of that outlet? Say for example in the future I want add even one more outlet from that new one..would I attach it to top and then run to new from bottom? So basically power in top...power out bottom...last outlet top?
I’m working on a video with this EXACT SITUATION to also install a bidet. Stay tuned. But to answer your question, it doesn’t matter if you use the top or bottom screws; they are connected together by default.
Wow very interesting... Cause, thus far, you are the only one who I have seem wiring a duplex receptacle with two pair terminals, instead of using PIGTAILS...👑👑👑👑
Hi guys, thanks for all the tips. I am remodeling my kitchen. One outlet, you can flip the switch and the kitchen lights come on. You can also open the back door to the garage and flip the switch there and turn the lights off. Either end you can turn them off or on. I am having a problem with a 2 power switch. So is this possible? To turn on a light over the sink or stove while turning on or off the light over the kitchen? I played with this for a while and thought this won't work........But you know these days UA-cam can provide some crazy real information. Just looking for a next step, again thank you for all your input.
To be clear, I am trying to ad a two button switch that will obviously power two things. So the third wheel is the extra button in the garage that turns the lights on or off.
CAUTION: While the method at 3:02 is within code, it's better to use pig-tails for all 3 wires (not just the neutral). If there is a fault with the outlet, pig-tail-method will not impact downstream outlets.
I came here to say this. Yes, in a perfect world you would just fix an affected outlet, but it could help with troubleshooting if only one was knocked out instead of the whole circuit!
Great video! Thanks. Just one question the hot wire and the neutral coming out of the same line has to always be opposite of each other? I was changing an outlet and i see that the wires are on an x shape instead of same hot wire opposite of neutral of the same cable. But one hot wire opposite of the other lines neautral and viceversa. Does it matter?
It doesn’t matter because there is a metal bridge between the screws. They’re electrically connected so you don’t need to use the top pair for one cable and the bottom pair for another.
I wish you explained the difference between wiring the circuits in series vs parallel. In your example won’t the downstream outlets be affected if the middle outlet fails?
@@handydadtv okay, but if somebody were to place a GFCI in Place of the first receptacle, and wire the downstream wires to the “load” terminals, then it wouldn’t be parallel, right? But in this case since it’s a traditional receptacle, there’s no way to wire it like this?
Parallel means white to white and black to black. Series would be black to white, like stacking batteries to increase voltage. The load side of the GFCI breaker is still wired in parallel, it’s just the circuit could be broken by the GFCI. That doesn’t happen with normal outlets.
@@handydadtv okay it’s possible I am using the incorrect terminology. I meant to say that with a GFCI, you can wire it two ways (one using a pigtail, makes all the downstream outlets unaffected by the GFCI, the other going through the GFCI before delivering power means the other outlets are dependent on the GFCI). Ignoring the GFCI tripping, let’s say the GFCI receptacle just failed, the outlets downstream wouldn’t receive power if wired that way. So I’m assuming if you make a pigtail to the first receptacle in your video, it will function independently from the downstream outlets, but since you did not make a pigtail but delivered the power through the outlet, does that mean if the receptacle failed all the downstream outlets would lose power? I hope I’m explaining this right.
Forget failing outlets. The only time I saw an outlet fail was when it was overloaded and melted, which caused a short, which popped the breaker. If you join the wires with a wire nut and a pigtail to the outlet, in theory you can replace the outlet without turning off the circuit. But that’s an extremely dangerous practice for DIY and I don’t recommend it.
Great video. Question about replacing a middle of the line outlet. I understand the ground code, but does it matter which neutral goes to which screw? Or which hot goes to which screw? Does the source always go on the upper and supply on the lower? I’m not sure that’s the right terminology, but I don’t want to cause myself to have to wire and rewire if I mix up the lines.
Thank you thank you , you explained that very well I've watched professional videos. And you nailed perfect I understood everything. In laymans terms. the others were like you had to pigtail each wire blah blah blah. So thank you I just had to put three plugs in and inspection tomorrow it will pass
I once saw a circuit with hot and neutral lines dropping from the attic to each outlet as if it was T connected. The result was parallel outlets having 120 VAC at each outlet whether or not we removed any one of the outlets. Not a daisy chain. That means that only one brass screw had a black wire and one silver screw had a white wire. Could happen then the parallel outlets will be hooked up in series resulting in incorrect voltages if hooked up as a daisy chain, even with the connection bar in the outlet
when you are doing the middle of the run wiring (daisy chaining receptacles) do you need to put the power (source?) at the bottom and the power exiting at the top or does it matter? I assume it doesn't matter. THanks for the video. This was super helpful for my project!
Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for in a video, as a beginner. Now I just have to get over the fear of grabbing bare wires for the first time (after shutting off the breaker and testing for power with the proper equipment).
It’s good to be fearful so you’ll respect it. Always test first, then touch the wires together with a screwdriver or pliers to make sure the line is dead. Do it enough and you’ll get more comfortable. But always respect it.
Great video! I have a finished wall with an outlet that’s the main circuit. That outlet is already wired to other outlets going to the left direction of my finished wall. I need to install one outlet going right of the main circuit outlet and I’m looking to get the power from the main outlet I just mentioned, can I add and screw the new outlet going right on the same screws of the outlets going to the left?
I installed GFI outlets in my basement - I had to ensure the “line” and “load” were attached to the outlet correctly. When Installing a simple outlet like the ones in this video, do the same rules of the line and load wires apply?
Yes, same rules. Especially about the ground. Keep in mind, if you are putting a GFCI in the middle of the run, you won’t necessarily use the LOAD terminals unless you definitely want to protect the downstream outlets. It’s perfectly fine to connect all the wires to the LINE side, then nothing else will be protected.
@@handydadtv GFCI receptacles have line and load terminals labeled so that downline receptacles also have GFCI protection. Do not wire through non-GFCI receptacles. Pigtailing all wires is a better practice. Otherwise, a problem with one receptacle causes problems with everything downline.
Very well explained. This was my third or fourth vid trying to figure it out. I didn’t know that the two sets of wires was one coming in and one going out to the next box. But holy crap!! That explains a lot with the short out I had and now hopefully I can get it fixed. Thanks!
Great Video! I am installing an attic fan and I have spent hours trying to find a video about wiring it to power. Every video shows connecting the thermostat side and then they just say "and the other side connects to the power" But how? So I believe what I learned from your video (and please tell me if I'm wrong) is that I can run my 12 guage wire from my attic fan to an outlet in my attic (my heater is plugged into one) Basically if I open the outlet box (with the power off) and see a free chrome and brass screw, and a ground - I can connect to those accordingly and my attic fan will have power?
Yes that's how you do it. But verify the breaker size. You can use 14-2 wire if it's a 15-amp breaker. Use 12-2 for a 20-amp breaker. 14 gauge is cheaper and easier to work with.
HandyDadTV I went with 12-2 at the recommendation of the guy at Home Depot for safety reasons. And the breaker that controls that outlet is 20. Thanks again!
This is such a great video. Would it be possible to do one showing how to add an outlet to the start of a run? It's the bit about wiring into the main box that has me feeling uncertain! Thanks!
I usually add outlets to existing circuits and have videos showing a number of situations. But if you want to add a new circuit, this is the only video time I’ve done that on video ua-cam.com/video/OfdEitiM6u0/v-deo.html
Started doing some work on our house. The wires in my houses are not exactly how your drawing shows. When we took it apart to get to the outlet however, both incoming and outgoing wires were on the same terminal. Then the black that Isha both incoming and outgoing were both put together as well. The 2 white wires were diagonal of the 2 black wires. What is the difference? Thks
Did you have a color chart for wires for hot and positive etc etc... because I have cut some wire and there not green black and white .. sometimes there blue and red and striped etc...
I have a 20amp line feeding my garage outlets. First is GCFI which works fine, next 3 in the line work fine, and then the 4th and all receptacles after that don't work. I've replaced the non-working outlet, still nothing. The last working outlet doesn't have any loose wiring. All of the outlets I've looked at only have 3 wires, so I'm assuming I'm dealing with a parallel system, but I don't understand why the rest of the outlets stopped working.
Garage outlets should be GFCI protected, so you may have a popped GFCI somewhere else in the house, like I found in this video ua-cam.com/video/dbmRETinw0A/v-deo.html If you can’t figure it out, you can try tracing the wire, like I did here ua-cam.com/video/UAEq-yvjryQ/v-deo.html
☕️☕️☕️ If you liked this video, say thanks with a cup of coffee 👉🏻 ko-fi.com/handydadtv ☕️☕️☕️
☕
fire hazard to run power through receptacle, pigtail the white and black wires too! source: electrician at my house today bc outlet was smoking and burning bc wired like this.
I wired my last plug in like yours. Now it's showing an open ground.
@Kenny You need to figure out where a wire came loose.
@@handydadtv it's in a mobile home. The wires are dropped from ceiling there is no way to get to them. It's the last plug in on the run. It only has one wire coming in.
Now that was exactly what I have been looking for. I've seen dozens of videos on this topic and no one has explained it so perfectly and concisely. Thank you SO MUCH!!
I’m honored! Thanks for the feedback.
@@handydadtv OMG ! This is how people at the School/College/ Uni should explain electricity . You have done a job of 5 months into 5 mins . HEHE.
And yes there any thousands of videos on UA-cam but no one has ever explained it with such detail, accuracy, presentation, etc . Man I want to now become an electrician just by watching your video.
Wow thanks!
Me too! Dozens oh how to videos, but none in the middle of the run!
Agreed! Subscribed!
Gosh...THANKS For The THOROUGH Video! Finally, someone who gives a sense-able, easy to understand, detailed video for anyone to gain the confidence to know they're doing the project correctly.
Thanks
I literally spent 2 hours or more trying to find answers about the ground wire when doing multiple outlets. No video had a straight forward answer like yours. Thank you
Glad it was helpful
Great, simple, fast, quick, not too much talking, straight to the point!
Thanks. I try. 👍🏻
I learned in 5 minutes what my teacher failed to teach us in a week. You're an incredible teacher!
Thanks so much
Does it matter what brass or silver the incoming wires go into
No, the top and bottom screws are connected so it doesn’t matter which one you use.
Thank you for explaining it in a professional manner. I’ve seen videos where the “instructors” were trying to be funny and we all know that electricity is nothing to play with. Great job.
Thanks so much 😊
I have plenty of DIY electrical experience and worked 20 years as an electrical panel assembler. Watched your video anyway and found it very informative and well articulated. Not a fan of back stabbing switches or outlets, prone to failure. Going to check out your channel and may Subscribe. Thanks for posting.
It's funny how many people say not to back stab. But every home I've owned has done it that way. Whether 50 years old or just 3 years old, these electricians stab the wires.
I've watched several videos today on this topic and this one might be the most clear and comprehensive.
Thanks. I appreciate that.
These kind of videos are very helpful. Basic homeowner fix videos. Thank you.
Hi, As you probably know the UK is different to the USA or Canada, we use brown or red = live, blue or black = negative, and bear = earth ( however we put a green and yellow sheath over the earth) our sockets are also different being bigger. If you are wiring a socket at the end or midway the wiring is the same and both wires go into the same connection ( if you are using a metal back plate this is also wired with a small earth going from the socket to the base making 4 wires in all ( this can be a little difficult to get all 4 wires in 1 connection ) also we work on 240 volts and use different thickness of wires for different uses ( 1.5 mm lighting, 2.5mm power and thicker wire for (heavy use such as showers that use a lot of amps ) showers are not to be connected to any other appliance). I hope this is useful to any of your UK followers
THIS WAS SUCH A HELPFUL TUTORIAL ON HOW TO PROPERLY WIRE AN ELECTRICAL OUTLET. THANK YOU.
YOU ARE WELCOME 🤗
Im a trade student and this is helping me study. Simple and straight forward. Thank you!!
My pleasure
Short but very detail. Straight to the point.
Another wiring guide showed two grounds on a single screw for a metal outlet box. I thought that was odd and came across your video. Thanks for explaining how to pigtail a ground.
Yeah pigtails are needed for ground.
Probably the best video on the net. I wanted to see how to wire the outlet that goes back to the breaker.
Thanks. Glad it was helpful. 👍🏻
I am going to build the best computer desk ever. I am going to wire actual Outlets into it. This video helped a lot, thanks.
That sounds like a great idea.
Thank you for showing us how to do this. I have always wondered, but you made it simple for the rest of us.
Glad it was helpful!
This was perfect. Just wired my first outlet by watching this (yes, I’m 37). Thanks so much!
Me too !
Thank you for the excellent diagrams with easy to fallow directions.
Total life saver.
Thanks 😊
Great - very simple demonstration and explained critical ground connection. Thanks to HandyDadTV 👍👏
Thanks 😊
Here in Canada it seems the boxes are all metal instead of plastic and the ground is connected to it. In a "middle of the run" receptacle, both grounds would be screwed to the box, with one of the bare wire longer to connect to the receptacle.
Thank you. I'm also wiring a camper on my own and didn't know how I was going to attach 2 grounds to the same screw. Thank you for this!
My pleasure
As an extra safety measure I always use electrical tape and go around the outlet and cover the screw terminals. Helps keep the wires in place and cuts the potential for shock or arching.
I agree and do the same thing.
That makes more sense for metal boxes.
Thanks for this tip
Your video saves me a lot for home renovation
Glad it was helpful.
One of THE BEST video beginners. Answered all my questions and pretty easy to follow. Thank you! Subscribed 🙏
Thanks for subscribing! Welcome to the family!
This is the most simply explained video. Thank you very much.
My pleasure. Glad it was helpful.
Thank you! I just bought a new dishwasher that came with an electrical plug. The old one was wired in, of course. I had an end of the run situation. Thanks to your video I was able to confidently install an outlet.
Thanks for the comment! Glad it was helpful.
Done many outlets before and just put the new one in the same as the old. Nice to actually know why things are the way they are now.
Doesn't work that way when you have some weird looking old outlet that has three cables coming into it and you have to make it work with a modern outlet (both same ratings, just different designs apparently, the old design looks like a fire hazard). In my current house, I have seen things that blows my mind and makes me wonder about what happened. All of the outlets are very weird and the wiring doesn't make sense, wrong kind of exterior doors, wrong kind of windows, shoddy repairs, chandeliers everywhere. Whoever lived here before I purchased it was a little odd and not very good with DIY. The weird outlets look to be original (from the 1980s) but there is a mix of old and new outlets, old and new light switches, different design switches, and even a dimmer switch in a place that makes little sense. Chaos. Slowly getting everything to the way it should be. Probably going to gut all the wiring and redo it just to be safe.
That was very simple and your instructions were clear, thank you
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Nice video, but I have some comments: first, never use the back stab holes on the back of the receptacle it makes for a weak connection, use the screws. Second, wires can be removed from push in connectors, you have to twist the connector back and forth as you pull on the wire or get the Wago lever type. Third, on middle of the run outlets it is preferred to use the pigtails on all 3 wires as long as you have room in the box. The downstream outlets then will be independent of this one.
Thanks for the tips
Thank you! This video is exactly what I was looking for very simple explanation and to the point.
Glad it was helpful
While not against code, the recommended way to connect the "middle" receptacle neutral (white) and hot/line (black) is to also use pigtails & wire nuts or Wagos for each. It is typically advisable to not use the outlet as the passthrough connection by connecting both sets of screws as the passthrough junction. Again, it is allowed, but not advisable.
I’ve heard this many times in comments, but I’ve yet to own a home wired that way, and my current home is only 3 years old.
@@handydadtv Probably because it is faster and therefore cheaper. ;)
Explained everything very well and great video quality.
Detailed, concise, and to the point. Thanks man, this was a huge help.
Glad it helped you!
I enjoy your style of explaining. Non intimidating. Subscribed
Thanks! 😊🙌🏻💯
Thanks for making a video like this, very useful... I just added an extra outlet in my bedroom thanks to you guys.👍👍👍
Awesome! Thanks.
I noticed in your diagram that the hot wires went to the top screws and the out going power wires were connected on the bottom and went down line to the second outlet but that outlet had the hot wires go to the bottom instead of the top like the first one. Can you explain why? I know gfci have a LINE (hot) and a LOAD (down stream) and was wondering if an outlet that has (hot) wires connected to the bottom was a problem? Or was it just because it was the end of the line that the process changed?
Yes, GFCI outlets have specific screws for line and load, but not normal outlets. There is no difference between the top or bottom screws because there is a shunt between them. Remove the shunt and the two outlets are electrically disconnected.
Damn you explained this perfectly. I appreciate the drawings… thank you sir.
My pleasure
Awesome video!! Easy to follow this guy's instructions.
Thanks 😊
Short and informative!
Perfect!
Glad you liked it
You've got the best video I've seen. Best diagrams as well. Thanks!
Awesome. Simple, precise and no bs. Thank you thank you thank you.
Thanks 😊
This is what I was talking about in the other video. ;) This is easier to understand. I want to add an outlet to my toilet room so I can use my bidet and I want to connect to the outlet on the other side of the wall. So I assume the original outlet (on outside of toilet room) will have the W & B wires on the top and then I run the NEW wire from the bottom of that outlet to the new outlet in the toilet room (opposite side of wall). Can I connect to either TOP or BOTTOM of that outlet? Say for example in the future I want add even one more outlet from that new one..would I attach it to top and then run to new from bottom? So basically power in top...power out bottom...last outlet top?
I’m working on a video with this EXACT SITUATION to also install a bidet. Stay tuned.
But to answer your question, it doesn’t matter if you use the top or bottom screws; they are connected together by default.
Finally, a clear explanation. Thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent video, quick, and to the point. Easy to understand, and very helpful. Thank you.
This was the most clear out of all of them, thanks
Thanks so much 😊
Best video about wiring an outlet that ive seen
Thanks so much 😊
Thank you. Used your video while doing a in the middle of the run socket.
Awesome!! Glad it was helpful.
Wow very interesting... Cause, thus far, you are the only one who I have seem wiring a duplex receptacle with two pair terminals, instead of using PIGTAILS...👑👑👑👑
That’s how my dad did it and how I’ve always done it, but the pros have been giving me flack for it.
Hi guys, thanks for all the tips. I am remodeling my kitchen. One outlet, you can flip the switch and the kitchen lights come on. You can also open the back door to the garage and flip the switch there and turn the lights off. Either end you can turn them off or on. I am having a problem with a 2 power switch. So is this possible? To turn on a light over the sink or stove while turning on or off the light over the kitchen? I played with this for a while and thought this won't work........But you know these days UA-cam can provide some crazy real information. Just looking for a next step, again thank you for all your input.
To be clear, I am trying to ad a two button switch that will obviously power two things. So the third wheel is the extra button in the garage that turns the lights on or off.
You’d be better off doing this with smart switches and create a scene in Alexa or Google Home.
CAUTION: While the method at 3:02 is within code, it's better to use pig-tails for all 3 wires (not just the neutral). If there is a fault with the outlet, pig-tail-method will not impact downstream outlets.
Thanks
So basically wire outlets in parallel instead of in series?
Yes always in parallel. Black to black. White to white.
It's a waste of wire. If there is an issue with an outlet, fix it immediately!
I came here to say this. Yes, in a perfect world you would just fix an affected outlet, but it could help with troubleshooting if only one was knocked out instead of the whole circuit!
Great video! Thanks. Just one question the hot wire and the neutral coming out of the same line has to always be opposite of each other? I was changing an outlet and i see that the wires are on an x shape instead of same hot wire opposite of neutral of the same cable. But one hot wire opposite of the other lines neautral and viceversa. Does it matter?
It doesn’t matter because there is a metal bridge between the screws. They’re electrically connected so you don’t need to use the top pair for one cable and the bottom pair for another.
@@handydadtv thank you. Very helpful
Exactly what I was looking for, thank you! Saves a lot of $ on a electricrician
Simple electrical repairs are a good skill for every homeowner.
I wish you explained the difference between wiring the circuits in series vs parallel. In your example won’t the downstream outlets be affected if the middle outlet fails?
Household wiring is always parallel.
If an outlet “fails”, the circuit breaker pops and the whole circuit will be out.
@@handydadtv okay, but if somebody were to place a GFCI in Place of the first receptacle, and wire the downstream wires to the “load” terminals, then it wouldn’t be parallel, right? But in this case since it’s a traditional receptacle, there’s no way to wire it like this?
Parallel means white to white and black to black. Series would be black to white, like stacking batteries to increase voltage.
The load side of the GFCI breaker is still wired in parallel, it’s just the circuit could be broken by the GFCI. That doesn’t happen with normal outlets.
@@handydadtv okay it’s possible I am using the incorrect terminology. I meant to say that with a GFCI, you can wire it two ways (one using a pigtail, makes all the downstream outlets unaffected by the GFCI, the other going through the GFCI before delivering power means the other outlets are dependent on the GFCI). Ignoring the GFCI tripping, let’s say the GFCI receptacle just failed, the outlets downstream wouldn’t receive power if wired that way. So I’m assuming if you make a pigtail to the first receptacle in your video, it will function independently from the downstream outlets, but since you did not make a pigtail but delivered the power through the outlet, does that mean if the receptacle failed all the downstream outlets would lose power? I hope I’m explaining this right.
Forget failing outlets. The only time I saw an outlet fail was when it was overloaded and melted, which caused a short, which popped the breaker.
If you join the wires with a wire nut and a pigtail to the outlet, in theory you can replace the outlet without turning off the circuit. But that’s an extremely dangerous practice for DIY and I don’t recommend it.
In the middle- of- the- run outlet does it matter which white wire goes to a specific chrome screw OR which black wire goes to a specific brass screw.
Correct. It doesn’t matter.
Great video. Question about replacing a middle of the line outlet. I understand the ground code, but does it matter which neutral goes to which screw? Or which hot goes to which screw? Does the source always go on the upper and supply on the lower? I’m not sure that’s the right terminology, but I don’t want to cause myself to have to wire and rewire if I mix up the lines.
It doesn’t matter both screws are bridged by a piece of metal. Just remember: “black on brass to save your ass.”
HandyDadTV Sweet! I’ll never forget that. Thank you.
Finally! Someone that explain wiring in a simple way and with great drawings that even this dummy can understand!
Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
I feel like I am going to learn a lot from your channel!! I totally appreciate this video! It has answered soooo many questions!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
Thank you! Very helpful. I was able to do it myself!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you thank you , you explained that very well I've watched professional videos. And you nailed perfect I understood everything. In laymans terms. the others were like you had to pigtail each wire blah blah blah. So thank you I just had to put three plugs in and inspection tomorrow it will pass
Good luck 👍🏻
Great video broke down very simple to the point
Thanks 😊
You are the MAN!!!! saved me couple of bucks!! $$$$
Awesome
I replaced a GFCI in my Green House a few days ago. Had fun doing it too. :)
Thanks for the clear concise explanation. Helps alot.👍
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thanks for the diagrams! How would you hook up a switched outlet on that circuit?
The same way, the wire just goes to an outlet instead of a light.
Thank you. Tired of waiting for my hubby to get to my honey do list. I'm doing it myself.
Then I’m sure there are other things you do for him that he’ll be doing for himself now.
Super simple and helpful, Thank You!
Thanks
Very clear and concise. Thank you.
This is a perfect how to video, thank you!
Thanks so much 😊
I once saw a circuit with hot and neutral lines dropping from the attic to each outlet as if it was T connected. The result was parallel outlets having 120 VAC at each outlet whether or not we removed any one of the outlets. Not a daisy chain. That means that only one brass screw had a black wire and one silver screw had a white wire. Could happen then the parallel outlets will be hooked up in series resulting in incorrect voltages if hooked up as a daisy chain, even with the connection bar in the outlet
uhmmm? can I just say I hope you are a teacher. because you just made my day. thank you so much. and I just subscribed
Not a teacher. Just a dad.
@@handydadtv *just* a dad? A dad is a life-long teacher. Thanks for the excellent video.
Grounding info was useful.Thanks!
Glad it helped
when you are doing the middle of the run wiring (daisy chaining receptacles) do you need to put the power (source?) at the bottom and the power exiting at the top or does it matter? I assume it doesn't matter. THanks for the video. This was super helpful for my project!
Doesn’t matter.
My first question lol👍🏼
This was very helpful. Short and to the point. Great job!
Thanks so much 😊
Thank you for explaining the pig tail on the ground, was not aware of that that was the proper way to do it.
There are a couple other acceptable ways if doing it as well.
Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for in a video, as a beginner.
Now I just have to get over the fear of grabbing bare wires for the first time (after shutting off the breaker and testing for power with the proper equipment).
It’s good to be fearful so you’ll respect it. Always test first, then touch the wires together with a screwdriver or pliers to make sure the line is dead. Do it enough and you’ll get more comfortable. But always respect it.
@@handydadtv When you say to touch the wires with a screwdriver/pliers, do you mean to see if there's electrical arcing that's visible?
Yes. Just as a precaution to calm your fears.
@@handydadtv Great idea, thanks!
Me too! Even after I test. What has helped me is switching power off to the entire house😆 then testing then I'm ok to touch. Better Safe than sorry!!!
The diagram was very helpful and understandable
Thanks
Thanks
Thank you, saved me a few $100 bucks!
My pleasure
Very nice and simple. I like the drawings
Thanks
Nice on! Especially with regards to the ground pigtail.
Thanks 😊
Great video! I have a finished wall with an outlet that’s the main circuit. That outlet is already wired to other outlets going to the left direction of my finished wall. I need to install one outlet going right of the main circuit outlet and I’m looking to get the power from the main outlet I just mentioned, can I add and screw the new outlet going right on the same screws of the outlets going to the left?
Best practice is to use pigtails to connect multiple wires, and only connect one set of wires to the outlet.
I installed GFI outlets in my basement - I had to ensure the “line” and “load” were attached to the outlet correctly.
When Installing a simple outlet like the ones in this video, do the same rules of the line and load wires apply?
Yes, same rules. Especially about the ground.
Keep in mind, if you are putting a GFCI in the middle of the run, you won’t necessarily use the LOAD terminals unless you definitely want to protect the downstream outlets. It’s perfectly fine to connect all the wires to the LINE side, then nothing else will be protected.
@@handydadtv GFCI receptacles have line and load terminals labeled so that downline receptacles also have GFCI protection. Do not wire through non-GFCI receptacles. Pigtailing all wires is a better practice. Otherwise, a problem with one receptacle causes problems with everything downline.
My middle of the run has 3 white and 3 black wires. Can i use 2 screws plus backstabs for each side of the receptacle?
Yes, but most electricians would pigtail them and connect only one wire of each color to the receptacle.
@@handydadtv thank you!!
Excellent! You answered my curiosity most completely.
Ok good
Very well explained. This was my third or fourth vid trying to figure it out. I didn’t know that the two sets of wires was one coming in and one going out to the next box. But holy crap!! That explains a lot with the short out I had and now hopefully I can get it fixed. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful
Great use of diagram and video. Thank you!!!
My pleasure
thanks that were reinsuring me on my wiring project
Glad it was helpful
Thanks for the straight forward video. U got a new subscriber.
Thanks for subscribing! Welcome to the family!
Great Video! I am installing an attic fan and I have spent hours trying to find a video about wiring it to power. Every video shows connecting the thermostat side and then they just say "and the other side connects to the power" But how? So I believe what I learned from your video (and please tell me if I'm wrong) is that I can run my 12 guage wire from my attic fan to an outlet in my attic (my heater is plugged into one) Basically if I open the outlet box (with the power off) and see a free chrome and brass screw, and a ground - I can connect to those accordingly and my attic fan will have power?
Yes that's how you do it. But verify the breaker size. You can use 14-2 wire if it's a 15-amp breaker. Use 12-2 for a 20-amp breaker.
14 gauge is cheaper and easier to work with.
HandyDadTV I went with 12-2 at the recommendation of the guy at Home Depot for safety reasons. And the breaker that controls that outlet is 20. Thanks again!
Question, when I make a hook on the end of the wires to attach to the screws, do I try to wrap them or do I just do a single loop then tighten?
It’s a matter of preference. You can use needle nose pliers to close a loop around the screw, but it’s not necessary.
Super helpful video thank you.
My pleasure
This was extremely helpful. Thank you
My pleasure
This is such a great video. Would it be possible to do one showing how to add an outlet to the start of a run? It's the bit about wiring into the main box that has me feeling uncertain! Thanks!
I usually add outlets to existing circuits and have videos showing a number of situations. But if you want to add a new circuit, this is the only video time I’ve done that on video ua-cam.com/video/OfdEitiM6u0/v-deo.html
Started doing some work on our house. The wires in my houses are not exactly how your drawing shows.
When we took it apart to get to the outlet however, both incoming and outgoing wires were on the same terminal. Then the black that Isha both incoming and outgoing were both put together as well. The 2 white wires were diagonal of the 2 black wires.
What is the difference?
Thks
The screws on each side of the outlet are connected by default. So it wouldn’t matter if the wires are attached to the top or the bottom.
This was very helpful, thank you!
My pleasure
Did you have a color chart for wires for hot and positive etc etc... because I have cut some wire and there not green black and white .. sometimes there blue and red and striped etc...
I don’t have a chart. Sorry. But line voltage in the US should always be bare/green, black, white and occasionally red.
Most likely used as traveler wires on three way switches.
great video! exactly what i am looking for! everyone else just pigtail everything. why waste time.
I agree with you, but many people criticize this method and prefer pigtails so the the outlet can be removed without disrupting the circuit.
Short, sweet , easy to remember right on.
😊❤️💯
I have a 20amp line feeding my garage outlets. First is GCFI which works fine, next 3 in the line work fine, and then the 4th and all receptacles after that don't work. I've replaced the non-working outlet, still nothing. The last working outlet doesn't have any loose wiring. All of the outlets I've looked at only have 3 wires, so I'm assuming I'm dealing with a parallel system, but I don't understand why the rest of the outlets stopped working.
Garage outlets should be GFCI protected, so you may have a popped GFCI somewhere else in the house, like I found in this video ua-cam.com/video/dbmRETinw0A/v-deo.html
If you can’t figure it out, you can try tracing the wire, like I did here ua-cam.com/video/UAEq-yvjryQ/v-deo.html
Newby question... Does it matter which of the silver screws the white neutral lines go on and which brass screws the black hot wires go on? Thanks!
No, both screws are connected so it doesn't matter which one you use.