Installing New Outlets & Switches

Installing New Outlets & Switches

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When a builder plans for a switch or an outlet, they have the luxury to anchor the outlet box to a stud, route the wire as they please and trim the drywall appropriately after the outlet is already in place. Adding a new phone, cable or electrical outlet after the home is complete can be complicated. In the image above, the phone and Internet outlets on the left and the electrical on the right were installed by the builder during construction. The dimmer switch in the center was added when I installed our three pendant lights over the kitchen countertop.

With the right tools, a little patience and possibly some dexterity for attic work, putting in new outlets and switches can actually be fun.

Behind each of the devices shown above is a box. In many homes, the box might be metal, but plastic boxes are now very popular. The one shown at left is made for installing into existing walls rather than mounted to a stud during construction. The trick is to saw a hole into the drywall just large enough for this box to slip into it. Note the plastic tab that looks like a flag lying on the top right of the box. It is just to the

right of the UPC. Once inserted into the hole, tightening the screw causes the tab to pop up behind the wall and form a clamp as the screw is tightened. There is another similar tab on the bottom left of the box. This particular box is designed for two outlets side by side, but they are readily available for one, two three or more outlets at any home improvement store.

One of the most useful tools that I use for installing a new box into the wall are cardboard templates. I made these templates by tracing the plastic outlet box onto a sheet of cardboard. The borders do not have to be perfectly straight, but it is important that the template is not oversized.

Before tracing the template onto the wall with pencil, I have to determine the best location. Location is determined by convenience, but also by aesthetics and access to other resources I may need to complete the job. For instance, in the photo at the top of this article, the placement for the switch was first determined by the convenience of using it for its purpose, then I made certain from stud stage photos that I could easily access the electrical outlets behind the wall without a stud causing an obstruction. If I didn't have stud-stage photos, I would need to rely on a stud finder to help guide me. Aesthetics means making sure that the new outlet lines up with existing outlets unless there is a special reason not to line them up at the same level off the floor or counter.

Another handy tool is this drywall saw. It is designed to pierce the wall like a razor blade, then perform like a traditional saw after the blade penetrates the drywall. I picked this one up at Harbor Freight Tools.

After the hole is cut, the opening is useful to help route Romex, Cable TV wiring or telecom wiring to where it needs to go. Before tapping live electrical,

the electricity should be shut off and new electrical outlets need to be grounded and wired correctly. Otherwise serious damage can be caused including a chance of fire or damage to connected devices.

When the wiring is complete, I work the proper ends through an access hole on the back of the outlet box, then install the box as one of the last steps of the project. Wires need to be properly stripped when connecting to screws or using wire nuts with other wires. For this reason, always make sure to leave enough wire to be easily worked with after the box is set into the wall. At the same time, don't allow for too much wire. The access may be difficult or impossible to bend back into the box after the connections are complete.

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