How to Wire Electrical Outlets and Switches by a HomePro

Who is HomePro Solutions & Why Should I Trust Them?

HomePro Solutions Handyman & Remodeling Services (Click here for handyman services in Valparaiso, IN; or you can click here for our home remodeling in Indiana website) has been in the construction industry for over 15 years now. As a 4th generation general contractor, Cole Albaugh has been doing everything from hanging fixtures to building whole houses. We are Northwest Indiana's favorite handyman and remodeling contractor.
In this article, we'd like to show you how to wire electrical switches in DIY style. If you live near us and would rather we do the wiring for you, just call (the number is on our websites, above) and we'll come and help you as soon as possible.

Wiring Basics

Wiring electrical outlets isn't too hard. However, wiring the outlets, properly called electrical receptacles, and wiring switches use many of the same basic techniques and principles. As well as tools! In short, to make long-lasting connections safe and properly connected means preparing the circuit wires that will connect to the device and also securing each wire to the correct terminal.

Tools and Stuff You Will Need

• Electrician's combination tool or wire stripper

Screwdrivers. Both flat and Phillips

Needle-nose pliers

Wire connectors such as wire nuts or push-fit style connectors

Making A Connection

First things first, turn off the line by interrupting the circuit from the breaker box. Flip the fuse to the circuit you are working on. a nasty shock can happen if you do not. Believe me, I learned that at 9 years old. That was the last time I did that. Some lessons really do last a lifetime. Best practices in minor electrical work like this means using the screw terminals, These terminals are typically located on the sides of the receptacle body as shown in the picture after these instructions below.
To make a safe, secure connection using screw terminals:

1. Strip about 3/4 inch of insulation from each circuit wire (the ground wire may not be insulated), using wire strippers.
2. Bend the bare end of the wire into a hook, or "U" shape, using needle-nose
3. Fit the hook of each wire over the appropriate screw terminal so that the end of the wire is on the right side of the screw. The wire insulation should be close to—but not under—the screw; only the bare metal of the wire should contact any part of the screw.
4. Close the hook snugly around the shank of the screw, using needle-nose pliers.
5. Tighten the screw clockwise, using a Phillips screwdriver

. Because the hook is wrapped clockwise around the screw, tightening the screw closes the hook even more. The screw should be very tight, holding the wire firmly below the screw head.

Wiring "Middle-of-the-Run" Outlet Receptacles

Some outlets are in the middle of a string of outlets. There may be some outlets (or even switches!) before and after the outlet you are working on. This is called "Middle of the Run." In this case, there are two ways to wire the outlet receptacle.
First, you can wire the receptacle so the incoming wires connect to one pair of hot and neutral screw terminals on the receptacle, and the outgoing wires connect to the other pair of screw terminals.  In this configuration, all power for the circuit runs through the metal links within the receptacle itself. This makes for relatively easy connections, however if there is a short in the receptacle, the downstream portion of the circuit also goes dead. No current is flowing through the first dead receptacle. Because of this, we usually wire receptacles using the second method, whenever possible.
The second method of wiring middle-of-run receptacles is to connect them to the circuit wires via "pigtails." A pigtail is a short piece of wire that runs from a hot or neutral screw terminal on the receptacle to the circuit wires, which are joined together in the outlet box with a wire connector such as a wire nut. This way there is a path running through the electrical box to the downstream portion of the circuit. We complete the circuit by circumventing the box, the pigtails simply connect to the hot and neutral lines to get electricity to the outlet. Even if the receptacle goes bad somehow, there is still an unbroken circuit pathway leading to outlets and fixtures downstream of the receptacle.

Remember to Maintain Polarity

Polarity keeps electricity flowing in the right direction. It's a safety feature (imagine being an electrician and not knowing which wire to cut!) In a typical household electrical circuit, the black circuit wires (sometimes red, usually in older homes) are the "hot" wires that carry power from the source to the switch or receptacle. The white wires are "neutral" and carry the electricity back to the home's breaker box after it flows through all of the devices or fixtures in the circuit.
To maintain proper polarity when wiring a receptacle, connect the black hot wire to one of the hot bronze-colored terminals. Connect the white neutral wire to one of the neutral silver-colored terminals.
When wiring standard switches, the wires connected to the switch are both hot wires. If neutral wires are present in the electrical box, they are simply joined together with a wire connector, bypassing the switch or else the switch will not be able to allow the circuit to flow through properly.
With all switches and receptacles, connect the circuit's ground wire (bare copper or with green insulation) to the device's ground screw. This prevents you or your child from becoming the ground wire in a bad situation!

If You Are going to Use Stab-In Connectors

Many switches and receptacles have holes in the back of the device's body for making "stab-in" connections. The stripped end of the wire is inserted into the hole, and a spring clip inside the hole holds the wire in place.
High-quality devices have screws that can be tightened down after inserting the wire for a stab-in connection. These devices provide a secure connection and are best to use. Cheap devices often don't have these screws, and the connection relies entirely on the spring tension inside the hole. This is NOT recommended.

If a device has no screws for clamping the stab-in connections, use the standard side screw terminals instead of the stab-in connections.

Wiring Three-Way Switches

Three-way switches control a light fixture or outlet from two different locations such as each end of a hall. These switches have two "traveler" wires and a single "common" wire. The trick to replacing a three-way switch is to mark the common (or "COM") wire on the old switch before removing the wires. The traveler wires don't need to be labeled because either traveler wire can connect to either traveler screw terminal on the switch.
To wire the new switch, connect the labeled common wire to the COM terminal (usually bronze or dark-colored) on the switch. Connect each of the other two wires to one of the light-colored traveler terminals.
This picture shows the common wire wrapped around the traveller wires. be sure to mark it so you know which is which.

Wiring a GFCI Receptacle

A GFCI (ground-fault circuit interruptor) receptacle will have two sets of terminals: one is marked LINE, and one is marked LOAD.
If you want the receptacle to provide GFCI protection to the device(s) downstream of the receptacle, use both the LINE and LOAD terminals, following the manufacturer's wiring diagram.
If you don't need to provide GFCI protection for other devices, or if the receptacle is at the end of the circuit (end-of-run), use only the LINE terminals, following the manufacturer's wiring diagram.  If this receptacle is a middle-of-the run receptacle, use short pigtail wires to link the circuit wires to the LINE terminals on the receptacle.
There you have it. A fairly easy-to-use instruction article for your own DIY wiring. After a little practice, you'll be wiring like a HomePro. Happy trails!