Replacing an electrical panel can take 4 to 10 hours for a two-man crew, with the average time being 6 hours and costing between $850 and $2,500. It is essential to have a licensed electrician complete the task in one day, as it can vary depending on the nature and scale of the job.
Installing electrical wiring can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on the circumstances of the project. For example, installing a standard light fixture takes 1-2 hours, while wiring to a new site may take up to a full day. The time needed to install a fixture varies depending on its location, and replacing old wiring or removing old fixtures increases the job length.
In most cases, it will take a licensed electrician around 3-11 days to wire a new house. Installing the wire(s) and device(s) into the outlet box can take from 15 minutes to several days, depending on conditions, distances, current, and other factors. Rewiring can take anywhere from 1 day to 10 years, depending on the accessibility of the wiring, the age of the old wires, the size of the house, and environmental factors.
Typically, replacing an electrical panel is a one-day project, based on a standard installation under normal conditions. In residential homes, it takes between four and eight hours for two electricians to remove the old panel, install the new one, and wire all of the circuits. Commercial homes take about 30 per hour, and the entire process could take over a week to complete.
Finally, appliances such as air conditioning and fans are typically installed within a week.
📹 How To Install Rough In Electricity In A New Construction House – Beginners Guide To Electrical
In this video I will show you how to install rough in electricity in a new construction house. This is how to do wire a new …
How long does it take to install electrical in a house?
The average time required for rewiring a residential property is between three and ten days, with the precise duration dependent on the dimensions and age of the dwelling in question. In the case of older residences, the requisite time frame may extend to a minimum of seven days. It is advisable to engage the services of a licensed electrician for the rewiring of a complete dwelling, given the inherent risks associated with the handling of wiring and electrical components.
How long should it take an electrician to install an outlet?
The replacement of an existing electrical outlet can be accomplished in less than 30 minutes.
How long does upgrading to 200-amp service take?
An electrician will collaborate with the relevant utility provider to facilitate the installation of the service and meter base, oversee the requisite inspections, and undertake the necessary disconnections and reconnections of the supply. The process is typically completed within a single day. BC Hydro will temporarily disconnect the electricity supply for approximately half a day to facilitate a 200-amp panel upgrade. This necessitates a power shutdown in the morning to accommodate the electrician’s work.
How much labor cost to install an electrical outlet?
The cost of installing an electrical outlet varies depending on the number of outlets needed in a home. On average, homeowners spend between $75 and $485 for the installation of an outlet. The cost per outlet varies between $100 to $450. The cost of installing an outlet varies depending on factors like the type of outlet and project size. However, the added convenience and safety benefits may justify the cost. The price tag for common electrical outlet types is product costs only, not including labor costs.
How much does it cost to wire a 2000 square foot house?
House wiring costs can be influenced by factors such as the size of the home, which typically costs between $3 and $6 per square foot of the floor plan. This includes installing electrical outlets and light fixtures, so if you don’t need to replace these items, you’ll likely pay less. To estimate the cost, multiply the square footage of your home by these per-square-foot prices, but don’t rely on any price until you get a quote from an electrician.
How much is labor to replace an electrical panel?
The average cost of updating or replacing an electrical panel varies depending on the panel size and the complexity of the installation. The cost can range from $250 to $450, with installation and labor costs being separate. Smart electrical panel upgrades, which can cost between $2, 000 and over $5, 000, offer lower energy costs, increased efficiency, automatic switching between energy sources, and remote viewing and management of electricity usage. These panels can also be used for energy transition technologies like microgrids, solar panels, battery storage, and bidirectional-capable EV chargers.
How long does it take to wire a 3,000 sq ft house?
Wiring a house typically takes 1 to 3+ weeks for a new home, but larger or more features may take several months. Contractors typically plan for 1 to 2+ hours per connection, with crew and home size affecting total wiring time. Wiring can last 50 to 70+ years if installed correctly in ideal conditions. If the wires’ protective sheathing breaks down faster than the wire itself, it’s recommended to replace it.
How many hours does it take to replace an electrical panel?
The replacement process for electrical panel replacement typically takes four to eight hours, depending on factors like the contractor and the panel box being upgraded. It is essential to speak with your chosen electrician to determine the duration of power outage, allowing time to shut down electrical components and prevent damage. Before hiring an electrician, ensure they meet minimum standard requirements, such as having a license in most locations and having completed the necessary training, including the National Electric Code.
In some states, like Pennsylvania, the state issues a license for electricians, while in others, like Idaho, local municipalities issue their own licensing. Licensed electricians have successfully completed the necessary training to safely work on electrical components in your area.
How long does it take to install a plug socket?
The installation of a new plug socket typically requires between one and two hours, with the time required for the task increasing if extensive wiring is necessary or if the room has not yet been wired, resulting in a longer installation period.
How long does a full house rewire take?
The typical timeframe for rewiring a house is 5-10 days, given the extensive nature of the project and the varying durations of the work, which may not include any finishing decoration works. As a result, it is challenging to provide exact timescales.
📹 Correcting 3 Mistakes On A 240V Outlet Install
Have learned a thing or 2 over the 5 years on YouTube after publishing 300+ videos and wanted to share the lessons learned on …
Have you heard of this 6-12 rule? See timestamps below… Intro: 00:00 Switch Height: 01:09 Switch Location: 02:05 Saddle Box Installation For Ceiling Fan: 02:38 Installing Outlets Using The 6-12 Rule: 06:30 Outlet Box Height: 09:28 Outlet Box Installation: 10:06 How To Drill Holes For Electrical Wires: 10:20 How To Use A Right Angled Drill: 11:13 How To Use Wire Staples: 13:09 2 Wire VS 3 Wire Explained: 13:45 How To Jump Power From A Switch To A Receptacle: 14:14 How To Pull Wire Thought A Corner With Ease: 14:55 How To Tie Together Wires For Outlets In A Series: 15:33 How To Make A Home Run To A Panel Box: 17:56 Break Down Of The Room Wiring: 19:27
I followed your articles after my contractor building my house bailed on me. Installed all of my own electrical and passed my inspection on the first try, from wiring my meter base to my breaker box. I’m 23 and started building my house right after turning 22. You saved me thousands and taught my a great skill to have! Thanks man, will be continuing to follow you and watch your articles! Never been more proud of myself for this achievement!
Great article. These comments I am making is just to help people not in a demeaning way. Drywall hangers like the switch boxes 4 ft middle of the box and all the wires jackets stripped and all the wires pushed way back in the box (bottom of hammer handle) so their router does not cut the wires. If that does happen you need to have slack (extra) wire to be able to pull out. My electrician lays out wall box heights utilizing a story pole time saver. A bit of wire slack is nice to leave with in the 6inch first staple just in case. They have green wire nuts with a hole on the top of the nut so the ground can stick out maybe a time saver vs the copper sleeve you used. I am also not an electrician.
New sub here. When I was young I worked as an electrician’s apprentice with my family’s business in Boston. I can’t tell you how many times I got zapped. I was told that maybe being in the family business was not for me. I thought about being a plumber but I would have drowned. I decided to find a career that didn’t require using my brain. I became a cop for 37 years 😂
Dude I don’t subscribe easily at all, and you deserve it. Takes balls to do this kinds of articles specially with so many pros outhere hating on you for showing the little guys that it’s not rocket science and with some research it could be done. I personally appreciate you very much, thank for this article.
I am an electrician. You’re doing more receptacles than you need, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, just adds cost. I copied your example and did it myself. It’s total unbroken wall length around the whole room, so that room gets all the lengths added together and you divide by 12. You only need 5 receptacles for that room. But again, that’s minimum, so your extra 2 is fine. Also, the thing about using 12/2 for the receptacles instead of 14/2 is definitely unnecessary. You did acknowledge that it’s overkill, but that’s an expensive overkill! 14/2 already allows more than enough voltage and amperage for anything you’d plug into a typical receptacle. Hope this helps!
Hi Josh! Thank you for making these articles. I am finishing my basement and you have helped tremendously with electrical rough-in. I was hoping to watch the article that follows this one detailing how to finish hooking up the fan/light switch and continued power to the outlets. Have you made that article already? Thanks again!
It’s 4/27/24 now and I started 4/22/24 Went from numerous jobs to a lumberyard for 7 months and then the company I did shirts for in the past heard me talking electrical and said they were getting into it. Took a step out on faith and so far the electrical and construction learning has been so fulfilling and interesting. I remember perusal this article over a year or so ago and now I’m perusal it again saying “wow, I’m actually doing this stuff now, I did that… and that, that makes sense now!” God is good. Go for it, I don’t regret it at all.
It used to be that bedrooms had two circuits. One 15A for lights + ceiling fan One 20A for outlets. The theory being that if something plugged into an outlet tripped the breaker, then the lights still worked so you could safely make it out of a dark room to go reset the breaker. And with the new code requiring Arc Fault CB’s, I’m inclined more than ever to have two circuits because the AF breakers have a reputation of nuisance trips.
Good article. A couple things though… about the wiring and slack. At the receptacle boxes give yourself an extra foot or so loop so it there is ever damage to the wire at or in the box, there will be extra wire to correct it without having to rewrite the circuit. Also, about the wire anchors, most beginners have no idea that wire should be lose, have the ability to move under the anchor and have a little give in the run of the wire. Maybe I missed it, but I don’t think you covered it. The anchor is to keep the wire from getting pinched between the studs and drywall, and any place the wire is tight to stud and pulled too tight when making corners or running he circuit it’s a potential hot spot, a short in the making. Otherwise, a good article.
This is awesome, however, I would suggest using flanged boxes that have a premade gasket for Air Sealing, at the very least on the ones where there is a cable going up to the attic, and using an approved fire rated caulk on the wire holes. I have an old house and am wanting to replace all the metal electrical boxes, and trying to seal them from the attic. Not from the room, you do want the heat to vent out of the box, but not have a path for it to get to the attic and have air pulling from inside the rooms out.
The problem with designing circuits this way is if you lose power in a room, you really lose all power in that room- receptacles and lighting. It is better to separate general use receptacles in a room between 2 different circuits, and have lighting on its own circuit as well. There’s some guys that will wire one circuit power room, I hate when I see it, seems they’re really thinking only of expense vs profit and not utilization. The NEC code is just a MINIMUM of what has to be done, you still have to take into consideration best practices and other factors beyond NEC code compliance.
With tieing in boxes, I like to pigtail and not relay on the outlet to be the connection point as I have had customers complain that they had the whole room outlets out then just the 1 outlet that was bad.. At least if they were pigtailed, it would be only the one outlet that failed instead of the whole room. It’s alittle more work and wirenuts but it think it save alot of time and headaches
Great article Josh! I wired my own garage last year and did it similar to how you did it this room. Two things I did different though. Number one thing was I used a chalk line to mark the studs across the wall where the holes need a drill for the wires. The second thing was I used a old hammer that was 16 inches tall to mark the bottom of the receptacle box so I did not have to measure the height each time. I watched your other electrical articles and they were very insightful. I also subscribed to you a while back. Cheers!
Hey Josh, I just want to say thank you for all of the home reno education and knowledge that you have been sharing with everyone. I’ve learned a lot from your articles and wanted to let you know that what you’re doing is amazing and greatly appreciated! Take care my man and I’ll be perusal. Sincerely, Blair
I’m preparing to wire a new addition I had installed in December and this article was VERY helpful! I understood that a wall >24″ needed a receptacle and there couldn’t be more than 12′ between receptacles, but I didn’t know that there needed to be a box within 6′ of a corner. Thank you SO much for taking the time to educate us on this topic! I really appreciate it!!
I dislike saddle-boxes because they make it easier for drywallers to hit your wire with their rotozip. I only use them if a slider-box won’t fit in the center. You can measure from the edges of the door, inspectors will refer to this as a wall-break. All four walls of a room are viewed as one continuous wall. The next outlet can be 12’ from the previous outlet. I also prefer to fold the ground wires to the bottom-left corner before crimping, because it gives you more wire to work with later. That also keeps the grounds next to the neutral terminals, and away from the hot terminals. Switches can be at a maximum of 48″, for disabled persons and children. They are also best when installed next to doorknobs, when appropriate. Good looking romex though! I like using the same wire de-spooling method as you, except for homeruns. If you really throw it around it’ll look super slick, and it makes you feel like a cowboy.
Just thought I would give some experience as to the distance of the staple. Outside of code requirements for your local municipalities I suggest at the “J” box (WALL OUTLET) leave a 6-8 in. lead below the staple bent in a hooked pattern in the stud wall. This will allow for any wire shortages in the outlet box as time passes you will have 6-8 in. of surplus wire in the wall. because sometimes things don’t work out the way we hope. That little bit of extra wire is not going to break your budget and in the long run may save you a ton of hassle.
You are a great instructor, and I’m sure you would also be a great electrician ( you are already). Just get your license and become an “oficial” electrician. Thank you SOOO much for this tutorial and the links. I’ll try to wire my new cabin referring to this article and following what you do. God bless.
Just came across your panel wiring article and kept perusal some more. I come from minimal industrial electrical experience and I’m starting some home renovations so these are helping me understand home wiring so much more. Keep it up! Looking forward to more articles and will make sure to recommend your articles to anyone I know that needs to learn more about home wiring!!
As an apprentice electrician I don’t think the words how to wire a whole house and beginner should be used in the same sentence. I like perusal your articles. You follow different codes than we follow up here, but your delivery and editing are spectacular… You don’t leave anything out, so assuming you are a journeyman I feel comfortable referring to your articles when something slips my mind. But encouraging a beginner to wire a whole house seems like something every electrician I know would strongly recommend against. Just my two cents. No disrespect 🦄
@5:57 Appreciate the article. Like most of these articles…the devil is in the details. What is the length minimum/maximum of wire for all end points. How much of the insulation must come into the end point. Maximum lights/outlets allowed on 12 or 14, from switches, etc. It’s just good to give that info so viewers are aware there are expectations and limits.
I just wanted to thank you for the detailed article you did on installing a circuit breaker panel box. As a electical student, it really helps to see your class lessons in real life practice. It helps take the nerves out of your first time at attempting the project. I also appreciate how you emphasize neatness in your work. Great quality to pass on especially for those working in construction sites. It is definetely a quality that gets noticed. Thanx so much
In order of viewing: Generally switch boxes are set at four foot to the top to facilitate the installation of sheetrock. Romex should be stripped before stuffing in the box and there are many tools for that purpose?/ No need to measure for horizontal wire runs. Your knee is probably around 18 inches so drill about 4 inches higher, In your case the bottom of your pouch looks right?? Those strippers work better almost anywhere else and are too bulky for a pouch. Install all your home runs in the same dedicated hole by themselves. Trouble shooting in the future will be easier?
Your a good man, I’m currently going to a trade school, due to covid there was a lot of shortages with supplies but thankfully I was able to learn a lot and your articles help me with so many things, I have a produce only background so I’m fortunate To be able to learn my dream at a fast pace and you make it that much better. Thank you sir.
That was a pretty good article, but you used a utility knife on the Romex, that is a big no no. The razor sharp blade can inadvertently strip one of the live wires and when you energize the receptacle you could have a short. If the live wire is casing is cut, then as one of the below commenter noted you will not be able to make adjustments with the wire stretched tight. In the future you should be using a cable ripper. They are less than 10 bucks and faster than your utility knife method anyway and they are designed with a dull short cutter to avoid the issue I mentioned. -MG
For the electricians, how long did it take you guys to get this confident in installing and measuring wire in the field? I’m currently in school for electrical and wondering how long it’ll take to grasp. I know everyone learns at different paces. But what would you consider overcoming that learning curve. Thanks 👍
While I believe your articles are Super informative and you state early on that you are NOT an electrician is important for people to hear. Some of the practices I see are very well done while others are what “licensed electricians” would not do. ( wiring lights and receptacles together being one.) I have seen Fire alarm circuits wired to a receptacle so that the owner can know if the circuit breaker has tripped, since the only other indication would be the light on the detector however it is a best practice to wire them on their own circuit.. Also, it is worthy to note that NM cable MUST be supported within at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4 1/2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.) of every cable entry into enclosures such as outlet boxes, junction boxes, cabinets, or fittings. Additionally, All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20- ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas, or similar rooms.
You got to love those non Professionals trying to do a tutorial. Electricians will never cut a rough in wire that short because you will need the cut off for make up in the box. So because when you made up the gnd wire, crimp sleeved it and cut the extra wire short. the inspector can call you on the infraction as the grd wire cut now does meet the 6″ free conductor in the box rule. I have seen this a lot. The wire should have been folded top to bottom and up is where the crimp sleeve should bee giving each conductor 7 ” of free conductor 300.14 is the code Free conductor in an outlet boxes Junction box or switch box. This rule does comply when wiring is spliced together each wire must be 6″ minimum and no less. This is one of the most violated rules
So just bought a house ..built in the 50s…15amp outlet has ext cord connected inside garage other end thru the wall for the dryer…smh…i know….i want to have dryer to have its own outlet inside the dryer room..found out that outlet is a 15amp and breaker is 20amp..traced it..it branched to the dishwasher.. question is..when i create a new outlet for the dryer room via current outlet in garage…do i use 14 or 12 or 13 gauge? Thanks much…im changing drywall and insulation in the garage.
Their is such thing as romex spinners that you throw those hand wound rolls. Not an electrical code but it is common courtesy that power in aka hr should be the only one in the first hole closest to the stud. When you ran the power from the switch box to the outlet you could’ve came from the bottom of the box. Coming from commercial doing we always pigtailed our outlets. When drilling holes thru the stud up top of you use a 3/4 hole you can have two romex in them. Your switch box is in violation no more then two wires per hole entering the box.
These blue gang boxes with the nails. I find that with people plugging and unplugging the outlets over time the nails begin to wiggle their way out or start to bend and the box starts to loosen. Would you recommend replacing the nails with framing screws? You have any experience with this? I hear drywall screws are too brittle. I have seen some outlet boxes with what they call Nail screws (screws that you can hammer in) already attached. but they are super duper hard to find!
I found that the ridge on the side of the blue plastic receptacle boxes, give you less than a half inch exposed when slid against a stud. More like a quarter inch. I realize that there’s a tapered edge on the sides of most drywall, but you usually cut holes in the 1/2 inch section of drywall. Is there a reason for the ridge to make your box slightly sunk back instead of being flush with the drywall?
While it’s not specified by Code (to my knowledge), I always *ALWAYS* run the incoming hot/supply wire – and ONLY that wire – to the first upper opening against the stud; any outgoing hot/supply wire goes through the the first opening on the bottom of the box. Switched legs go in order from there, matching the positions of the controlling switches. A small detail, to be sure, but I can look at ANY box I’ve ever wired and instantly know exactly which wire goes to what. “Oooh, a two-gang box near the kitchen sink – two wires going up, two wires going down.” The top wire against the stud is the hot/supply line; the other top wire is the switched leg for the light over the sink; the bottom wire against the stud goes to the outlet for the dishwasher; the other bottom wire is the switched leg for the garbage disposal. Even years later And while Code does specify six inches of lead beyond the finished surface, that’s a minimum and I always aim for eight or nine; most lineman pliers are either 9″ or 9.5″ long, making a handy guide for where to snip the leads. Unless you’re using a shallow box (or have too many circuits in the first place), there’s plenty of room inside the box for the extra length. Not to mention that (seemingly) a million things can go wrong down the line which result in those wires getting shortened – if you ever need to work on a box that someone else worked on (particularly if they barely left six inches in the first place), you’ll thank me for it! The actual Code is that every section of wall at least two feet in width needs an outlet, and that no point along a wall can be more than six feet from an outlet – mainly to avoid people needing to use extension cords (which are one of the most common causes of electrical fires).
Ive never seen outlet circuits ran off of a light/ceiling fan circuit.what really matters is wire size 14 awg = 15 amp max 12 awg= 20 amp max. Most inspectors will overlook mistakes made on the electrical construction but what causes fire is resistance generating heat from a fuse/breaker amperage being rated higher than what the wire size is rated for and that’s mostly what they look for.switch
NEC Article 210 does not require #12 AWG for bedrooms. Save some money and aggravation fighting that size conductor when you don’t have to. Also, any wall space 2′ or larger in residential homes must have an outlet. Article 210 allows taps/splices of #14 to #12 branch circuits within the device/junction box. This eases the installation of the device. Box fill becomes an issue sometimes when using #12. Guy with no arms or legs just bought wire. Hire a professional.
In my country we install our flushboxes (ALL are single gang btw) with the front flush to stud so drywallers don’t overcut the square sitting proud leaving possible gaps around the switch plate if not cut right (sticking proud be a nightmare for drywall installers too) Flushboxes are never nailed in but screwed from inside so easily removed in future years for extra power outlets. Nailing from outside means zero chance removing them in future. Power circuits are totally separate from lighting circuits and clipping cables on the studs is bad practice and uneccassary as zero chance using existing cable as drawire (or replacing those cables) for adding future cables if needed. The 6-12 rule is hilarious, here we put sockets where people want them, tight in corners, the only limitations are damp areas and amount of outlets on a circuit. Bare copper ground was phased out here in the 70’s and our cable is on drums not coils so rolls off flat with rollers. Interesting see how other countries do it tho 😄😄
I love the article however your 6-12 explanation is a bit confusing. Try this one: NEC 210-52 states the following (abbreviated for easier digestion): Receptacles are needed in every room of a home such that no point on a wall is over 6′ from an outlet. This means that you need an outlet within 6′ of a doorway or fireplace. A long wall, however, may have up to 12′ between outlets. Anyway, thank you for a great article.
Question: I was painting the wood exterior of my house, and received an electric shock (not just static). On the outside, this area is near the AC unit, and on the inside it’s by the fuse box. I called an electrician, and he said not to worry about it. Is he right, or do I have a problem here? Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Great article, btw.
Your 6-12 rule was incorrect, after your initial 6 feet, you can go around corners until you hit less than 12 feet. I usually strip my wire before going in, you can damage the wire by using a box cutter, just get a 14-2/12-2 stripper but everyone does it differently. 6 inches to staple the wire from the box was correct. Most houses use 14-2 for outlets and lights for rooms, The NEC does not specify the number of outlets and lights you can add to a 15-amp circuit, but you can assign about 1.5 amps to the average light or receptacle. 15/1.5 is 10, however, the NEC expects people to only have 80 percent of the rating of the circuit, so about only 8 outlets (80% of 10 is 8). 48 inches to the top of the box is normal for switches, and 18 inches to the top of the box is normal for receptacles (never seen anyone put it in the middle or above the line). 12/2 might be a good idea for rooms, but it is harder to work with, more expensive, and overkill for a room, unless you are adding exercise equipment or a microwave lol. For drilling holes, don’t make your life harder, and just use either 7/8, 3/4, or even 1-inch bit. I am actually trying to become like you and build my own houses. I have been trying to tile a bathroom and it has been taking me weeks to do it, perusal your articles gives me a guide to follow. Also, I have been perusal a lot of your plumbing articles. (Water is so much harder to control than electricity, and I have had many leaks in my project that I had to fix lol)
1. Never put wire over the joist. Always drill unless it’s less than 3 ft of height. This is so you can avoid people stepping on your wire under the installation. 2. The STAK-ON is actually called a Buchanan. 3. to unroll the wire easier put it through a large pipe and hang it between the studs with the wire. 4. Nail the cable 6 to 12 inches away from the box. 5. Leave AT LEAST 6 inches of stripped wire coming out of the box. Better to look at it then for it. 6. 14/2 is plenty large enough for a bedroom. Even for a small fridge or a microwave.
I have never really understood why people love to use there tapes to mark the height of outlets. I are a retired electrical contractor, 50 years, and you would have been fired for doing that. Again, use the rule KISS, all of our vans carried a 3/4″ X 2″ X 44″ wooden stick, and a 18″ tall stick. Mark out all you outlets with a R, single switches with a S, and with two, third and four gang with the necessary Ss. Stand the stick up with box on top and nail away, walla, all switches and outlets exactly the same height and you didn’t waste a trip marking outlets with your tape.
Your loads are supposed to be split across rooms. As such you have a circuit entering a room and covering half the outlets including lights if there are more than one and a second circuit covers the remaining outlets and into half of the next room. You wire this way so if a circuit trips or you have to work on something in the room with the circuit off you still have power and a way to have a light during that time. It’s a safety issue that’s been done this way for a hundred years. Outlet spacing. By nec rules there must be a reachable outlet by a six foot cord. Visualize a floor lamp with a six foot cord. Any wall you place it on must have an outlet within six foot of where you place the lamp. You can place them closer but no further apart. Number of outlets. We normally consider a duplex outlet as having a load of 2 amps. A 20 amp breaker is rated for a continous load of 16 amps. That means a max of 8 duplex outlets per 20 amp breaker. Switches and plugs have to be set to ADA height to be legal. Outlets at 16″ to center and switches to 46″. That’s set for wheelchair reach on both.
Should have measured two feet up from the. then used a square and marked the board. then measured and mark the center of the 2×4 then took speed square again duuuhhhhh. Then a radius finder and made a perfect circle from where the lines intersected, before drilling the hole. if you REALLLLY had O.C.D. lol
No offense but with all the fatal mistakes iv’e seen in electrical works way back 1968 when i started in this trade, DIY electrical for beginners is very dangerous. In electrical works, no mistake, no shortcuts again the mistake you may make can be your last. Get proper training, get enough apprenticeship. Get the professional to do the work.
What are you hammering at 18:13? You’re nowhere near the cable. Driving some framing nails home? Also, I don’t think you have to put an outlet on any wall over 2′ long, I think you just need to count that in your 6/12 measuring. For example, if you have a doorway that is 3′ from a wall, you don’t have to put an outlet on that wall, but the outlet would have to be no more than 3′ along the next wall (6′ from the door measured along the two walls).
Hi Josh! Thank you for making these articles. You have helped me so much! I built an awesome little house and now its electrical time. My question is… can you have the power come from the main box to an outlet and power the room that way instead of having the home run come to the switch box? I hope this makes sense. So it’s your way, just running backwards. Thank you!!
I scanned through the article, FYI you got the switch height correct. you didn’t know why, but the ADA requires switches to be no higher than 48″ and receptacles may not be lower than 15″, (there are exceptions) Also with the cost of material lately. Some parts of the country are not using 20amp for lighting, instead changing to 15amp for lighting circuits with current LED’s and energy efficient fans, you install several rooms on one circuit as you calculate them. Receptacles are calculated at 1.5amps each and you can only put so many on a circuit whether 15 or 20amp. Some states like NM require all receptacles on a 20amp circuit, very hot there and to many add window ac’s, 15amp circuit is a real problem for a 12-15amp AC unit. I really like you refer to check your local codes, as you are right, every city and state makes adjustments. Example: The State of Texas does not allow homeowners to do ANY electrical work on their home, except change light bulbs.
Question did you make a mistake explaining the 6-12 rule? You said there needs to be an outlet within at least 6 foot from a door. Then in your picture the outlets are 2 feet away. If you are saying at least you are saying not any closer than 6 feet. Well 2 is closer than 6. Am I missing something or did you misspeak? 7:26 is the time stamp where you said it. Is there a minimum distance from the corner or can an outlet be right in the corner?
6:30 I thought 6-12 rule meant having one receptacle no more than 6 ft from a door on either side. I never thought a receptacle would go on both sides of a door. I also thought the 6-12 rule was the minimum, not maximum, meaning to have at least one receptacle within 12 feet in a living area. And of course a wall 2 feet or longer gets a receptacle
In Sweden (230/400V AC) its not allowed to do electric installation without a licens. We newer support one room with one fuse. Reason: In case of fuse switch of, the hole room will be dark. We use two (or more) fuses to to two (or more) rooms and distribute them on both rooms. In case of need of quick manual switch of the fuse (in case of life- or property danger), you use the main switch on your fusepanel. Fun and interesting to se other countries standards and way to work.
I have to be a dick and say rafters hold of the roof and joists hold up the ceiling. Seriously though I have a couple of questions. First why did you run 12-3 to the light when it’s a 2 way switch. Is that so you can have a separate switch for the fan and the light? Second, how do you get away with wiring your own projects without a license. I know in Texas with plumbing and I’m pretty sure electrical and hvac are the same you can pull permits and worn on your own residence but anything else requires a license. I know a plumber from Arizona and they had licenses but they weren’t required. Just curious. I’m sort of anti-licensing so it’s nice to see more places that let anyone do the work.
Great article. Have a question. Let’s say there’s now drywall and you’d like to mount a recessed metal box directly next to the panel which will require you to drill thru the stud making room for a clamp a the need to remove a knockout. Do you have any advice on safely doing this? My situation isn’t exactly like yours but similar where my drywall is done and the box is recessed. Thanks
I even watch all the adds. Actually, put down my notes as the ads were playing and shopped Freight Furniture. Lol! I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this article and can’t wait to watch the rest. I plan to YouTube my tiny house build and will reference you once we start the wiring process. Thanks again!
I am in the same boat you are. I can do almost anything on a house. I am a big fan of jigs. It speeds up the process of install and prep install. I just have two boards cut at 18 and 24 inches. This way you just set it on the ground and mark for outlet and punch holes. Another trick my grampa told me was to set your hammer on the ground vertically. The outlet goes in right above the top. Hold your hammer and use the flat side of the head to drive in the nails. Its faster. Another thing to remember is to label your wires at the main box so you know where each string goes out to. Individual room runs are a good practice. One for the fridge, DW, W&D, Disposal and anything that you would want to isolate if repairs are needed. Always wrap 2 rings of electrical tape around the outlets before installing them into the boxes. It protects the connections.
I love your passion and clarity in your articles Josh. You have had me as a subscriber for awhile and I am also in the process of building my house. I would caution everyone here on the crimp sleeves as shown in the article. I did that for the first two rooms before I figured out that’s not the way you’re supposed to use them. There is a special 4 way tool that is supposed to be used instead of crimping with lineman’s pliers. I would check your packaging if you want to avoid problems with a picky inspector.
In europe we got difernet coding 3phase and diferent cables, also we got diferent standardisation (mesure and cables) for instaling whires in house and diferent to industry. Also lately most houses owners demand lights that are instaled in wall not to hang. Outlets standards height is like midle of outlet 30-40cm for rooms also bathroom is difrerent e cet. We use 3 methods of instalation suply cable from power box to distribution boxes, direct cable to the outlets e cet and combined (all for houses) for industry rules are more strict…
Great article! I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on a situation in my home. I just had a new service upgrade to 200amp which also included a new interior panel and circuits. I also had my home completely rewired (I’m doing a gut job on an old home). I have 20 amp circuits with 15 amp outlets. When I run a shop vac and a circular saw at the same time off the same outlet, the saw’s power will drop considerably, almost to the point that you cant use it. I have tried other tools and the same problem occurs. I tested the outlet and I am getting 120 amp of voltage. Could it possibly be a cheap outlet? It also happens on other outlets that have been completely rewired, regardless of 12 or 14g wiring. I asked my electrician to check but he says everything is correct. Is there something specific I can look for or ask him to clarify? I was going to have the circuits changed to 15amp, but dont think that’s the issue. Thanks!
one critique i would say is leave a service loop before entering boxes…. it adds an additional layer of ease of maintenance/ future proof(ish) if you ever have to move the outlet either post electrical inspection or during re-model so it can reduce the odds of running a new home run or new box to box run and save the wire, thus saving money. good educational article
Outlets are to be placed that no point along the wall you are more then 6 foot from an outlet and walls more the 2 foot must have and outlet. This is this is measured linearly the end of the wall means nothing wall breaks are considered anything that goes to the ground fireplaces doors bi-folding doors not corners
Thanks for the article. Im getting ready to wire my workshop and want to do it so the inspector wont have any issues. Ive been told its best to have service loop and also to run only one wire per box knockout. So now im perplexed that by not adding a service loop and using one knockout for two wires is a personal preference and its ok to do?
I love what youre doing and how you clearly explain electrrical. i am an electrician, when you pull wire out of a switch box to a recept. in a bedroom, you want to come out of the bottom of the switch box not the top. also, when you pull your home run, you want that to be the wire to go to the first slot next to the door stud. reason being is, its a good practice to know, or identify which is power when you come back to install devices. and its an uspoken practice within the eledtrical field to do it that way, its like our own language between each wire man, .. so to speak.
First, thanks for your great work on the articles. You really make things clear for us newbies! Wanted to ask about securing MC cable as well as romex as they run above the ceiling joists. Inspector came for the first visit today and let me know that these need to run along and attached to wood (which I’d never heard before). He didn’t say HOW to attach them to the wood or what frequency to attach them, so I’m trying to find what meets or exceeds code where this is concerned. Thanks and keep up the good work!!
Question here. I’m in alberta Canada. I have a question. Do you have to pull a separate wire per every device from rhe panel? Or do we wire them in parallel to keep the same voltage? Most important! Do you just power an entire room like a bedroom one one breaker? Like fans, lights, outlets, ect? Or do we put all of the lights on one circuit all together or per floor ext? And do we need to make splice boxes accessible?
IMO, the biggest thing here is not that you got it perfect in the first place. No, this time you went back and showed us your earlier mistakes, and then you corrected them. You’re learning from your audience and your own personal experience, and making sure that we get to share in that learning experience. That’s what I really appreciate about this website.
You’re going to want to double-check that ground screw you put inside the box, it looked like it was loose and the wire was moving around and you also might want to secure the actual box to the wall a lot better. If you plan on pluging stuff in and out of that outlet all the time you’re going to rip that box off the wall the way it was moving around.
Nice article, I do have a suggestion if you are looking for more strength for repeated plugging/unplugging here. The weak spot in this is the 2 screws that hold in the mud ring. If you use the Hubbell-Raco 696 Masonry Box you can tap in 2 more screws and have every corner held down snug. There are other boxes you can use, but I like the way the metal piece with the screws goes the length(or width) of the box instead of a little tab in the corner. Also I couldn’t tell too well, but it looked as if your drywall was giving way a little when you pulled on the box, so it may be installed with drywall anchors. If you ever have an opportunity to get in and put a stringer between the studs to mount the box to it would make the whole plug rock solid. Overbuilt is better imo. Also want to say, that nothing in this article is bad advice. I am just contributing some ways to make it even stronger.
Great article and good advice but you still have a code violation there. When a cable like yours is pulled into a conduit the cable needs to be considered as a single conductor when it comes to conduit fill. All the information you need is in chapter 9, table 1 and 2 of the NEC. For a single conductor the max fill would be 53% of a 3/4″ EMT. That 6/3 is a whole lot larger than that. Now some inspectors will get this wrong and allow it base on the individual conductor fill but I just wanted to point that out for your viewers so they don’t fail an inspection.
These are the articles that do the most for me. Mistakes recognized and humble presentation is great and it is these types of post that always generate the most useful comments and tips from the crazy amount of knowledge and experience given by all the people generous enough to post in the comments. thanks to all. I use mine for a welder only occasionally but if I had an EV I would swap out for a Hubbell
The Hubbell receptacles are made from bakelite which will never melt whereas all the other brands are just basic plastic which have had instances of getting hot and melting during prolonged EV charging. Also notice that most of the cheaper brands have contacts that are only half the size of the slot in the receptacle. (talk about cost cutting beancounters)
I’m not saying you made a mistake but when you cut the ground wire short to make your pigtail you may have created another violation. The code has requirements for free conductor length. It looked short. No mention of it was made and for future articles I think when giving advice to the diy crowd the little things matter.
Conduit (RMC, IMC or EMT) is an NEC-accepted ground path. No additional grounding wire is needed. The metal box does not need to be grounded separately. However, that presumes that the origin of the conduit itself is properly grounded, which may not be the case where wiring spawns from a hybrid of different types. My house is all conduit and all my receptacles test as correctly grounded. Commercial grade electrical components are expensive, some exceptionally expensive, but will save misery in the long run. Commercial grade standard receptacles are only a dollar or so more, and my regret as a DIYer is not using them. Some cheap ones that get frequent use have now become sticky and will have to be replaced. It is different where they are only used to plug in a lamp that will not change for 10 years.
When grounding a metal box I prefer to cut the ground longer, then wrap the ground around the grounding screw and tightening it down then finally to the device. To avoid slices where ever possible. Because slices “could” become loose. Where non splices cannot. Think about it on your next metal work box install.- from a commercial electrician
Awesome follow-up! Despite how many people “talk the talk” on here and try to badmouth you, I have seen a LOT of “professional” “sparky”s do 90%of their job incorrectly. Ignorance is one thing, especially if you correct it by learning and betterment of yourself. But laziness and stupidity are in no way acceptable. Thanks again for your time sir!
Nope, the Hubble was important and necessary to install but there was no grounding issue. You had a grounded outlet. Good article and I am glad you made it. I am also happy that you got an industrial grade outlet, the cheap oven ones will not do and can burn, they are not built for CONTINUOUS juice, the connectors inside are half the area and not copper. Yet, the ground pigtail, is good you showed and brought it to attention, nonetheless, the copper bar on the side (at 6:18) of the outlet as well as the bronze chip means that is a grounded outlet. Hence, when you connect the ground bare wire to the outlet it link, nexus, ties it into the plate which will then ground the metal box and conduit when you screw the plate to the metal box. In fact, it was more secured before because the ground wire was not interrupted and the WAGO lever nut is always another risk that it can come lose in addition to another connection which is not as tight. I guess what is done is done now since you cut and shortened the bare wire. So, no need, but is good to do for those with cheap outlets which are not the “grounded” type. I love that you mentioned to wiggle and retight the stranded wires, it is a fatal mortal sin not to, especially because they WILL loosen up and will arc or worse, fire up. Is always necessary to revisit and wiggle and torque again. Is a garage and you don’t want 50 amps catching fire underneath the bedrrom while the family sleeps.
Is there a reason you don’t use an unbroken ground? I was taught that best practice was to put an eye in the ground with 2-3 twists and bond to box with screw, leaving a tail to attach to the receptacle. Then connect wires to receptacle and secure to box. Why add 2 extra points of failure and resistance?
From a practical point of view ( semi-trained in electrical work ) since you originally had some slack in the bare gnd wire, what is wrong with making a small hairpin turn to go around one of the metal box GND screws, fasten it to the GND lug of the box and then attach the tail of the bare GND wire to the outlet ? I would think that an un-cut conductor is better than a WAGO splice with less surface contact.. Once connected, then push the wires and outlet back into the metal box with the upgraded face-plate.
The only time the box is not grounded is when you remove the outlet. There is a metal strip that runs from the ground screw to the metal surrounding the outlet. When you screw the outlet to the metal box you then have a ground path. I did 90% of electrical work with pipe and wire, we never pulled a ground wire as the conduit was the ground path.
One correction. You stated to install the conductors with no copper exposed. I believe code now requires a small bit of copper should be exposed to insure you are not possibly clamping on insulation A few mils of wire exposed will not create a short hazard and clamping partially on insulation creates arc/hot spot possibilities.
Great article but….. I noticed that the wall was flexing just with you tightening the cover plate. With the use you described, I think I would have placed a board between the studs to mount the outlet on. In time, you may pull that outlet right off the wall as it looked like dry wall. The use of a good plug and outlet will be tight and hard to pull out.
Can you imagine how many people don’t know about that Hubbell 240V Outlet? I never would have and would have selected maybe the most expensive one at Lowe’s and maybe not. I guess I would have learned about if I had bought an EV, but that ain’t happening soon if ever. There are too many reasons not to to list, but I hope you enjoy yours and have nothing but safe and pleasurable experiences with it. Thanks, Scott.
I’d like to mention for best practices. When reconnecting Used wires UL product steps requires to cut off the end of the previous deformed (used)bent wires and Re-terminate properly (remove proper length of insulation making sure wire is well seated in mechanical connector, torque to products specification) unfortunately that was not done. Great public information though, thank you.
While screwing on cover it was apparent the assembly was rocking to-and-fro while mounted to sheetrock. There is nothing more subpar than a fixture that gives while pushing or pulling at it. I did not see a conduit strap near the box . Planning for electrical fixtures begins well before framing, or during framing. Some 3/4 plywood or 2×12 braced in between those door ways would serve your home well.
my thoughts 1. you need to better secure the box to the wall – it flexed a-lot 2. undo and re tension the terminals – if you had movement on the terminal bolts when you torqued them its ok, but if you did not this could mean that they are over torqued 3. check your ground strap screw it looked loose – this would make a bad connection 4. 4 screws are needed in that face cover – 2 screws might not be strong enuf that is why there are 4 holes, it is always better to err. on the side of caution with hi voltage/amperage 2 phase
Many people don’t realize that not all recepticals are created equal. The least expensive 15A outlets can be purchased for a dollar or you can buy more content with Spec Grade, Commercial or Industrial versions. While visiting a big box store, take time to look at the 3 or more levels of quality and note the difference in their weight. What you cannot see, is the larger contact size in the more expensive outlets. Another consideration is the length of time that the receptical has a Load placed on it. The 14-50 behind the Range is really only seeing Intermittant use, while the EV charge will load that same outlet as a Continuous load, demanding better contruction.
That original install was done by a master electrician who has his own fantastic website. We all make errors but as others have pointed out EMT if properly installed is an acceptable ground Also you could wrap the ground wire around the box screw and then to the receptacle. Great website Keep pushing for Klein combo or Milwaukee ecx drivers especially as torquing is becoming more of a standard and not a suggestion. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
A licensed master electrician did this install, and here you are making some fixes. I get it that hindsight is 20/20, but what hope do we DIY’ers / consumers have to make sure we’re performing work properly if even master electricians cut corners / forget things? Wouldn’t an inspection from the municipal building permit department here have saved you before calling the initial install complete? As an aside, thanks for the content. I’ve been learning a lot from you and Joel!
If the conduit runs all the way back to a nonconcentric KO in your panel or using a bonding bushing EMTs perfectly acceptable as using your GEC, but I would’ve put a green screw in the box and grounded it straight to the device to give it a little bit more of a path than just the yolk and screws holding into the box. Also, I would use compression couplings and fittings, instead of set screw if I was to use EMT as the GEC
I noticed the ground lug will be at the 12 o’clock position. Depending on the configuration of the actual cord, you may have to place that at the 6 o’clock position. I know for a fact that for stove applications it’s code in Canada to have it at the 3 or 9 o’clock placement as it’s near the floor. That’s so there is no stress on the cord pulling down from the top and also providing clearance for the cord “tail” from the floor. Just my two cents.