How do you wire outlets in a home?

Answer 1

== == By asking this question you probably aren't quite ready to take on this particular task.

Really, don't do this one yourself. Electricity is far too dangerous to handle if you have not been trained how to do this work. If you use the wrong size and type of cable for the job and/or put just one wire in the wrong place, you risk being killed by electrocution or you could even start a house fire.

In many places nowadays it is illegal to attempt to do this kind of work unless you are already a licensed electrician or you have applied-for and have received a Homeowner Electrical Permit or an Installation Permit from your local Safety Authority to cover the work to be done at the location.

Enforcement of code requirements varies by jurisdiction in the United States. In many areas, a homeowner, for example, can perform household wiring for a building which the owner occupies; this may even be complete wiring of a home. A few cities - such as New York, for example - have more restrictive rules and require electrical installations to be done by licensed electricians. The work will be inspected by a designated authority at several stages before permission is obtained to energize the wiring from the local utility; the inspector may be an employee of the state or city, or an employee of an electrical supply utility.

How to do this job depends entirely on the Wiring Codes or Regulations for the locality (Town/County/State) and on the exact location of the electrical equipment you wish to be installed.

A GFCI/RCD is needed if the location is subject to water splashes, water spray, dampness or humidity. That applies to any room supplied with running water pipes, like a kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, shower room, etc., or in a workshop, garage or anywhere outside a building in the open air, such as along an outside wall or a pool-side area.

If you get any other answer here, you might attempt to do something you shouldn't be doing, and that may cost someone a shock, a home fire, or even their life.

For your safety and that of anyone else who may to use the appliance, ask a professional licensed electrician to advise you or to do the work for you.

<><><> IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE VOLTAGE OF THE OUTLETS AND WHERE (IN WHICH ROOM(S)?) YOU ARE ADDING THEM.

IF IN A BEDROOM THE US NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE (NEC) STATES THAT YOU SHALL AT ALL TIMES BE WITHIN 6 FEET OF A OUTLET. US WIRING CODE RULES ARE, IN A NUTSHELL -- UNBROKEN FLOOR LINE OF THE ROOM-- START AT THE DOOR, MEASURE 6 FEET THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST OUTLET -- THEN YOU CAN MEASURE 12 FEET AND THAT WILL BE YOUR NEXT OUTLET -- REPEAT -- THE KEY IS UNBROKEN FLOOR LINE -- SUCH AS DOOR WAYS -- CLOSETS ETC. WHEN YOU BREAK THE FLOOR LINE YOU NEED TO START OVER WITH 6 FEET THEN 12 FEET.... == == == == Someone asked: How many 240V outlets can you have on a 20A circuit in USA? There isn't a simple answer like there is for 120 Volt outlets, because there is an allowance of 180 watts per outlet for 120 Volt convenience outlets.

However, the same rules apply that generate the 120 Volt limits.

A 220 Volt receptacle would be installed specifically to serve particular dedicated equipment.

It is required that a continuous load [operating over 4 hours] be served such that the circuit is not loaded past 80% of its capacity, which would allow a continuous 16 amp load on a 20 amp circuit. If there were 2 loads planned, the combined continuous load could not exceed 16 amps between both devices.

See NEC [NFPA 70, 2005 edition - National Electrical Code (c)] Article 210, sections 210.20, 210.21 and 210.23.

If there were only one utilization equipment to be served, with multiple outlets for convenient connection at various locations, I see no mandatory limit to the number of receptacles allowed on a 20 amp 240 volt circuit!

As always, though, it is up to the "authority having jurisdiction."

Ask your inspector or local code enforcement officer for their interpretation.

You can also write to the NFPA and ask for their position. [Might take some time for an answer though!] <><><> As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed. If you do this work yourself, always turn off the power

at the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND

always use an electrician's test meter having metal-tipped probes

(not a simple proximity voltage indicator)

to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized. IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 2

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 3

NM-B is used. However, you need different sizes of wire, depending on what size of a circuit you're installing. I think you should consult with an electrician in your area. He or she can inform you of all the codes you will have to follow. You most likely will have to have your work INSPECTED before your insurance company will be satisfied.