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Types of electrical wire connections (C) Carson Dunlop AssociatesElectrical Circut Wire Splicing FAQs

Q&A on how to splice, connect, or extend electrical wires

Q&A on how to splice or extend wires as needed when wiring up an electrical receptacle (wall plug or outlet).

This article series explains how to make splices commonly needed when wiring electrical receptacles (wall plugs or outlets) and switches.

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Q&A on Making Electrical Wire Splices When Adding a Receptacle or Switch

These questions & answers about splices and other wire connections in the electrical circuit were posted originally at x - be sure to review the procedures and details given there.

Sketch at page top, courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection and report writing firm [ carsondunlop.com ].

Watch out for fatal shock hazards in the electrical panel - if you're not trained stay out of electrical wiring.

On 2018-07-23 by (mod) - how to eliminate one outlet in a series

Yes.

But watch out: if you're not trained in electrical wiring, if you make a mistake you can burn the place down or shock or kill someone.

On 2018-07-23 by Barry

i have 5 outlets running on one line in the same wall from my bedroom to my kitchen in an older mobile home.

can i eliminate one outlet cap the existing wires together,w/ w, b/b, g/g, and still get power to the other outlets?

On 2018-03-20 by (mod) -

John

What you describe sounds improper and unsafe to me to and probably in violation of national and local electrical codes. The risks include fire and shock or worse.

On 2018-03-20 by John R.

An outlet in newly rented place had four lines coming in. Not enough wire to replace outlet so landlord spliced together to bypass outlet.

Problem: it is 12-2 wire coming in and he spliced together with what appeared to be no more than the size of standard stranded speaker wire.

There is at least 7 outlets, 4 ceiling lights, an outdoor door light and an overhead fan on this circuit.

Plus the fact that when breaker to this outlet is killed it also kills power to outlet I use for lamp in bedroom which was on. This does not seem safe to me and can not imagine it would not be against code, let alone common sense. Am I wrong?

On 2018-03-09 by (mod) -

Brandi

There are some licensed electricians who work on live wire, knowing full well that the smallest, most momentary mistake can mean death by electrocution. I can't advise you to take that risk.

If you are not trained to do electrical wiring safely you can easiliy be killed.

An electrician would probably just turn all power off at the main switch.

On 2018-03-08 by Brandi

I need to extend a wire in order to install light receptacle only problem is we r unable to locate breaker box so the wire is live and I know I need to shut down power

but fact is I can't so moving past that can I add a piece of wire to the live wire with a wing connector without getting bit I knw its a risk but will it for sure arch or most likely not?

On 2017-03-19 by (mod) -

So most-likely, Ruth, someone missed a wire or connection to the receptacle. It's time to start tracing along the circuit, checking all connections.

On 2017-03-19 by Ruth

Demoed a wall & Moved a wall switch to an adjacent wall. Added a two plug outlet to the hook up. The light switch works but the plug outlet does not.

Also see LIGHT SWITCH WIRING DETAILS

On 2017-01-27 by vic friskey

I am currently building a family room in my basement. there is only one outlet which I replaced. I added another outlet to the existing one...

also added two shoplights..the lights and outlets are on separate circuits..I now have 9 120 breakers and 3 240 breakers in my breaker box..there is room for 6 more breakers....

can I add any breakers to this box...to bring more electricity to my family room. I would like to add at least on light bar and two more outlets...

On 2016-06-01 by (mod) -

That sounds right to me. Don't cover over the junction box.

On 2016-05-31 by Mike B

I need to relocate a 220VAC electric oven outlet on the wall behind the oven.

The box needs to be located approx 6" lower where it will line up with a recess in the oven, which makes room for the power cord.

Of course the existing wires are too short so I must extend them. Is it OK to use the original box as a junction box, and connect the wires using solder and twist locks?

On 2016-04-24 by Frank

I'm planning on relocating an outlet I'm not familiar with high voltage systems or even.home wiring just low voltage coaxial wiring.

If someone can help I'd appreciate it the breaker is located directly under the room I'm planning on doing work is it better to.just run a new line straight to that or is it better to splice into the existing outlet what will I need yo expect

I'm sure I can mimic the connections correctly I'm worried about the ground though if anyone can help walk me through what I'd need I'd appreciate it

On 2015-12-03 by (mod) -

Sure

Your electrician will have to re-route the wires.

On 2015-12-03 by sue ring

I had the walls between my kitchen and dining room opened up to half walls and now have a lot of electrical wires showing. Will my electrician be able to do something with these? They have to basically become invisible.

On 2015-11-26 by (mod) -

Interesting question - I don't know what to make of the situation. If you are simply testing for current flow hot to neutral and hot to ground, the hot to ground 120.9 sounds normal.

The 20V to neutral says the neutral circuit is defective. It should be continuous throughout the circuit back to the panel.

Watch out for fatal shock hazards in the electrical panel - if you're not trained stay out of wiring.

That warning made, an electrician would check for a (perhaps not visually obvious) bad neutral connection in the panel; if it were at the SEC wiring then all neutrals would look bad; if it's just one circuit I suspect it's the neutral wiring for that circuit.

On 2015-11-25 by HERMANN

I spliced into a hot wire in my attic, using a junction box, to install a light fixture operated by a pull string. The light does not work. My digital volt meter reads 120.9 volts from the hot to the ground wire, but only 20 volts hot wire to neutral. Did I splice into a GFI circuit???

On 2015-11-07 by (mod) -

John we may be tripping over terminology

14/2 would usually be sold today as 14/2 w/g meaning 14/2 with a ground wire - making a total of three wires in the jacket, a black #14, a white #14, and a bare ground wire - you want all 3.

14/3 as sold today usually means 14/3 w/g, meaning it hasa 3 "hot wires" (black, white, and red) AND a bare copper ground wire. 14/3 would be used when wiring a 3-way switch, a split receptacle, or a multiwire branch circuit .

On 2015-11-07 by John J

I had some wallboard installed and the contractor changed out our wall boxes. I'm sure our original wiring was 14/3 and I think he used 14/2 to slice the wires together.

Can you do this or do you need to use the same 14/3.

Our plug worked fine for a day but now will not work and also another plug it is run to doesn't work now either?

On 2015-08-23 by (mod) -

Rich,

In the electrical box all of the grounding conductors should be bonded together with the circuit grounding conductor.

I use a crimp-on device to pinch the grounds together. In that bunch is another short ground wire that connects that splice to the screw on the metal box.

The reasoning is that we prefer not to rely on the box itself to have to serve as a grounding conductor.



 


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