How To Install A Floor Outlet In Carpet: Step By Step Process Of Installing A Floor Outlet In Carpet


Step By Step Process Of Installing A Floor Outlet In Carpet

Laying down an electrical outlet, or receptacle, on your floor can offer you numerous advantages. Some of the advantages include its flexibility when placing large, electrically-powered items, eliminating the need for an extension cord, greatly minimizing the chances of people tripping on a cord that runs through the floor, and preventing you from having to look at a power cord running through your floor. You can wire this new outlet into a close outlet, preventing the need to hire an electrician in order to connect the circuit to your home's main electrical box.

Tools & Materials Needed

  • Hole Saw Or Jigsaw Or Reciprocating Saw
  • Drill, Wire Stripper & Screwdriver
  • Drop-In Or Poke-Through Floor Outlet
  • NM Two-Wire Cable
  • Single-Receptacle Or Duplex Receptacle
  • Wire Nut Connectors

Step 1: Cut Through Carpeting & Padding

First of all, you need to cut an opening in the carpeting as well as padding, if in case you have carpeting on the floor, in order to access the wood subfloor. However, before you start it is very important to switch off the circuit breaker panel, which should be done by a professional. Do not try this yourself if you are not familiar with electrical work and are confident in your skills.

Step 2: Cut The Hole In The Floor

Use a power drill when it comes to drilling a hole in the flooring as well as the subfloor. Use a hole saw sized in accordance with the instructions that come with the kit. Some kits may consist of the necessary hole saw. Some floor boxes may need a rectangular floor opening, if so, you need to use a reciprocating saw or jigsaw in order to cut this opening.

Step 3: Run Wiring To The Floor Box

Now, run wiring for a new circuit or circuit extension from the source, which is a circuit breaker panel or an existing outlet on the circuit, to the floor box location. It is important that the cable size is suitable for the amperage of the circuit: 14-gauge for a 15-amp circuit and 12-gauge when it comes to a 20-amp circuit.

Step 4: Pull The NM Cable & Prepare The Connections

Next, pull the two-wire (plus ground) NM cable up along the floor opening. Feed the end of the cable into the underside of the floor box or tube. Strip at least 3/4 inches of insulation from each of the wire conductors, white as well as black wires.

Step 5: Connect The Cable

Now, it is time to secure or attach the NM cable to the wires on the receptacle. Using wire nuts, you need to connect the white wire to neutral, black wire to hot (brass or copper colored screw terminal), and the bare copper ground wire to the green grounding screw on the receptacle.

Step 6: Set The Box In Place

After that, tighten the wire clamp that is taking hold of the cable in the box. Place, fit, or push the box down through the hole in the floor.

Step 7: Secure The Cover Plate & Connect The Cable

Fasten the cover plate to the floor, with the help of the provided mounting screws. Secure or attach the new NM cable to the circuit breaker panel or to the source outlet that is being used to feed the new extension.

Step 8: Power And Test

Finally, you need to switch the power to the circuit back on before testing the new floor outlet for proper operation.
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