Electrical advice needed

[J. Grouchy]

I am wary of doing any electrical work, but I need an outlet in my attic and would like some advice on whether the existing setup will support adding an outlet in a blank that is currently in my attic.

The setup is this:

Just inside the opening to the attic is the light switch


which powers this light


and the cord running from the left side of the light in the photo runs directly to this box


You see three wires in the bottom of the photo, but one is not connected to the box...it just runs behind it.

My question is, can I install an outlet in this blank box?  I'd like to not have to hire this out, but if it's more involved than just adding to this existing box I don't want to do it myself.

[jameselgringo]

definitely. looks like juice is running from that box to the light fixture then to the switch. uncover the plain cover box snap a pic and we'll see what the next step is. (kill the breaker to that circuit first if you are overly worried about getting a little shocked.)

[J. Grouchy]

I didn't kill power, so here is the inside without ALL the wiring pulled out.



Looks like four of each (white and black) tied in together.

[denise]

Grouchy, if you aren't sure of how to do this electrifying job, then find a licensed electrician. If you don't you may end up a fried grouchy. Ask your friends who they have used in this area.

[BIER]

They are using the box as a junction.  I don't know the code on how many wires are allowed but it would simply be connecting an outlet via another wire (black/white/ground)....which I would do in another box.

[J. Grouchy]

They are using the box as a junction.  I don't know the code on how many wires are allowed but it would simply be connecting an outlet via another wire (black/white/ground)....which I would do in another box.

So basically I could NOT use any of those wires from inside the j-box? 

[BIER]

Not an electrician but....

Assuming there is enough room in the box you could hook up the new outlet to these wires but would need short sections (4-6") of black/white/copper.  One end of the black/white/copper connected to the outlet and the other end inserted into the red wire nuts for the black/white and the copper connected to the other bare copper ground wires.

[bbmc]

Unless you know what those wires go to I would not recommend using them for an outlet. You could very easily over amp the circuit.  Even if the circuit does have some room I would not use that box for an outlet, but would throw another single gang box in as troubleshooting a junction behind an outlet would be a bit of a PITA.

More importantly: If you aren't comfortable around electricity CALL AN ELECTRICIAN.

[J. Grouchy]

More importantly: If you aren't comfortable around electricity CALL AN ELECTRICIAN.

...which is why I posted this thread.

I am wary of doing any electrical work, but I need an outlet in my attic and would like some advice on whether the existing setup will support adding an outlet in a blank that is currently in my attic.

 I'd like to not have to hire this out, but if it's more involved than just adding to this existing box I don't want to do it myself.

[bbmc]

More importantly: If you aren't comfortable around electricity CALL AN ELECTRICIAN.

...which is why I posted this thread.

I am wary of doing any electrical work, but I need an outlet in my attic and would like some advice on whether the existing setup will support adding an outlet in a blank that is currently in my attic.

 I'd like to not have to hire this out, but if it's more involved than just adding to this existing box I don't want to do it myself.

Which is why I posted my caveat. New installs are almost always more involved than "just adding X to Y".  You should call an electrician. A good one will be able to see possible pitfalls, get the desired result (having an outlet in the attic) efficiently and, more importantly, correctly.

[jameselgringo]

you could put it in the same box.  i'd determine which cables are hot connect those to one side of the outlet and connect the other side back to the twists from with short extensions / pigtails. 

0. if i don't say circuit on, then have the circuit off
1. break out the blacks but only uncover the whites (remove nut but leave together)
2. (circuit on) test which black is hot against all the whites
3. once you know the hot black, label it
4. break apart the whites and (circuit on) test the hot black against the whites to see which one is the circuit
5. connect the hot white and black to the outlet (use the screws not the push in!)
6. cut and strip ends of 4-6 inch pigtails for black and white, cut a ground too
7. screw one end of pigtails into outlet, wrap the outlet screws all the way around a couple/few times with electrical tape
8. twist the other end of the pig tails back into the like colors
9. (or whatever number makes sense to do this) screw on ground to outlet, attach however to ground bundle, just make sure it has good contact, wrap it around or run it through or both
10. push it all in as comfortably as possible screw outlet to box and get an outlet cover on there
11. (circuit on) let there be light!

[jameselgringo]

to test the hot circuit is easiest with a tool with leads like a volt-meter or a cheap voltage tester from the hardware store.  you can also use a plug to a lamp and hold the wires each to one prong, but that's a little dicier if you are worried about electricity but actually not that bad.  technically you could connect any single wire from the twisted unions to the outlet, but it's nice to know what's hot in case any further work needs to be done, and it's very little extra work.

[denise]

I agree the red wires and others if you don't know which goes where then you are in trouble. Call an electricain!

[jameselgringo]

I'd offer to do the work for super cheap or barter, but alas IANALE (I am not a licensed electrician). 

[angryuser]

you could put it in the same box.  i'd determine which cables are hot connect those to one side of the outlet and connect the other side back to the twists from with short extensions / pigtails. 

0. if i don't say circuit on, then have the circuit off
1. break out the blacks but only uncover the whites (remove nut but leave together)
2. (circuit on) test which black is hot against all the whites
3. once you know the hot black, label it
4. break apart the whites and (circuit on) test the hot black against the whites to see which one is the circuit
5. connect the hot white and black to the outlet (use the screws not the push in!)
6. cut and strip ends of 4-6 inch pigtails for black and white, cut a ground too
7. screw one end of pigtails into outlet, wrap the outlet screws all the way around a couple/few times with electrical tape
8. twist the other end of the pig tails back into the like colors
9. (or whatever number makes sense to do this) screw on ground to outlet, attach however to ground bundle, just make sure it has good contact, wrap it around or run it through or both
10. push it all in as comfortably as possible screw outlet to box and get an outlet cover on there
11. (circuit on) let there be light!

Wouldn't you add the black pigtail to the black collective, the white pigtail to the white collective, the ground from the pig tail to the ground collective and then run the other ends of the pigtail to the receptacle? That way, when the receptacle goes, all your crap downstream doesn't go with it. (like Bier said in post 7)

If you don't have room in that box, then all you do is make that "pigtail" longer and run it a foot or so up that beam and put another box there. (like bbmc said shortly after post 7  )

There's nothing hard about this, provided you can strip romex and twist wire nuts. 
(and realize it's likely on a 15 amp light circuit, so you shouldn't ever plug anything that's going to be a heavy draw on it)