In some homes, the number of electrical outlets in the kitchen is just not enough. If you enjoy cooking and entertaining but have limited access to outlets, you probably find time in the kitchen more frustrating than fun. Chances are you plug one appliance in only to unplug it so you can use another appliance. Obviously, this is time-consuming but also annoying. By installing one or more additional electrical outlets, you would have the ability to keep appliances used most often out on the counter-top and benefit from a more functional kitchen.
Before taking on a project such as this, it would be beneficial to learn some of the basics about electrical wiring. Although more involved electrical projects should be left to the pros, some such as adding an outlet or making minor electrical repairs can be done by the homeowner. The following are the basic tools you would need to make the job easier.
• Wire Pliers – You will find two options one being the flat-jawed pliers and the other needle-nose pliers. With wire pliers, regular pliers are designed with a wire cutter in between the jaws so when wires are being worked with, they could be cut easily and quickly. For better grip, we recommend you go with thick insulated handles.
• Multi-Meter – This meter can show you the electrical current for an outlet, making it a valuable tool but be sure to purchase a meter of quality.
• Electrical Tape – This black tape actually has a UL rating and is designed to create a protective sheath over exposed wiring
• Circuit Tester – For this, the right circuit would be easier to find after being turned off
• Wire Nuts – To connect two or more wires that have had the plastic coating stripped so actually wiring is exposed wire nuts would be used
Now, to add an electrical outlet, you first want to start by understanding your local codes. Outlets run on circuits and every state or city allows a certain number of outlets on the same circuit for safety reasons. Therefore, make sure the current electrical system in your home could handle another kitchen outlet. If not, you would need to hire a professional electrician to update the home’s capacity but if things check out, you could proceed.
Next, you need to determine the origin of power. Obviously, the outlet would need to be added in an area of the kitchen that is going to serve you best but unless it is placed where it would have power you would simply have a hole in the wall with a non-functioning outlet. The goal is to find the location so you could wire the new outlet to an existing outlet or wire it by running electrical wiring up from the basement or down from the attic while it still being in a location that is going to be beneficial to you.
When looking at common mistakes people make when adding an electrical outlet, not knowing where the wires are in the wall is by far the biggest. The last thing you want to do is start cutting into walls. In this case, you could easily cut right through active wires, which means you destroy you wiring source but also create a fire hazard. This is when you would use the circuit finder. By running the finder over the wall, this instrument would detect the electrical source so all the guesswork is taken out of the process.
Just as it is important to use the circuit finder to locate electrical current, the stud finder would help locate wood stalls within the wall. In most cases, the outlet box is attached to a stud, which serves as support so unless you purchase a unique type of outlet box designed to attach to drywall, you would need to find the stud. Although you could use a the drywall type of box, we suggest you use one that attaches to a stud in that it is usually more secure.
Once the outlet box has been created, the wiring would be attached, the outlet box secured with screws to the wall stud or drywall, and the cover put in place. When done, you would have a fully functional outlet to make your time in the kitchen more convenient and productive.
