Our house was built shortly after WWII. We did an extensive remodel in 2016/2017 complete with an oversized gas meter to handle the future install of the whole house generator. The electrical panel was also replaced and enlarged. What wasn’t addressed was the single 15 AMP outlet in the garage. We have so many Christmas lights the extension cord melted outlets. To say this was a fire hazard would be an understatement.

Now, I’m not one for electricity. Framing, trim work, plumbing, sheetrock, shingles, landscaping… pretty much anything that won’t freaking kill you, I’m more than capable of handling. Electricity? Hate it! Won’t touch it!

Until now. Now, I was motivated to conquer my fears.

After spending several evenings scoping things out in the electrical panel, surveying possible routes for the wire, and more than a few trips to Home Depot to review materials and prices, I was feeling confident.

False bravado? Perhaps.

After watching some videos on YouTube, I was definitely chomping at the bit. I mean, the video below made it look so easy.

Eventually, I purchased the following:

• 50’ of 12/3 wire

• 20 AMP breaker*

• 20 AMP outlet

• Post-construction box

• Outlet plate

• 3/4” Wire Staples

* The 20 AMP breaker was a double breaker and 1 pole.

I already have a sheetrock saw for cutting the hole in the wall in preparation for the post-construction box and to fish the wire. I also already owned a wall fish (aka fish tape). I did purchase an extra-long drill bit in case I encountered something a shorter drill bit couldn’t reach. In the end, I didn’t need it so it was returned.

The installation went relatively flawless. Running wire by yourself sucks by the way. You should know that going into a project like this.

Basically, I just did what the video showed for the wiring of the outlet and the work in the panel. For the nitty-gritty detail-oriented people out there, I did the following:

1.     Located my outlet placement in the garage and cut a hole for the post-construction outlet box.

2.     Taped the wire to the fish and shoved it up the wall until I could grab it through the outlet hole I cut in the garage wall.

3.     Once the wire was through the rough outlet hole in the wall, I removed the tape and sent the fish back into the basement, opened up one of the openings on the post-construction box, pulled enough wiring through for the outlet itself, then installed the post-construction outlet box.

4.     I removed the circuit bridge between the two outlets just like they showed in the video then I wired the outlet and installed it into the box. I even put the cover plate on.

5.     Returning to the basement, I used the 3/4” wire staples and placed the wire along the floor joists and replaced any insulation I’d removed.

6.     I then fished the wire over to the panel and cut off the excess length.

Now is about the time I took a few minutes to psyche myself up to play in the panel… because remember… I hate electricity.

7.     I turned off the main breaker and that’s when all hell broke loose.

According to code, when we did the remodel, all of the smoke alarms were hard-wired into the panel. When I turned off the main power supply, every single one of them went off in unison and started screaming, “FIRE,” after each alarm blast. Nothing like a little auditory annoyance when you’re monkeying around in the electrical panel. I’ll have to have someone come and look at that because if we lose power in a storm, I’ll literally have to leave my house due to the incessant alarm.

8.     I quickly removed the 6 screws holding the panel face on and located an empty slot for my double 20 AMP breaker.

9.     Then I shoved the wire into the panel from above just as the electricians had done previously. It was actually very tidy in there.

10.  Recognizing that all of the ground wires went to the left bus bar and the neutral wires went to the right bus bar, I followed suit and wired each of these in place accordingly.

11.  I then installed the ‘red’ hot wire into the 20 AMP breaker followed by the ‘black’ hot wire.

12.  Satisfied that everything was secure, I turned the main power back on.

Ahhhh! Silence!

13.  I checked for any shorting, smoke, and fire and there wasn’t any.

14.  I went to the garage and plugged in my 1500 watt portable space heater and let it run for a few minutes. The breaker didn’t get tripped like it used to do on the 15 AMP line.

15.  I re-installed the panel cover, cleaned up my mess, then went upstairs and had a celebratory beer… reveling in my mastery of electricity!