How to cover exposed wires outside. Wires that are exposed outside of a house are not only vulnerable to weather damage and animal damage, they also present a potential electrical hazard.
In most building codes, exposed wires must be covered or you will be fined.
A conduit, ideal for this sort of situation, covers an exposed wire from the point of attachment inside your home to the point where it attaches to an outside device.
When covered, these wires present less of a disposal hazard, with the added benefit that they can last years longer before needing replacement most likely due to wear and tear as opposed to any form of damage.
How to cover exposed wires outside
Just use pipe straps that you can attach to either brick walls or siding. It works just as well either way. Attach a pipe strap over the conduit to the wall every 6 feet, using screws to secure it properly.
Disconnect the Electrical Circuit
First, turn off the power to the electrical circuit you will be working on.
Next, be careful not to crack or break this trim, because you’ll need to put it back on later when you’re done with the project.
Removing these baseboards is crucial as baseboards add structural and aesthetic value to your home.
Finally, you’ll reduce the risk of electric shock or injury while doing your part in protecting your family and other people who visit your home.
Check the Drywall near the Floor
Check the drywall near the floor. To run cables along the bottom of a wall, you need about a half-inch of space between the floor and the wall.
If the drywall extends to within that half-inch zone, you’ll have enough room for running wire beneath it into another room.
If not, you’ll have to cut out a portion of the baseboard and create a small channel in order to accommodate both wires beneath it with ample room for them to be anchored tightly against one another as you reinstall them later on.
Remove the Cover from the Receptacle
Put on a pair of goggles. Remove the cover plate from the receptacle and pull the outlet from the electrical box.
Make sure that there is no knockout in the wall where you want to put your new outlet meaning it should look exactly like this: E).
if not you can use a hammer and screwdriver to remove it. Cut a small notch at the base of the drywall so that the cables can be pushed through.
Prepare the area for the new Electrical Box
Remember to use a tape measure as it will come in handy in the long run. Mark out the dimensions of the electrical box and then start cutting according to those dimensions.
It is extremely important that you ensure the measurements are accurate because if they’re not exactly right, your new outlet could look like something out of an architecture class on a building project gone wrong.
Once your electrical box is correctly located on the wall it needs to be mounted using its own screws but make sure you read carefully any instructions which came with it beforehand because sometimes manufacturers don’t always provide the same screws for your model or indeed any at all.
The Wire should be Connected
Connect your wire to any unused power supply terminals on the source outlet. Take care not to attach them anywhere that they might accidentally cut into or mix with any existing power supply wires, if applicable.
Use a “pigtail” to combine your supply and new wire by detaching the power supply line from the existing outlet and attaching a new short wire to the terminal spots where the lines used to be attached.
If you don’t have such an unused space, use a plastic connector to connect your wire and your existing wire together when a pigtail is not possible.
Connect the Wires to the new Receptacle
The new gang box/outlet box can be attached to a wall or ceiling with the appropriate fasteners and mounting hardware.
However, before you decide where the new box and panel need to go, make sure that there is plenty of room behind the electrical cover plates on the existing receptacles and switches.
If not enough space exists behind these wiring devices, somebody may need to switch off their lights for a few hours so that a licensed electrician can remove them temporarily for access to begin installing a new one in its place.
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