So let's go ahead and get some of you knowing what you're doing by starting out with a simple electrical project, installing an outlet.
Outlet Installation
What you'll need:
Outlet
Outlet cover
Razor blade
Wire stripper
Phillips screwdriver
Flat head screwdriver
Capability to grow facial hair
Step 1: Shut off the breaker
While it is possible to complete this installation with the power on without receiving a shock, I'm going to assume you suck too much to pull this off, so let's just shut off the power to the circuit at the breaker. The breakers are located in the big grey circuit breaker box somewhere in your place. It should look like this:
Go find it, I'll wait
Once you've found the circuit breaker shut down the breaker that corresponds to the circuit you're on. If your breaker box is correctly labeled this should be easy, but I'm going to assume your place sucks and you'll need to test breakers. First make sure you shut down anything that can't take a sudden loss of power (computers, life support systems, etc.). Next I'll assume you don't have any sort of voltmeter so here's a trick I like to use to find the right breaker without running back and forth: plug a radio into the same circuit as the plug you're working on and turn it up so you can hear it from where the breaker box is. Now flip the breakers one by one, and when the radio shuts off you know you've found the right breaker.
Step 2: Strip the wire
I'm going to skip running wire and installing the electrical box for the outlet (possibly for a later post if I feel like it) and just assume you have a hole in the wall with a box inside and one to two wires sticking out (electric wires, if you can't tell them from coax, phone, Ethernet, etc. I'm too frustrated with you to explain it). This electrical box will at very least have a wire coming from power, and possibly have a wire going to the next receptacle in the circuit. For each wire strip away the outer insulation about 6 inches (enough to maneuver each wire to fit to both sides of the outlet, use your judgment). I find it's easiest to do this with a razor blade knife. Cut along the wire from the end of your strip to the end of the wire being careful not to nick the inside wire insulation. Peel the outer insulation back and cut it off. Next strip each of the inside wires to expose about 3/4" to 1" of copper wire. Use the wire stripper and put the wire in the right slot for the size of the wire (for indoor wire usually 12 AWG, don't get too worked up about it), squeeze, twist to make sure the insulation is cut and pull the insulation off the end. Repeat for all wires with insulation (the ground may or may not be insulated, whatever).
Personal Aside: I once worked with a kid who couldn't strip the wire without finding the right slot. I suppressed my justifiable rage and did it without the slot on the actual cutting part by figuring out how deep to go by feel. I then informed the kid how much he sucked and conjectured that his sexuality may be one that is not in line with the views of Christianity or the Republican Party. Don't be like him, fucking get the shit done.
When you're done it should look like this:
Your wire may be gray on the outside or whatever.
The ground also will probably not be insulated and you may
have solid core instead of stranded. Get the fuck over it and
focus on important things.
Step 3: Connect to the outlet
OK the outlet looks something like this:
Outlet
Here's a diagram for the outlet:
Bam
That should be enough, on to the next step.
Step 4: Mount the, what? The diagram wasn't enough? Fucking hell, you people are hopeless.
OK, first take the ground wires and attach both to the green ground screw. Bend the end of the wire into a half circle so it resembles a hook. If this is the last receptacle in the circuit then there will be one ground wire, otherwise there will be two. Hook all these wires over the green screw and tighten by turning the screw clockwise. Next take one of the white (neutral) wires and slide it under one of the copper plates with a silver screw, tighten and repeat for the other wire if necessary. Do the same with the black (hot) wire(s) but with the bronze screws. It is good practice for wires coming from the same bundle to go into the same side of the outlet (top/bottom), although this doesn't matter for a circuit like this that is in parallel (look it up) it would matter for more complex circuits.
Note: Depending on the brand or age of the outlet the wires may attach differently. Just don't be fucking stupid and figure out how to attach your wires and make sure you attach them to the right points and you'll be fine.
Step 4: Mount the outlet
Fold the wires neatly into the back of the box so the screws on the outlets will match up with the screw holes in the top and bottom of the electrical box. It has now become common practice (after much debate over the subject) for the ground to be on top (the opposite of the way it is pictured above) so twist the outlet so the ground faces up. Tighten the screws into the electrical box.
Step 5: Cover the outlet
Line up the outlet cover with the outlet and screw the middle screw in until the cover is snug on the outlet. Make sure not to torque down too much or the fucker will snap, and they snap really easily, trust me.
Step 6: Reset the breaker
Go back to the circuit breaker box and flip the breaker you turned off back on. If the breaker doesn't make a popping sound and you don't smell smoke, you are in good shape. If you have a fancy pants voltmeter use it to test the outlet. The smaller straight slot (hot) should read 120 V AC against both the long strait slot (neutral) and round slot (ground). If you don't have a voltmeter, just plug something in, if it works then you did it right (just make sure it's something you can stand breaking).
Congratulations! You did one of the simplest things done by an electrician. Good for you? Now you're ready to move on to more complicated electrical projects. If there's something electrical I don't know how to do (unlikely) I like to start here.
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