Adding an outdoor outlet?

On the side of my house (about 10' up on the wall) I've got a floodlight. I'd like to cut into that and use it as a source for an outlet. My questions are:

1). If I don't plan on using the outlet to pull a lot of power, will this be safe?

2). Can I simply run this through solid conduit outside the wall (rather than having to cut a hole in the wall and fishing wires)?

3). How do I affix the conduit and box to the wall (it's stucco)?

4). Does this have to be a GFCI outlet?

Is this a bad idea altogether?

You insight is greatly appreciated!

 

1. Probably. Depends on how you quantify "not a lot".

2. Yes.

3. I'll leave this for somebody with more experience with stucco.

4. It has to be GFCI protected. This could be done with a GFCI receptacle, a GFCI receptacle upstream, or a GFCI breaker. You'll probably just use a GFCI receptacle.

5. Bad idea? Don't know. Answer some of my questions:

A. How is the floodlight currently controlled -- wall switch? motion? photo sensor? combination of the above?

B. Do you want to have the receptacle in addition to the floodlight, or instead of it?

C. What exactly are you going to plug into this receptacle?

 

Thanks for the reply, sure do appreciate it.

The floodlight is a motion light that is also controlled by a switch. That is, unless the switch inside the housei is switched "on" there's no power to it.

I'd like to have the receptacle in addition to the motion light.

I plan to use it to run a drill, a "boombox", other little stuff like that.

Thanks for your help, greatly appreciated!

 

So is it okay if you have to turn on the switch before the receptacle works?

The next step is to shut off the breaker and pull the switch out of the switch box, without disconnecting anything. You will probably see one black wire and one white wire, two black wires and two white wires, or more than two of each color. Or maybe something else (e.g., like some red wires). Which is it?

 

It's okay with me if I have to flip the switch for power to run to it. As to what wires are in there, I'll have get back to you on that.

Thanks a bunch.

 

Is there any reason why you have arrived at what appears to be a complicated project? Most electricians would simply drill a hole thru the exterior finish into the basement at an elevation that would be the approximate center of the floor-joists, mount a surface W-P box, and either "tap" off an existing outlet-box or route the cable to the Service-panel.

You certainly may have structural conditions that would preclude such a solution.If so, please let us know.

 

Ummm... because I'm a stooge and didn't think of that?

Thanks!