bathroom outlet
#1
bathroom outlet
OK i need to replace the bathroom outlet since the furnace had gotten its power from it but has now been moved to its own circuit. I have 4 wires going to the outlet. 4 black 4 white. One is the now disconnected furnace wire. The outlet is also very old has it has NO screw terminals all backstab connections. How do I do this. I know that i need to figure out which is the main supply with a volt meter but do I just cut all the wires off the outlet and see what doesn't work afterwards.
#2
Following assumes you have cables.
If your sure which is the disconnected furnace cable and it is disconnected on both ends cut the ends as short as you can and push into the wall.
You can determine the abandoned furnace cable by twisting the black and white together at the furnace then checking for continuity at each cable in the bathroom. Caution: Check each cable for voltage before checking for continuity. Note loads on other cables may show as resistances close to continuity. When you thing you have identified it disconnect the black and white and check it is open.
Now your down to three cables. Check the black and white of each cable. Connect the one that reads 120v to the line side of the GFCI and the others to the load side. However if one of the other cables goes only to a light I would connect it to the line side also. That way you don't loose the light if it trips. You can pigtail or inmost cases there are two places for the wires under each pressure plate.
Tie all grounds together and if a metal box pigtail to box. If no ground mark "No Equipment Ground".
Basically yes. There are usually push holes to release the wires but they can be a PITA to get to work. If anything that doesn't work isn't in the bathroom it needs to be put on a different circuit.
If your sure which is the disconnected furnace cable and it is disconnected on both ends cut the ends as short as you can and push into the wall.
You can determine the abandoned furnace cable by twisting the black and white together at the furnace then checking for continuity at each cable in the bathroom. Caution: Check each cable for voltage before checking for continuity. Note loads on other cables may show as resistances close to continuity. When you thing you have identified it disconnect the black and white and check it is open.
Now your down to three cables. Check the black and white of each cable. Connect the one that reads 120v to the line side of the GFCI and the others to the load side. However if one of the other cables goes only to a light I would connect it to the line side also. That way you don't loose the light if it trips. You can pigtail or inmost cases there are two places for the wires under each pressure plate.
Tie all grounds together and if a metal box pigtail to box. If no ground mark "No Equipment Ground".
do I just cut all the wires off the outlet and see what doesn't work afterwards
Last edited by ray2047; 11-24-10 at 09:57 PM.
#3
OK decided to install 2 outlets instead of one since the box can hold 2. Found out that 2 of the wires in the box 1 goes to a living room outlet the other goes to my bedroom which powers a lightswitch/outlet combo which also goes to a overhead light in my room. So those are the only 2 things that need to be moved but i will let a pro do that.