Hi All,

I need to add an outlet in my bathroom. It would be connected to an outlet on the other side of the wall. These are connected to a GFCI circuit. It's a 20 amp circuit with 15 amp outlets. There are 2 lines that run into the outlet box. Here are my questions.

1. With the 2 lines running into the box, how do I connect a 3rd line?
2. Does the new outlet have to be a certain height off of the ground on the other side?
3. I might not have a 2x4 to connect the box to. How do I address that?
4. What else should I be concerned with?

Thanks for your help.

 

Unless that is another bathroom that would be a code violation.

 

Really? It's the same bathroom. The other side is the toilet with its own door. I don't know if that makes a difference. How would I add an outlet there?

 

Other side of a wall implies another room. You would pigtail* the wires. You would connect all the blacks to one pigtail and all the whites to a second pigtail and connect the pigtails to the existing receptacle.Less than 6'7 is best".You use an old work box.That the boxes aren't back to back (wall wouldn't be deep enough), that the receptacle is GFCI protected, for ease of running the wire both in the same stud bay, the circuit you are extending has a ground wire, and cable is #12,

*Pigtail: A 6"-8" length of wire the same color and gauge as the other wires it is being connected to.

Old work box, ears rotate down for insertion and up to hold it in place.

 

You could also use a Smart box that has screws that secure the box to the side of a stud.

 

Thanks for your help. The outlet is now installed.

 

Thanks for letting us know the outcome.

 

I see that it is a code violation, NEC 210.11(C)(3), to supply other outlets not in the bathroom, but I was wondering more what the theory for this rule is. It seems to me that an outlet is an outlet, no matter where, and further, an outlet in the bathroom could be used for a high amperage draw such as a hair dryer, whereas putting one in an adjoining bedroom might be used for a 60 watt light, so the reason can't be to minimize loads on the circuit.

 

It takes out the guess work on what someone might do in another room. The NEC can't eliminate all ill thought out put actions but it tries as much as it can. Someone could actually plug in a heater in that other room and the person in the bathroom wouldn't know. They would know if the heater was in the bathroom.

 

Thanks. I know it is "bad form" to have circuits with outlets all over the house.