Wall Outlet Install Help

[bulldog]

I have this existing wire box and am wondering if I can disconnect one white wire and one black wire from here and wire it up to a standard grounded wall outlet (to use as a plug). There also is the ground wire (wire coming out bottom on pic) that I would attach. Any help is appreciated so I don't end up frying anything or myself...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/bulldog420/IMAGE_017.jpgAnyone
http://www.rd.com/images/tfhimport/2004/20041101_Dead_Outlet_page004img003_size2.jpg

[Foolds]

You would want to add another wire not unhook one, Thats a Junction box. Any Idea where that box goes and what Else it powers. What else is on the circuit?

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

You would want to add another wire not unhook one, Thats a Junction box. Any Idea where that box goes and what Else it powers. What else is on the circuit?
+1

You have to be real careful adding current draw by the addition of another set of wires to the new socket. Only ONE of each of those wires is carrying current from the box to the others linked via the wire nuts. By adding another wire to it, you're simply adding to that one wire's burden. CAN it be done? Easy. SHOULD it be done? Hmmmmmmmm.......

Best of luck.

[bulldog]

I have no idea what else is connected to this. I do think the white wire on the right is coming directly from the power box outside, but I can check when I get home. If it was too much for the wire wouldn't it just trigger my circuit breaker? And if it is the case of too many things powered by one circuit how does a power strip work then when you plug it into one outlet and is has like 6-8 outlets coming out of it.

Obviously I am new to home electricity, so help....

[longrider]

You can do that, but as said don't unhook anything. Connect 6" wire stubs to your receptacle and add those wires under the wire nuts. I can see that circuit has already been tapped, note the old cloth jacketed romex (50s/60s) and the one new vinyl jacketed romex. You will probably need a spacer ring, that box is already fairly full with 4 cables running in. Your circuit breaker will protect teh wiring, any one of those wires willhandle the full load allowed by the breaker.

Long time no talk Bulldog! I admit that while I signed up here years ago, I only recently got active.

[bulldog]

You can do that, but as said don't unhook anything. Connect 6" wire stubs to your receptacle and add those wires under the wire nuts. I can see that circuit has already been tapped, note the old cloth jacketed romex (50s/60s) and the one new vinyl jacketed romex. You will probably need a spacer ring, that box is already fairly full with 4 cables running in. Your circuit breaker will protect teh wiring, any one of those wires willhandle the full load allowed by the breaker.

Long time no talk Bulldog! I admit that while I signed up here years ago, I only recently got active. Thanks Paul. I'll try that out or see if I can find any other in that room with less connected wires. Yeah it has been a while man. You still at Fey Meyers?

[longrider]

Yes, I'm still here at Fay. Probably will be forever :)

I just reexamined your pic, and I doubt that ground wire is hooked to anything. It comes from the white cable which is obviously an add on. Back when that cloth wrapped cable was used they only ran a ground where required - kitchen, laundry, etc

[I`m Batman]

you want to put the white wire and the black wire together... :p

[Bueller]

Turn off the breaker, take all the splices apart, remove that box and replace it with a 4 square box 1 1/2" deep, put the wires back in with the old (romex) connectors. Twist the wires back together, all the whites together, all the blacks together.
Depending on which cable is the feed in you may or may not have a ground. If you install a GFCI recept. you legally don't need a ground.
What ever receptacle you decide on get an "Industrial cover" to fit the 4 sqaure box.
Now do what Paul said and "pig tail" the outlet and twist those wires to the splices you made earlier. Make sure you use a large enough wire nut (red).

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

You can do that, but as said don't unhook anything. Connect 6" wire stubs to your receptacle and add those wires under the wire nuts. I can see that circuit has already been tapped, note the old cloth jacketed romex (50s/60s) and the one new vinyl jacketed romex. You will probably need a spacer ring, that box is already fairly full with 4 cables running in. Your circuit breaker will protect teh wiring, any one of those wires willhandle the full load allowed by the breaker.

Long time no talk Bulldog! I admit that while I signed up here years ago, I only recently got active.
The breaker WILL protect the wiring, but if he overloads the circuit by running a bunch of other things at once with the new socket the wires will still be unneccissarily heat-cycled due to overloading BEFORE the breaker trips, and will still blow the breaker more often. Can be done, and maybe HAS to be, but he should still look and see if he can't still power it a better way is all I'm saying.

[Bueller]

Just see what doesn't work when you turn the breaker off, if half the house goes dark, don't use it, otherwise don't worry about it unless you start tripping the breaker then just dont use it.