What You Need To Know About Adding An Electrical circuit To Your 
Home
A properly operating circuit breaker is essential for your home’s safety and your ability to use electricity throughout your living areas. At some point, you may choose to add a new circuit to provide new outlets for you to use in your home.
Adding a new appliance might also cause the current circuit to trip due to an increased load, and updating the panel could solve the problem
Either way, making sure to handle the project safely is essential for preventing personal injuries and property damage.
As you read through this guide, keep in mind that working with electrical wiring is hazardous. Make sure to always follow essential safety protocols throughout your project, and remember that you can always reach out to an experienced technician if you’re unsure of how to tackle any of these steps.
Start With Safety In Mind
Naturally, you’ll need to prep for the project by turning off the power to your home at the main switch. Since you’ll be working on the breaker panel, you need to be absolutely certain that no electricity will flow to the box. To be sure, you can use a voltage tester to confirm that the electricity is shut off completely.
You’ll also want to wear some essential safety gear. Putting on insulated gloves and rubber-soled shoes can protect you from accidental shocks. You’ll also want to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from potential sparks and any flying debris that occurs as you work.
Familiarize Yourself With the Circuit Breaker Panel Components
When you want to add an electrical circuit to a house, you’ll first want to make sure that you understand how each element of the panel works.
The typical home breaker panel includes several important components, such as the following:
- Main breaker- This is the control switch that manages the flow of electricity to the entire breaker panel.
- Branch circuit breakers- These breakers individually manage the supply of power to their designated circuits in the home. Each one is meant to guard against damage from overloads and short circuits by halting the flow of electricity when overheating is detected.
- Grounding bar- The ground wires all connect to this bar to ensure that any fault currents are safely sent to the ground to prevent electrical fires and shocks.
- Bus bars- You’ll want to know these metal strips conduct electricity that goes from the main breaker to the branch breakers. They are responsible for ensuring that each branch circuit gets the right amount of power.
- Neutral bar- This bar completes the electrical circuit by creating a return path for the current.
Begin Planning the Wiring Route
Doing some planning first helps you avoid many common issues that can occur when you add a new electrical circuit to a house. Ideally, you’ll want to run the wire through a path that requires the least amount of difficulty and damage as it goes through the walls.
Depending on where your home’s electrical panel is located, this may involve running the wires through the interior of the walls and out through the attic or an exterior wall of the building. As you work on this step, you’ll also want to identify the spaces for the new outlets and cut their holes.
You can use the outlet box as your template for cutting holes that are the proper dimensions. Once you’ve cut the holes, place the box inside to test the fit and adjust the dimensions as necessary.
Run the Wires to the Appropriate Outlet
Running wires through the hidden spaces of your home can sometimes feel like trying to solve a puzzle. If you have a wiring diagram of your home, then you may be able to identify other wire routes that could hinder your ability to move the wires easily. You’ll also want to be alert for piping and other elements of your house that could exist between the walls.
Working with another person also makes this step easier. Typically, you’ll want one person to work from the electrical panel to help feed the wiring through to the other person at the outlet. Professional electricians use special wire fishing gear to guide the lines past obstructions and to the desired location.
If you struggle with this phase of the project, you can always reach out to one of our technicians. It’s better to request assistance than lose lines somewhere along the way or spend far more time than necessary trying to guide them to the right place.
Connect the Wires to the Outlet
Once you are satisfied with the location of the wires, you can then connect them to the box. Always follow the proper protocols for your materials, but the black wire is typically the one that is considered hot or active and the white one is neutral. You’ll need to attach these wires, along with the ground wire, to the appropriate terminal.
After the wiring is connected, you’ll be ready to install the box and outlet to the wall. Keep in mind that the proper connections are important, and you may need to reach out for professional help if you are unsure of how to connect any of the wires.
Install the New Breaker and Wire the Connections
As you begin working on the breaker panel, you’ll want to continue to use extreme caution. Although there shouldn’t be power running to the main parts of the box, there could still be areas that have electrical currents.
You’ll want to use a drill or special punch to make knockout holes if they aren’t pre-drilled in the panel. These knockout holes create the spaces that you need to feed the wiring into the panel. Make sure that the hole is the correct size to match the diameter of the wire that you’ll be feeding through it.
Next, you’ll need to remove the insulation that is on the ends of the wires that you’re connecting to the neutral bar, grounding bar and breakers. As you do, remember to only remove the amount of insulation that you need to create a connection. Taking off too much could create a safety hazard.
When the wiring is ready, you’ll feed it into the box and begin connecting the wires to the appropriate places. Remember to attach the ground wire first for safety purposes. Then, you’ll attach the neutral wire before finally installing the new breaker and attaching the hot wire.
Label the New Breaker and Test the New Electrical Circuit
The final steps of the process include labeling the breaker in a way that makes sense not only to you but to others who may work on your home’s electrical system. You’ll then want to complete a final inspection of the wiring to double-check your work before turning the power back on.
After you turn the power on, pay careful attention to notice any unusual burning smells, sparks or noises that could indicate potential problems. If all seems well, then you’ll want to test each circuit using a voltage tester or multimeter to ensure that they are functioning correctly. Finally, confirm that the new outlet successfully powers the associated appliance.
Arranging for a professional inspection of your home’s electrical system is also a good idea, even if everything seems to be working properly. After all, you can’t be too safe when it comes to handling electricity.
Know When to Call the Pros
Reading through this guide should give you a strong understanding of what goes into installing an electrical circuit. While many DIY projects are fairly safe to undertake as a beginner, it’s critical to know your limits when it comes to handling electricity.
Making even the smallest mistake could expose you to intense electrical forces or put your home at risk for a major fire. As we like to say, “Don’t put up with any malarky, call Mr. Sparky.” When you have even the smallest doubt about the job, call an experienced electrician.
On top of safely installing electrical circuits, new panels and other essential components, we can also conduct an inspection. Whether you’re just starting to plan the project or finishing up, our professional technicians are available to ensure that your home’s electrical wiring is up to code and capable of handling your household’s energy demands.
