Is it safe to tap into electrical outlet?

So, I have a series of electrical outlets that are daisy chained...in the middle of that daisy chain, I want to tap/splice into 1 outlet to create a second outlet. I was wondering if it's safe to do so...my thought is that the breaker is still set to handle XX amount of amps so I don't have to worry about overloading it...as long as I safely wire the wires I should be fine...correct?

 

As long as your splices are tight and taped off you should be fine. Your only problem is going to be is getting enough slack in your box to terminate it. Don't mean to be a sick but make sure you flip the breaker and then test your wires before cutting. If you don't you will get a nice pretty blue flash from shorting the circuit out.

 

Lo been there done that

 

Ya it is no fun. I did it with a meter once and it was an odd experience.

 

...you can, ...IF... I believe that the code specifies "fill limits" for the number of conductors (of given size, 14ga, 12 ga, etc.) for each sized outlet box... so, basically, depends on what size box you desire to tap into for powering the new outlet, and how many conductors are in there now, plus the 3 you would add (pwr, neutral, gnd in one cable)... i'm not 100% up on this, and am not an electrician, but it may be worth looking into just to have peace of mind... ...from what I can remember, there really isn't a limit on how many outlets you can put on a circuit, but, rather, it's the "fill limits" are the limiting factor for each outlet box...

...any subject matter experts feel free to correct this if i'm getting it wrong...

 

Make sure you make your connections in an electrical box.

 

Yes its safe to do so, the circuit doesn't care if there is 1 outlet or a billion in the line. In regards to the number of connections per box, assuming it's a standard box you have plenty of room inside to run 1 extra line. Just make sure it's in a box and you don't just take a connection in the middle of the wire.

And make sure you have the polarity correct in the connections. Reverse polarity happens all the time, seems minor, but it is a safety issue.

 

It may be safe, but it may not be legal. As mentioned above there is a code limit to the number of outlets allowed on a single circuit. I would suggest finding out what code says.


As for the connections, yes, it is very important to know polarity. The electrician phrase to this is "Black to brass to save my ass". Each outlet will have a silver colored side, and a brass colored side. Black wire goes to the brass side, and white wire goes to silver side.

 

What gauge wire are you using and what amp breaker is there?

14-GA will use a 15 AMP breaker, 12-GA will use a 20 AMP. Don't use 14-GA wire with your 20 Amp breaker.

 

There is NO limit on outlets in the national electrical code. Unless there is a local law for some reason, which I know of none, there is no limit. There is a limit on the LOAD each circuit sees, but you can overload a circuit with 1 outlet, and have 0 load on a circuit with 1 billion outlets. That part depends on the user, and is one of the big reasons we require breakers in the first place.

 

12ga wire is a bit more expensive than 14, but it's upward compatible so I recommend going with 12. You can have a 15a breaker on 20a wiring and be just fine for code etc, but 14ga wiring on a 20a breaker is a no-no. A substantial number of houses I deal with are in the configuration though.

 

Not sure if anyone covered the most important question, how many amps are you going to pull on that new receptacle?

Also you can throw the 'legal' word in there and what not, but each state has a different set of codes and standards. Rule of thumb here in Texas is 4 receptacles per room for 1 circuit. If you are going to plug in a hair drier or blender (something motor driven than pulls a lot of amps / inrush amps) then you might want to dedicate a circuit just for that receptacle.

 

You say that's a rule of thumb, but is that code? 4 devices per circuit seems like your panel would be chuck full of breakers feeding receptacles.

I do know every State has their own code above the NEC codes though.

 

4 outlets per circuit... my house panel would look like I was trying to power an entire shopping mall.

The most generic rule of thumb I've heard is 12. There are load calculations you can do to find out the minimum number of outlets x square feet should have, but there's no hi limit. You can have one every 5 inches of wallspace if you wanted.

And put to electricians in a room and ask them about loading a light circuit and watch them argue about whether lights are constant load and therefor the 80% rule applies,or not and you can load a light circuit 100%.

 

Dude. Just ditch the single gang box for a double. Pigtail from one plug set to the other inside the box, and voila! Double plug box. You're not building a rocket ship.