Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with the DIYZ® app. All opinions of apps and companies that help me complete DIY projects are my own.
We recently moved to a new home. I was trying to figure out the best place to hang our wall mounted TV. But, all the electrical outlets in the main rooms of the house are close to the baseboard trim of the walls. I really didn’t want a power cord hanging from the back of the TV down to the outlet. That would just look wrong.
I was going to call an electrician to relocate one of the outlets, but then I decided to give the experts at DIYZ a shot and see if they could help me do this project myself. I had heard about the DIYZ app® and downloaded it to my phone. It offers a large library of projects for all skill levels with step-by-step instructions and segmented videos to help any DIYer tackle home improvement projects. Under the electrical section, there was a complete set of instructions with photographs and steps on how to replace an electrical outlet so I could hang my wall-mounted TV.
For a beginner like me, the DIYZ app makes working with electricity fairly straightforward and affordable. Additionally, you can purchase all materials needed for every project via Amazon without ever leaving the app. The best piece of mind for a beginner like me? The DIYZ app allows you to speak directly with a licensed Pro Advisor via phone or video-chat. As it turns out, this feature is a great learning tool to use with my kids on all kinds of projects.
Here is how I installed the new outlet for my wall-mounted TV:
Tools & Parts Needed
- Tape-measure
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Sheetrock hand saw
- Level
- Pencil
- Wire strippers
- Single gang plastic receptacle box for retrofit applications
- 6′ of 14/2 romex wire
- 15 amp receptacle and cover plate
- Wire nuts
Instructions
1. Turn the breaker off that is associated with the outlet.
2. Find a spot on the wall that is approximately 2 feet directly above a low wall outlet where you want to mount the TV.
3. Using the back side of the new receptacle box, trace the outline on the wall. Be sure it is level. Cut out the penciled outline with the sheet rock saw.
4. Using the screwdriver take off the cover plate of the existing outlet and take out the receptacle. Pry one of the unoccupied holes open from the inside of the box with the screwdriver. Take the end of the romex wire and fold it over at the first inch. Use the pliers at the end of the wire strippers to crimp this wire down tightly. Push this end into the hole. Snake the wire up as far as you can into the wall cavity above the existing outlet until it reaches the new hole you cut in the sheetrock.
5. Slide the retrofit box over one of the pre-fabricated holes and push the entire box into the wall. The wire should be sticking out of the front of the box about 10″. To secure the retrofit box into place tighten the screws that are located in opposite corners on the front of the box. Using the wire strippers, scrape away the outer sheath of the romex wire exposing the three individual wires inside. Strip about 3/8ths of an inch of insulation from the ends of the white and black conductors exposing the copper wires.
6. Using the small holes in the back of the existing receptacle attach the white and black wires. There is a small clamp inside each hole to hold the wires in place. Make sure that the black wire is on side with the brass screws and the white is on the silver side. The bare copper wire is the ground. Using the wire strippers make a small hook on the end of this wire and wrap it around the green screw located on the bottom of the receptacle. Push the excess wire and the receptacle into the box that is in the wall and attach it to the front of the box where the holes line up with the screws.
7. To attach the wires to the existing receptacle strip the ends of the black and white conductors, as before, using the wire-strippers to make little hooks on the ends to fit around the screws on the side of the receptacle. Use the wire nuts to attach the copper wires to the existing bare copper wires in the box. Tools Specialist shares that you can also use wire connectors to join two or more wires together as they offer more functionalities than wire nuts. Push the wires back into the box being extra careful that the bare copper wire is not touching any other metal parts except the green screw that secures it to the outlet.
8. Place the outlet covers on and check that they are level. Turn the breaker back on. If it doesn’t trip then you did it correctly. Now you have power coming from a concealed outlet behind your TV.
Don’t forget, if you have any questions while doing your DIY electrical project or need advice, you can chat with an experienced pro via phone or video-chat. Users can chat with DIYZ Pro Advisors from 6:00 PM to 1:00 AM ET Monday through Friday. On weekends, DIYZ advisors will be available to help tackle projects from 8:00 AM to 1:00 AM ET.
Download the DIYZ app now. It’s free from both the Apple App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android. Once the app is downloaded you can get more project and DIY ideas.
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