simple electric question

[Treetroit City]

Need more juice in my grow room. Have this circuit available that has been boxed in my basement ceiling. Circuit is unused, used to power basement but basement was rewired during remodel. so this is what I got.

It's a 20 amp circuit with nothing on it. Grow room is right above this box. So, I have some 12-2 wire and a box and an outlet receptacle.
Do I just have to connect white to white, black to black and copper to copper and then into new outlet?
Hope this makes sense.
Thanks for any help offered.

 

[RedReign]

Yeah, that's all you'll need to do.

Do you know which breaker it is and if it's live?

 

[Treetroit City]

Yeah, that's all you'll need to do.

Do you know which breaker it is and if it's live?

Hey Red.
Thanks. yeah I know what breaker it is. Actually there is one other thing on that circuit I guess, my barn light which has a 60 watt cfl in it. I shut it off before unscrewing the plate on the box.
Don't know shit about electrical wiring but this seems easy enough for me to do. ?

 

[jm420]

you coud put dual or triple outlets if you wanted

 

[LeeROI]

Use the 80% rule:
(0.8)*20A= 16 Amps, and your 12ga Romex is rated for this.

Oh, and use the screws on the outlet instead of the easy-sleazy spring loaded holes. Use needle nose pliers to form a loop and install the wire so clockwise rotation of the screw tightens the loop.

I highly recommend getting a basic DIY home electrical book or a google tutorial.

 

[jm420]

Oh, and use the screws on the outlet instead of the easy-sleazy spring loaded holes. Use needle nose pliers to form a loop and install the wire so clockwise rotation of the screw tightens the loop.

why?

 

[Treetroit City]

Use the 80% rule:
(0.8)*20A= 16 Amps, and your 12ga Romex is rated for this.

Oh, and use the screws on the outlet instead of the easy-sleazy spring loaded holes. Use needle nose pliers to form a loop and install the wire so clockwise rotation of the screw tightens the loop.

I highly recommend getting a basic DIY home electrical book or a google tutorial.

Thanks LeeROI. Just wanted to make sure I was doing it right. Do have A Black and Decker electrical book around here somewhere.

Oh, and use the screws on the outlet instead of the easy-sleazy spring loaded holes. Use needle nose pliers to form a loop and install the wire so clockwise rotation of the screw tightens the loop.

why?

More reliable?
Good question..

 

[rives]

Oh, and use the screws on the outlet instead of the easy-sleazy spring loaded holes. Use needle nose pliers to form a loop and install the wire so clockwise rotation of the screw tightens the loop.

why?

The spring-loaded holes are junk and you never know how tight your connection is. They have a far smaller contact area with the wire than the clamps and are prone to overheating and subsequent failure. You install the wire that way so that it doesn't get all wrinkled up and pushed out by the fastener when you tighten it down.

 

[the_extremist]

As a licensed electrician I can tell you that a significant portion of service calls have been nothing more than a receptacle whose "stab-lock" connections have failed. Use the screw terminals and loop the wire in a clockwise direction. Tighten with a straight blade screwdriver if you have one. You get a better grip on the screw than with a Phillips head, imho.

 

[Rowdy420]

On the back of the outlet you'll see a gold screw this for the hot (black wire), the silver screw is the neutral (white wire). The ground goes under the green. Don't use the stabs as already stated, you can sleep better at night knowing they are secure. Electrical equipment "vibrates" at 60 hertz so make sure it's tight.

Good luck, peace

 

[humble1]

Also, that incoming wire looks to be larger than 12-2. You could probably swap your breaker out for something larger if you wanted more juice than 20 amp, and then run more outlets as stated earlier.

 

[Treetroit City]

Also, that incoming wire looks to be larger than 12-2. You could probably swap your breaker out for something larger if you wanted more juice than 20 amp, and then run more outlets as stated earlier.

Hey humble1.

Thanks, right now I just need a window AC so 20 will be great. Just have to decide if I'm gonna try to recess the box in the wall or do a ghetto industrial conduit hookup.