Breaker Off / Outlets and GFCI
Outlet wiring in the middle of the run
Two cables in the outlet box: power in, and power on to the next outlet.
- Black: hot
- White: neutral
- Bare: ground
- Wire nut
How to tell this is your box
A middle-of-run outlet has two cables. Pigtailing (as drawn) keeps the outlets downstream working even if this one fails or is removed.
The job, in order
- Join both blacks with a short black pigtail; the pigtail goes to a brass screw.
- Join both whites with a white pigtail to a silver screw.
- Join the grounds with a pigtail to the green screw.
Every connection, box by box
Read from the same circuit the drawing is made from. A simulator checked it in every switch position: the outlets get power exactly when it should, nothing shorts, and every device is grounded.
At the panel
- The black wire to the outlet goes to the breaker.
- The white wire to the outlet goes to the neutral bar.
- The bare copper wire to the outlet goes to the ground bar.
In the outlet box
- The black wire from the panel and the black wire to the next outlet join under one wire nut with a short pigtail to the top brass screw.
- The white wire from the panel and the white wire to the next outlet join under one wire nut with a short pigtail to the top silver screw.
- The bare copper wire from the panel and the bare copper wire to the next outlet join under one wire nut with a ground pigtail to the green ground screw.
In the next outlet box
- The black wire from the outlet goes to the top brass screw.
- The white wire from the outlet goes to the top silver screw.
- The bare copper wire from the outlet goes to the green ground screw.
Parts for this box
-
This job
Leviton tamper-resistant outlets, 15 A, 10 pack Tamper-resistant outlets are what the code asks for in homes. About $22.05 as of October 22, 2026 Check the current price -
Every job
Klein Tools NCVT3P voltage tester The non-contact tester for proving every wire in the box is dead before you touch it. About $24.98 as of October 22, 2026 Check the current price -
Every job
Ideal Twister wire nuts, 100 bag The tan connectors that fit two to four 14 or 12 AWG wires. About $12.99 as of October 22, 2026 Check the current price
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