How to Add an Electrical Outlet for a Wall Mounted TV 

I am a female in my 20’s and I did this project all by myself with your video. I didn’t have a reciprocating saw so I used a hack saw. Well, the hack saw was too big to fit within the square so I took off the blade and manually sawed the screws off. I would say the hardest part was trying to cram all the wires back into the gang box at the end. Haha. When I turned back on the power, I can’t believe that the outlet actually worked! Thank you!!! This probably saved me a bunch of $$ doing it myself.

"Not a professional electrician, just a guy that likes to figure it out.." Good stuff!!!👍🏽✊🔥

I watched this video in 2016 on how to add a outlet to behind my daughters TV. I’ve took that knowledge and built a empire 💪🏾

Bro, you have NO idea how awesome this video was. Electricians charging me an arm and a leg for this and I got it done in about 2 hrs and like $40 in supplies. Your video led me step by step. It was great! Thanks!!

By way of suggestions: an electrician taught me that code inspectors (CA) look for at least 3 twists on wire splices. Also, when making wire loops to go around screws, the loop must be in the same direction as the screw tightens- to the right; the loop should allow for the entire screw to be exposed to bare wire only and not insulation; the loop should wrap all of the way around the screw, but not stick beyond the screw.

This is by far the best video to show all of the detail for wiring the boxes together. I love how descriptive you were about everything. Thanks and keep up the good work guy thats not an electrician, but just want to get the job done. I'm highly impressed.

Good video. Two things to correct 1- the upper outlet Romex wire shield/protector has to be removed flush or nearly flush to box entry (1/4" or so passed the box retaining clip) so that the wire conductors are free of it within the box. 2- there has to be a minimum of 6" of wire conductors from the wire entry of the box. The wires you have in the upper box seem too short and the shield (white wire cover) was not removed at box entry (retaining clip). A tip - when the wires have been twisted together so as to put them in the wire nut, use cutters to clip off the most protruding wire (clip off the twisted wire ends). This will make it much easier, and a better shielding, when you put the wire nut on the wires.

Thanks for the clear step by step on this with the added up close footage of what you are tying together when,how,and why. Now off to instal my brand new outlet!

5:57 That use of a Harbor Freight wood blade on nails was impressive

Thank you!! I just watched the hiding wires video and this one and you just made my tv life so much better.

Awesome job Nils. VERY easy to understand and I'll be tackling this over the weekend as a result. Thanks.

Your video is still helping DIYers in 2022…thanks bro.

Nicely done !! This is exactly what I need to do - for two new wall mounted TVs in our house. TVs are mounted but the dangling wire have to go. Thanks very much for your step x step instructions.

Thank you for this video. It's exactly what I needed to know. I highly appreciate the time you took to make this.

Thanks for this. Just what I was looking for. I really appreciated the close-ups when you reinstalled the lower outlet. I was unsure how to handle hooking all the wires back up.

You never stop learning whether you’re a professional tradesmen or a professional homeowner! Good

This video was exactly what I needed. Perfect! Thank you sir.

I’m a finish carpenter by trade and handy around my house and friends’ houses, but electrical work is one thing I was never willing to mess around with. This video is great! Really impressed with the simplicity, camera angles and info!

Very clear, easy to understand, and thoroughly explained. Thanks so much!

omg Thanks for the awesome video. We live in my childhood (119 yrs old) home and needless to say not a lot of outlets. We are putting a wall mount on the wall for our TV and this is going to make my husband real happy, me too. And , now we will be able to add a few more in the other rooms. Thanks ever so much, Judi and Greg

Just make a hole in the top of the existing box, push your fish tape up the wall, tie a string to it, pull it down through your existing box, use it to pull up your new wire, and then attach it to the side screws on the existing outlet (No need to remove the wires like you did). Reinstall that outlet just like it was, and then do the top part just as you did. Done in half the time, and no sheetrock damage like you had.

Never been more excited to try a tutorial. Thank you!

That was really helpful Nils - thanks! I have always wondered how to do this. It seems simple enough.

Great work, that’s exactly how I do it as well. Only thing is in my area, code requires that the Ground pin of the outlet be facing up if the outlet is high on the wall. So essentially I have to mount these outlets upside down. Other than that it’s a great job, and a good project for a DIY-minded homeowner like me to do.

I've been wondering how to do something like this. Now I know. great video!! That's better than most of the kits on the market.

this was very informative and straight forward, thanks! keep up the great work!

Thank you very much for taking time out to share this project on RU-vid!

This video was SUCH an amazing help in mounting my Frame TV with the one connect box hidden behind the tv. Couldn't have done it without this video. Thank you so much!

Love this. Thanks, man, for sharing what you know!

I am a electrician never use the little holes on the back of the outlet always use the screws better connection and they won’t eventually wiggle loose start to spark

i love this channel since everyone is jumping in to help so overall its even better!

Thank you for this information. This has made my head stop spinning and I’m more confident on mounting our television. I’m grateful for you sharing this video.

I did this yesterday, although I wound up not needing to run any cable (only extend some that was already running down the beam my new outlet was going on, coming from the outlet below it)... your video was SUPER HELPFUL! Thanks for posting, very easy to follow. 100 thumbs up! Luckily finding the already existing wire saved me any fire block issues, my big worry when starting the job.

Just bought my first house-your videos are super helpful! You got a new subscriber!

Excellent job on the video. You've answered all my questions. Now I can start my project.

i watched one of these vids yesterday with a so-called "pro" that butchered the drywall and STILL had the nerve to be proud of his work and post it.

Nils! Very informative. Now I can start my project with a little more confidence thanks dude.

Great video! I've been meaning to try it out but thought it was out of my league, keep the vids comming

This is perfect! I'm needing to move up electrical outlets for an addition kitchenette in basement. Need them counter height. This should work great!

Thanks for the great tutorial. It took me a lot longer than it should have but I got the job done. Thanks Again.

My tv guy did this exactly and I’ve been curious as to how he did it for years. My husband and I receive so many compliments on our 65 inch tv mount.

Awesome video. Thanks, I was about to run an extension cord for my tv through my wall and so glad I stopped and thought it over.

Very helpful. One thing to point out, check that your outlets are BOTH WORKING with a meter before you put everything back together otherwise youll have to take it all apart again

Great Vid... Walked me right through running a new outlet for my flat screen and it looks great....

I'm in school taking electrical right now, and even though you say your not an electrician, you seem to know what your doing really well!

Your instructions are incredibly easy to follow, I'm planning on doing this power extension soon. Thank you!

Great job explaining and demonstrating your skills!

Great tip that can save most people over $500. The question I have is, based on the UBC, I was told by a general contractor that a city permit is required to add an electric box like you did here, I am in California and we have so many nonsense laws. Thanks

Electrical codes are found in your most current National Electrical Code book which is also Chapter 70 of the National Fire Protection Agency code. They are safety protocols for personnel protection as well as fire protection. Your T.v. power cord cannot be installed in your wall because the cord is not rated for concealed installation, such as the Non-metallic cable (Romex) that is us modernly used for residential wiring. Also required is a minimum of 6" of stripped wire from the back of your junction box toward the front. You can search online for Section 400.8 of the NEC or simply find an electrical forum and research your question. Another method is to web search or download your local state specialty code for information. All in all, nice work man.

Imo you did a good job. I also try to do things myself around my house. Good job bro. New sub.

no man you did a good job. clean install glad to see someone fix a mistake and take time to look up the code.

Thanks for this! I'm buying a new place soon and I have been putting together a list of things I want to do and can do myself. This is exactly the quality of video that gives me the confidence to save money and just do it myself. Thanks and keep up the fantastic work!

Now this is how you handle constructive criticism. Subbed.

One - a little caution cutting out the top receptacle hole - if it's directly above an existing outlet, there are possibly wires behind the new receptacle hole. I've seen construction where wiring is run up from a crawl space, down from the attic, and even some wired horizontally, outlet to outlet within a room, drilling through the studs. It just depends. Two - If your home is wired from above, depending what type of existing outlet box you have, if you can see a wire behind the new receptacle hole, it may be possible to pull an old wire out of that old box, drawing it up through the new receptacle hole - after first connecting a length of new wire to pull up through the existing box. So you have an old wire which you cut at the new receptacle hole, and new wire running down from the new receptacle location to the existing receptacle box. Again, this is a tough pull with those plastic tab boxes, Metal boxes with screw in strain clamps are an easier pull. This method shortcuts having to cut the old receptacle box out, fish the new wire (since it's pulled up by the existing wire), and you don't have three sets of wire coming into one receptacle box. (In a perfect world, they would have left you a foot of slack of old wire in the wall - you could just pull out the slack, cut, strip and connect in the new outlet. There is no perfect world, so to get enough slack, new wire is going to be involved either way)

Revisited this video because you did a great job of explaining the wiring process. I watched the first time to wire my tv and now will be using basically the same method to install some bedroom scones. Thanks again!

Thank you for this video. Love the fact is step by step. Thank You!

Excellent video! Like you I'm not an electrician, but thought you did a great job. You might want to point out why you did some of the things the way you did. You might want to emphasize the importance of using the proper gauge wire for the circuit. If it's a 20 amp circuit, use 12/2, and if it's a 15 amp circuit, use 14/2. One exception I make is if it's a 15 amp circuit and the existing wiring is already 12/2, it's best to stay consistent and also use 12/2, just in case someone down the road decides to live dangerously and change to a higher capacity breaker. Also, you might want to point out that the reason you were pigtailing the short segments of wire using wire nuts is because you're only supposed to put one conductor max under each screw, unless the receptacle is specifically built for it. Putting more than one wire under a screw might work for a while, but it's not to code , reason being that it does not create a reliable connection and could stop working a few years down the road. Worse, it might start arcing inside the junction box, which can generate a lot of heat, with very unhappy results (the reason for AFCI breakers, which trip if an arc is detected on a circuit). Lastly, I noticed that you shied away from the push-in connectors. I've had bad experiences with them myself, which is why I always use the screws. They are supposedly reliable with 14 gauge wire, but got a bad reputation years ago after people pushed 12 gauge wire into them, resulting in unreliable connections. The push connector holes on new outlets won't even allow 12 gauge wire to be inserted. I wouldn't risk it even with 14 gauge wire.

you could have wired all three romex directly to the plug, faster easier more reliable. Also, before cutting the sheetrock it is best to mark the box with a level to make sure your cuts are level and squared. Always try to avoid installing any boxes sideways or at a different height than the existing outlets (looks very unprofessional). Other than that i would say this is one of the better videos on this subject.

I'm glad you explained about the second outlet having 2 screws and not having to worry about connecting to them both thank you

Outstanding instruction for a DIY job. Very well done.

Hey Jonah, I can't seem to reply to your comment so I'm trying a new post but the answer is that it's more about safety. I don't think it's likely that this will make a huge difference in fire prevention, but it could. That's why this code exists. Also, if, by some chance, a fire was started in your wall and it as discovered that the wiring wasn't up to code, it might not be covered by insurance.

Derek (I'm not sure how to reply to your comment - it doesn't give me the option), if that's an option for you, then definitely go for it. I didn't have that option because I had to remove the outlet box, which meant unplugging everything. When putting it back together, you could definitely use both the screws and the rear inputs - yes.

Thank you! I have the issue of two different cables feeding to the current box and trying to tie a third line in. Your tutorial helped! Now my dilemma is that this house is using about 10 gauge wires that I have to try and straighten out to connect the lines and I am using 14 guage on the tie in.

Appreciate you taking the time to make this video. Very informative.

“I want to be careful not to mess up the drywall” Procedes to mess up the drywall.

For anyone out there, like me, who doesn't have a drywall saw or even a box cutter, a serrated steak knife will cut through drywall.

This is by far the best video. thank you so much for a job well done. now wish me luck with my install.

Thanks for this video. I followed your lead and got the job done. It looks great!

I'm wondering why you reconnected the wire to a new receptacle and pigtailed it versus just leaving the wire connected to the friction connections and run the new cable to the screws..?

Two things required by code. 1) All neutrals and all grounds should be tied together with just one pigtail each left for the outlet. 2) Wires entering the box should be pulled in far enough so that the outer jacket enters the box by at least 1/2".

glad to see you doing it the right way! Nice work.

Electrician here, code says 6” of wire from back of the box at a minimum. I’d have to check the code, but I do believe you should wrap the terminals on your outlets with black tape for safety. This helps with any unwanted contact on the terminals, and looks out for the next guy who works on it. Just 1-2 wraps around the whole receptacle covering all the terminal screws is a good practice.

As an electrician I’m gonna say that a multi meter is in no way optional you need something to tell you what’s going on in your Circuit no matter what

very good job bro. But you're lucky because the old outlet is straight down under the TV. my outlet is alittle off to the left, there is two studs in the way, and I don't know how to run the wires through the studs. Do you have any idea?

Great instructional, very clear and well spoken. THX

I think u did great job,simple process..STEP BY STEP..PERFECTION,thanks BRO..AWESOME WORK..

I’m confused. What’s the point of the “three-way” connector? Why not just attach the new Romex DIRECTLY to one of the screws that isn’t being used???

at about 46 seconds into this video it shows my exact dilemma where you have two outlets on either side of the console table but I don't have one directly in the middle like you do.

I’ve been using the “Power Bridge” for a couple years now, and I’m regretting my fear of working with Romex. This is so much more of a clean install

dude this is so helpful, thank you so much i really appreciate your passe in your videos

WOW you removed the old box from the wall?!?!?! Ive never done that. Ive always used the existing box, use a fish tape to go up/down the wall to new box location and pull in new wire.

why did you take the old box out? I believe you can shoot back up through the box to hook new outlet up....

Thank you so much for sharing! Just did mine and everything is working!

Thanks for this video. I was wondering how to tie the romex into the existing wiring. Now I know exactly what to do

i really dont understand why you cut out the bottom box? there are tabs yes it is a tad pain in the arse to fish but even so its a lot easier than sawzalling the wall to pieces

Dude, I don't know how long you left those holes open, but there is a huge rat i see crawling around at 12:57!

Thanks man! Dumbed down to my level superbly!

this is exactly what i needed to know...great video. saved me the headache of drywall patching and taping. thanks

Great video. I think the wire nut is supposed to twist the wires hence they don't have to be twisted before hand together which actually can rupture the wires while you twist the wire nut.

Why not just connect the new line to the screw terminals on the existing socket, and leave the original wiring plugged into the back?

I must say I enjoy your DIY videos. I like how you explain each step clearly and you actually show each step I have installing TV mounts on the side for friends and family and I am always looking to get better because you never know what type of job you're going to run into so thank you so much man for breaking some things down that I actually thought were a lot harder to do I will be In touch thanks again

Excellent video, will keep it in mind for whenever I decide to hide wires.

a lot of buildings and homes I've worked on are never up to code.

To remove the existing box, bend the screwdriver towards the box, not towards the drywall, that's why you messed it up.

Best video I ever saw. Loved every minute I saw.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I saw the first video good job on both thanks for the update will be doing this in my living room this weekend.

Hey Jonah, thanks for the video but i seek an answer that a couple of people asked you but i dont think you ever answered. Once you removed the old existing box you had 2 black wires and 2 white wires . Once you dropped the new wire in place that gave you 3 white and 3 black wires. You cut 3 each jumpers. You said to grab your 2 whites wires and the jumper and wire the 3 together. If you combine the 3 white wires and the pigtail that would make 4 white wires. But you grabbed 2 of the 3 white wires and added the jumper. The question a couple of guys asked was. How do you know which 2 white wires to join with the jumper ? Or asked another way. Does it matter which wire you dont add the the 3 wire jumper union? i am sort of guessing it doesnt matter. i am guessing you didnt add all 3 whites wires to the white jumper as a wire nut wouldnt cover all 4 and since you had 2 gold posts on the outlet you used both (i doubt i worded that so you can comprehend :)

You don’t have to remove the existing box .. just fish your new wire thru the top of box where the existing wires are coming thru

Well done. I plan on doing the same thing to my tv. Thanks for sharing .

Thank you for the info. Everything worked out great 👍