How To Install Outside Receptacle On Siding

Screw on the box cover.

How to install outside receptacle on siding.

Be sure to get an outlet box that s meant for exterior use. Start by removing a knockout in the box by hitting it with a screwdriver. From inside the garage install a cable connector onto the main electrical box. Hold the outside outlet box against the exterior wall where you plan to hang it checking to make sure the box covers.

Pass the cable end through the connector then tighten the connector. Run cable from the interior box to the hole in the exterior. Tape the end of the remaining wire to the end of the sheathing forming a loop. Tuck the wires neatly into the box and secure the outlet to the box using the provided screws.

Cut a mounting block out of 1 inch lumber to mount a fixture on vinyl or clapboard siding. Guide the end of the 12 2 cable through the hole in the middle of the exterior box and push the box against your siding. Retrofitting an outdoor outlet is a bit more work than an indoor outlet especially if you live in a brick house like i do. If you don t want to cut a hole for a recessed electrical box you can skip this step.

Install the outdoor box cover as directed by the manufacturer. Make the wire connections between the cable and a gfci outlet. Join the pigtails and the circuit ground wire. Screw an exterior outlet box to the outside wall so it lines up with the hole.

If the outdoor box is metal install two grounding pigtails connecting one to the box and one to the ground screw on the gfci outlet. Screw the outlet to the box then apply a bead of silicone around the face of the box. The block should be rectangular and large enough to accommodate the base of the fixture. Then strip about two feet of sheathing off the end of the cable and cut off two of the three wires.