Familiarize yourself with
basic wiring techniques
before starting a project.

Introduction

The final -- and most gratifying -- phase of an electrical installation comes when you tie all those wires together and attach them to the switches, light fixtures, and receptacles. Don't take shortcuts with wire connections and splices. Cap splices with wire connectors rather than only tape, and wrap tape around each connector. Make pigtails (see Connecting Wires, Related Projects) wherever they are needed instead of trying to connect two or more wires to a terminal. Finally, don't overcrowd a box with too many wires (for limits, see the chart at the end Choosing Boxes, Related Projects).

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