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EXTENDING
POWER OUTSIDE THE HOUSE:
There are two ways to extend electricity from the house to the outside.
You can run the power cable through the basement-or basement crawl
space-or through the attic.
CAUTION:
Regardless of the method used to extend the power, turn of the power,
if it is on the "working" circuit, at the main service panel before
starting any electrical work. Do not work with the power on.
Through
the Basement-
Follow these procedures for a basement exit:
- Pick
a reference point on an exterior wall that is identifiable on
both the inside and outside of the house.
- Locate
the exit point for the cable. It may be near a water pipe that
extends through the wall or at a corner. The spot where you go
through the wall should be at least 3" from a joist, sill plate,
or floor to allow clearance for a junction box.
- Outside,
measure from the common reference point to the spot selected for
the exit. If the spot is on the foundation, make sure the spot
does not fall on a joint between concrete blocks or where two
pieces of siding join. The spot has to provide a firm base for
the LB fitting. At this point outside, drill a small hole through
the wall to verify that the path is clear. If the hole is in a
block wall, don't drill through the top block.
Blocks below the top have a hollow center; top blocks often are
filled with concrete.
- Use
a star drill and small sledgehammer to cut the opening for the
extender in masonry. Wear safety glasses and gloves while working
with concrete.
- Back
inside, open one of the knockouts from the back of a junction
box and mount the box so the hole matches the hole through the
wall. The box is mounted with masonry shields (anchors) and screws.
- Outside,
dig the cable trench.
- Screw
onto an LB fitting a nipple long enough to extend from inside
the box through the hole to the outside. Outside, attach conduit
to the LB fitting and run the conduit down the side of the house
to the trench. Then seal the joint around the fitting with quality
caulking compound. Inside, secure the nipple to the box with a
connector. The opening is now ready for the cable.
Through
the Attic-
To bring power through the attic and an cave, you will need an outdoor
outlet box, nipple, 90-degree corner elbow, and a length of conduit
to extend down the side of the house to the trench.
- Hold
the assembly against the overhang of the roof so the box and nipple
are against the soffit and the conduit is against the wall. Try
to run the conduit near a downspout to make it inconspicuous.
- Mark
the soffit where the cable will pass through the soffit into the
box. Use a 1-1/8 bit to drill a hole through the soffit for the
cable. Then remove a knockout to correspond with the hole, and
fasten the box to the soffit with screws.
- Run
the cable from the attic power source and out the hole in the
soffit. Clamp the cable to the box. With conduit straps, strap
the nipple and conduit into place and complete the installation
by running conduit down the side of the house. The path is now
ready for the cable installation. Be sure to check the codes for
the type of cable and/or conduit you can use.
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