Adding an electrical outlet to a room is an easy and inexpensive home improvement project that even a beginner can do in an evening.
Materials list:
Electrical outlet
Outlet box (also called a wall box)
Electrical junction box
Faceplate
Wire nuts or connectors
Wire (12-2 is recommended for normal household use)
Tools:
Phillips-head screwdriver
wire cutter and stripper
drywall saw
electric drill
knee pads
Yes, you will need the knee pads; you're going to be spending time on your knees, and knee pads are a must, especially if you have hardwood floors. Trust me -- you'll thank me later. These instructions assume that you are simply adding an outlet to an existing circuit; if you are trying to add a new circuit to your home, I recommend consulting a licensed electrician (in most areas, this is the law).
The first step is to determine which circuit you are tapping into. Breaker boxes are labeled, so all you need to do is find the breaker for the room that you are working in, and make sure it is turned off. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS WHILE THE CIRCUIT IS LIVE. That cannot be stressed enough. Make sure all power is off to the room you are working in; if there is any doubt, do not proceed.
You need to decide where you want the outlet. Once you do that, cut a hole in the drywall using the drywall saw and the template that comes with the outlet box. Insert the box in this hole, and either nail it to an adjacent stud or use the wings on the box to secure it to the drywall.
Next, locate wiring close to where you want the outlet. This is the most difficult part of the process; if you have a basement or attic and can see where the wiring is run into the walls of your house, it will be much easier. Otherwise, you will need to simply locate an outlet or light on that circuit and tap into that wiring, and you will need to run the wiring through wall studs to get the outlet where you want it to be. To tap into existing wire, simply cut the wire, and strip the ends of any insulation. Insert these two ends into the junction box you purchased, and connect them to a new piece of wire. Always connect the same colors together; black always goes to black, white to white, and green (or bare copper) to green (or bare). This new piece should be run to the outlet box you just installed. NOTE: You may need to drill holes in studs to get the wire to pass through to the new location.
Connect the new outlet to the new wiring following the wiring diagram included in the packaging. Screw the outlet onto the box, and cover with the faceplate that you purchased (this is where the knee pads really come in handy, because you will be crawling around quite a bit at this point). Turn the breaker on, and test your new outlet.