Trying to DIY my first outlet and the box I opened has 3 lines all connected with nuts (3 grounds, 3 blacks, 3 whites), but the tutorials I've seen involve adding outlets with only 2 lines.
How do I add in a new outlet (15A-125V Leviton Plus from home depot) since there are only two spots for wires on the outlet?
- Add a fourth line and pigtail all three wires so only one black, one white, and one ground wire is attached to the outlet?
- Connect the hot wire to one screw and pigtail the remaining two non-hot wires to the other screw? (repeat with white lines)
Also, I saw this article on Spruce via googling and it says "The ground wire does not need a pigtail, as it can be connected directly to the new receptacle.". What does that mean? Where would the other two ground wires go if I don't pigtail them to outlet?
Edit: The box is plastic and I was planning to use push-in wire connectors for connecting them together instead of the nuts.
Best Answer
The first option is going to be easier and more safe.
Unless you have a solid understanding of how this circuit is set up, we wouldn't know if it needs to comply with the MWBC rules, which includes NOT using the receptacle for neutral continuity. All of the neutral wires would have to be in a wire nut in that case.
The ground wires follow some of the same rules and should be pigtailed. I do not recommend the crimp technique.