Adding an outlet, existing wiring is throwing me off

My goal is to add an outlet up high, using the existing outlet below. I was thinking I’d only have one set of hot wires coming in, so the plan was to use pigtails and Wago lever nuts to add the new one. Well, I pulled the lower outlet and it was a mess. There a two other mystery “outs” tied in, I assume to other outlets in this room. Confirmed they are NOT hot when breaker is on, just the IN bundle pictured. So each of the three (white, black, ground) wire nuts down there had 4 wires tied in. The IN/hot, mystery out 1, mystery out 2, then some short jumpers going in to the outlet itself. Is this type of thing allowed, or just lazy/janky? I don’t live in a mansion by any stretch but it’s not a crappy house either… built in 2012. But anyway, how do I add the outlet up high? I want it in the hole on the right (yea I fucked up and cut a hole on the wrong side of the stud at first). The nomex behind the hole is hot with the breaker on. If it makes a difference, this room has no GFI, but shares a circuit with an adjacent bathroom which does have a GFI. submitted by /u/jdubz3237 [link] [comments]

Jun 10, 2025 - 23:58

Adding an outlet, existing wiring is throwing me off

My goal is to add an outlet up high, using the existing outlet below. I was thinking I’d only have one set of hot wires coming in, so the plan was to use pigtails and Wago lever nuts to add the new one. Well, I pulled the lower outlet and it was a mess. There a two other mystery “outs” tied in, I assume to other outlets in this room. Confirmed they are NOT hot when breaker is on, just the IN bundle pictured. So each of the three (white, black, ground) wire nuts down there had 4 wires tied in. The IN/hot, mystery out 1, mystery out 2, then some short jumpers going in to the outlet itself. Is this type of thing allowed, or just lazy/janky? I don’t live in a mansion by any stretch but it’s not a crappy house either… built in 2012.

But anyway, how do I add the outlet up high? I want it in the hole on the right (yea I fucked up and cut a hole on the wrong side of the stud at first). The nomex behind the hole is hot with the breaker on. If it makes a difference, this room has no GFI, but shares a circuit with an adjacent bathroom which does have a GFI.

submitted by /u/jdubz3237
[link] [comments]