How to Hook Up a Double Gang Outlet

Stop the flow of electricity to your household circuits by opening the electrical panel and shutting down the main circuit breaker. Turn on lights and appliances to make sure there is no more power before working on the wires. Never attempt to touch any wires until you are absolutely sure there is no current flowing through them. Place a big note on the electrical panel warning anyone not to touch the panel while you're working on the wires.

Pull the electrical cable out of the electrical outlet box, using needle-nose pliers. Cut away 4 inches of cable sheathing from the tip of the cable, using diagonal pliers. Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from the tip of the black, white and green (or bare) wires with a wire stripper.

Prepare the jumper wires by cutting the following pieces of 6-inch color-coded wires from an electrical cable: black (1 piece), white (1 piece) and green or bare (2 pieces). Strip off 1/2 inch from both ends of each wire.

Loosen all terminal screws on both pieces of 110-volt electrical outlets. Hook each end of the black jumper wire around the lower brass terminal screw on each outlet. Hook each end of the white jumper wire to each lower terminal screw on each outlet. Tighten all screws to secure all connections.

Hook the wires coming from the outlet box to the first outlet according to the following configuration: white wire (neutral) to the upper silver screw on the first outlet, black wire (hot) to the upper brass terminal screw on the first outlet.

Hook one end of the first green or bare jumper wire to the green terminal screw on the first outlet. Hook one end of the second bare or green jumper cable to the green grounding screw on the second outlet. Hook a third 6-inch green grounding jumper wire to the grounding screw on the outlet box if the box is made of metal. Tighten all screws to secure each connection.

Splice the green or bare wires coming from the outlet box, the first outlet, the second outlet and from the outlet box (if the box is made of metal) by holding the wires together with the tips even, then capping the wires with a wire nut. Pull on the wires to make sure you do not have a loose connection.

Wrap two turns of electrical tape around the sides of each outlet to cover the exposed wires and terminals. Fold the wires neatly in a zigzag pattern, then tuck the wires into the box. Screw the outlet onto the outlet box, then cover the outlet with its cover plate. Turn on the main circuit breaker and plug an appliance into each of the 110-volt outlets to test the lines.