| Extra Phone Outlet |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-501 |
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Q: I recently added a home office in my basement. Can I add a phone extension myself, or do I have to call the phone company? A: (James Young, Ask DIY Home-Improvement expert) You can add a phone extension to an existing jack. It's a fairly easy project that requires few tools. Here are the tools (figure A) you'll need: Screwdriver
Wire strippers
Telephone wire
New phone jack
Note: Installing a phone-outlet extension is a job that a do-it-yourselfer can accomplish in a fairly short time, but remember to use extreme caution when working with electricity.
- Before beginning work on this project, take your phone off the hook. In this way, the phone lines can't make a connection while you're working, which might result in an electrical shock.
- To strip the wires so that they can be attached to the jack, use wire strippers to remove the outer sheathing (figure B).
- With the sheathing removed, the individual color-coded wires are exposed (figure C). These wires are fragile, so use caution not to nick or cut them.
- Next, remove the insulation from the end of each individual color-coded wire using smaller wire strippers (figure D).
- Remove the cover from your existing phone jack (figure E) to expose the wires and contacts.
- The ends of the stripped wires (figure F) will be attached to the contacts. The color-coding on the existing wires and the new wires will be matched to ensure the proper contacts -- red to red, yellow to yellow, green to green and black to black.
- Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws that hold the wires secure (figure G).
- Leaving the existing wires in place, attach each of the new wires to the corresponding contact by wrapping the exposed end around the screw. Curl the wire around the screw in a clockwise direction.
- Once each wire is wrapped securely, tighten down each of the screws securely until all of the new wires are attached (figure H).
- With all of the connections made, replace the jack cover, leaving the new wire so that it extends outside the jack (figure I).
- At the other end of the wire, strip and prepare the ends in the same manner as before, and connect each of the ends to the corresponding contact on the new jack (figure J), using the color-coding as a guide.
- Install the new jack onto the wall using screws or double-sided tape (provided with the jack).
- Finally, you may want to conceal the extension phone wire beneath the baseboard (figure K).
- Tip: Use a wooden popsicle stick or tongue depressor to press the phone line into the crack without puncturing or damaging the wire's insulation.
- If it's not possible to conceal the wire beneath a baseboard, you can purchase insulated staples (figure L) that will at least hold the wire secure and out of the way.
- Since this installation was simply adding an extension to an existing phone jack, it was not necessary to call the phone company. To add a new and separate phone line to your home, you would need to call your phone-service provider.
RESOURCES :
HGTV's Complete Fix-It
Author: HGTV
Basic Wiring
Model: 1880029790
Author: Creative Homeowner Press (Editor)
Creative Homeowner Press, 1996
Quick Guide: Wiring
Model: 1880029138
Author: Home Wiring Creative
$7.95
Paperback (October 1992)
Creative Homeowner Press
Creative Homeowner Press
Website: www.creativehomeowner.com
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