I found a retrofit electrical box that had screws inside the box that you could use to fasten the box to the wall stud. When I got home, I was ready to install the box.
I needed to separate and tape up the four bundles of wires to run them through the box. I tried to figure out how the wires go through the openings in the box. The box at these tabs that acted as clamps, but they made it impossible to push the wires through. Screw it! The tabs had to go. I removed the tabs so I could get the wires through the openings. There were 5 wires running into this box. Can someone say, “triple gang electrical box.” Nope, I was committed to this box.
Once the wires were in the box, it was time to put the box into the wall. I pushed hard, but the box would not sit flush with the drywall. It wasn’t even close. Since I was working off to the side of the box, I could not get the leverage to push the box tightly in the hole. And even if I did, I needed a third hand to drill in the screws.
I decided to pull out the box and remove the insulation behind the box. I would get some spray foam insulation to fill out the back of the box. I put the wires back in the box and tried to push the box into the hole. I was getting close, but I was getting tired, and I did not have the energy to get it done. I would call it a day.
The next day I was up early again because I kept thinking about this project. I needed to get it done. I headed downstairs to wire the switch/outlets. The pictures I took before I removed the wires were now useless. I had separated and bundled the wires, and I had no clue where they all went. I still remembered the red wire was for the dishwasher. I needed to turn the power on to find the hot wires, but I needed to remove the electrical tape from all the wire bundles. The one time you want the tape not to stick well, it sticks well, very well.
I removed the tape, separated the wires from each other and headed downstairs to switch on the circuit breakers. I got my multimeter from my toolbox in my car only to find out the battery was dead. I was fortunate to have a new 9-volt battery available, but when I turned it on, I got an almost blank screen. Just a couple of random lines. I know I could run to the store and get a new one. The big box home improvement stores are open early, even on Sunday. I tried using the multimeter anyways and I discovered when you get a random dash, you have power. So, that was all I needed.
I found the one black wire that was the only hot one, which is weird because I needed a separate hot wire for the dishwasher. I checked the “red wire,” and it did not show it had any power. I was confused and tried to find another hot wire, so I needed to run a test. I went downstairs and shut off the two breakers. I went back upstairs, and I connected the red wire and hot black wire to the switch. I left the switch in the off position and went downstairs to turn on the breaker. The breakers did not pop when I switched them both on. I went back upstairs and turned the switch on, and POP! The two breakers and the whole house breaker popped. Well, I just scared the heck out of myself and woke up Efiwym, my wife.
I disconnected the switch from the wires and headed back downstairs again to reset the breakers. First the main breaker, then the two other breakers. The breakers reset without any problems, and I think I found the hot wire for the dishwasher. Of course, it was the red wire. I do not know why it did not show as hot on my dysfunctional multimeter, but it did when I rechecked it. I know now how I was going to wire up the switches. Let the wiring begin, but first breakfast.
After breakfast, I started rewiring the box. With the power off, I would still bundle up the neutral (white) wires and ground (copper) wires, as before. I also bundled the positive (black) wires. I could not wire the outlets as before because I lacked back connectors. I purchased a bag of 10 wire nuts for over $8.00 that could handle that many wires, but I did not need any at all. I will return them.
I ran the red and black hot wires to their respective switches. The black wires for the switches would go to the dishwasher and lights. (I would not attach the pendant light wire until I installed the lights.) I ran a positive, neutral and ground wire from the outlet on the dishwasher switch to the outlet on the light switch. I had to double up on one screw for each wire to make the connection to their respective bundles. Overall, this might seem confusing, and boring, but it was what I needed to do to get it to work.
I went downstairs, one more time, to turn on the breakers. First the kitchen breaker, then the dishwasher breaker. No pop, so far, so good. I went back upstairs and turned on the dishwasher switch. The lights on the dishwasher panel were on. Okay. I then used my multimeter to check the outlet and light switch. I got power. Finally, I checked the other three outlets connected to this circuit and they showed power. There was even an outlet in the dining room that was affected by this breaker. The resetting of the printer let me know.
Just to clarify, a house built before 1987 did not require GFCI protection in the kitchen. Apparently, water in the kitchen cannot electrocute you like the water in the bathroom or outside. That code was changed in 1987 for kitchen outlets near a sink and revised in 2023 to require all kitchen outlets to have GFCI protection. Our house was built in 1986 before kitchens became electrocution zones.
I still needed to attach the electrical box and screw the switch/outlets into the box. First, I wanted to insulate behind the electrical box and patch up the holes I created when I removed the box. I needed to go shopping.