Adding an outlet...help?

[Mike]

Just bought a house...previously my only tool was a hammer so needless to say I'm a newbie here. I want to add an outlet in my basement for a Norditrack treadmill we have down there. I'm assuming that I just buy some wire, a circuit breaker and an outlet and make sure to turn off the main power to the breaker box....correct? Any clue as to what guage wire and how many amps (I don't have the treadmill specs) the breaker should be? Any tips/hints/ways to avoid electrocuting myself?

[Speedy Jim]

No offense- You need something more graphic than a newsgroup. Head over to HD and buy a basic wiring b o o k. Study that and get familiar with what's involved before picking up the screwdriver...

Jim

[Bill Schnakenberg]

He only has a hammer.

[toller]

My nordictrack treadmill is not electric, so 0a is adequate. But maybe you have a different model.

Assuming the walls are not drywalled, you have a pretty easy project; but there is a lot to know still. If you have a handy friend who can help you for an hour, that would be the best way. If not get an electrical book and read it very carefully.

[Phisherman]

[mwlogs]

If all you have is a hammer - everything is a nail!

[JerryMouse]

What CAN you do well? Compose a sonnett? Paint a watercolor? Figure an income tax? Kiss? Wash a car?

Offer to trade your expertise with that of a handy-man neighbor.

I once read a story about a gal who saved up her apartment projects then traded them for a home-cooked meal.

She thought: "He can put up a towel rack that won't fall down - a miracle! All I have to do is throw a couple of extra potatos in the pot. What a deal."

He thought: "She turns a lump of stuff into a marvelous rack of lamb - a miracle! It's all mine for a piddly $1.00 bracket.What a deal."

[Greg]

This is the way the world worked ... before we screwed things up with "money"

[Joe Bobst]

As Phisherman says, >

Good idea, and to expand on that, watch the guy work, ask some courteous questions and learn a little. And if he appreciates your sincerity, and shows you a couple of tricks, hand him a tenner and a cool one when he's ready to leave. Always worked for me. HTH

Joe