Although long range cordless phones are convenient, there are still instances when you may need an extra phone. You may need an extension for the base of your cordless phone system or maybe you require an extension for a dial-up modem, fax equipment or satellite link. It’s not necessary to pay a high fee for an extra extension. While wiring an extension is not as easy as hanging wall wine racks for sale, it’s not rocket science either. You can do this by yourself!

The Difference between Four-Wire and Two-Wire Systems

Open the junction box to determine which type of system is installed in your home. You will typically find two-wire systems in older homes, with a total of four colored wires – usually green, red, black and yellow. Red is paired with green for the first phone line and yellow is paired with black for a second extension.

Four-wire systems with eight wires are found in newer homes. You will locate four colored wires and four white wires, which allows for more extensions. Each white wire is paired with a colored wire to form an extension.

How to Add an Extension

1. Keep the handsets from ringing while installing the wiring, take them off the cradle. Find the junction box, which connects to a standard network platform where the interior telephone wiring joins with the outside phone wiring. Remove the cover and secure a new cable next to the junction box using a cable staple. Leave a sufficient amount of cable to be used for connecting the phone wires.

2. Choose the desired interior location for your extension, and make a cutout in the wall of the appropriate size to accommodate the extension module. All floor art sculptures near the proximity of your work zone should be removed.

3. Run the cable to the interior area where you wish to install the new extension. Avoid running the cable through or near flammable materials, and keep the cable at least six to eight inches from circuit wiring to avoid electrical interference. The cable can be attached using cable staples along baseboards or trim, inside walls, closets, or anywhere it can be discreetly hidden from view. Feed around three to four inches of wiring into the hole prepared earlier and loop and fasten with electrical tape so that it does not fall back through the wall.

4. Prepare the wire using a wire stripper (the wire stripper should have a handle that is insulated) to remove about two inches of the cable covering and one-inch of wire insulation.

5. Avoid trying to to connect wiring during a storm. Connect the wires at the extension in a similar fashion as those wires at the junction box, joining similarly colored wires using the junction wiring to guide you. Use electrical tape on the leftover stripped wire, and tape the wires to the back of the extension to keep them from pulling away. Mount the extension box inside the wall cutout.

6. Next, attach the wires at the telephone junction box, coordinating colored wires with the colored screw terminals. The extra wires can be wrapped and tucked into the box, and then the cover can be reattached.

Troubleshooting: Telephone and Wiring Problems

Telephone service and utility companies offer monthly service protection plans that cover services to repair faulty or damaged wiring. It is not usually necessary to pay for this coverage if you have lived in the home for awhile without any issues with your wiring. The homeowner can usually take care of common problems with their telephone service.

If the phones stop working, your first step is to determine if one particular phone is causing the problem. You should next unplug all of the phones and then test each phone individually. If one is not working, that is the source of the problem; either the phone or the modular cord is defective. Switch the cord on the phone that is giving you problems; this will help you determine if the problem is in the phone or the cable. If the telephone still does not work, the most likely problem is the phone, not the cable.

If the telephone works at one extension but not another, check the screw terminals at the phone extension and at the junction box; sometimes a loose screw could be the culprit. After you have tightened and checked the screws and find that the telephone still does not work, the problem likely lies in the cable; installing a new cable by using the directions above will most likely resolve the issue.

Author Bio: Article by Brenda Walker of “Wall Decor and Home Accents”, check out our wide selection of nautical wall decor and wall decoration ideas online.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: telephone,extension,diy,do it yourself,wiring