DIY Home Telephone Wiring

These instructions assume that you have already run the home telephone wiring to the new location. All you need to get started is a screwdriver, a pair of needle nose pliers and a wire stripper.

Phone Jack Wiring Diagram

Depending on how old your wiring is, you just need to match colors.

If you have the newer wiring, attach them as follows...

Ready to do your own home telephone wiring?

Use your wire strippers to remove about 1/2" of casing. Make a small "hook" in the wire with the needle nose pliers and place the wire under the screw. Make sure the wire is wrapped around the screw in a clockwise direction so it will stay under the screw when you tighten it.

Now that you have your phone jack wiring complete, you must now hook the telephone wire up to the connecting block.

Again, depending on the age of you home, the conecting block could be as simple as two screws. A red and a green. Connect the red wire (or blue/white) to the red side and the green (or white/blue) to the green side.

If you have a newer connecting box (I beleive they are called R66 Connecting Block or a 2 Pair Connecting Block) just find an empty pair of screws and connect the wires in.

NOTE: Line 1 is usually the only telephone line you need to connect (Red and Green). Additional lines would be need for a fax machine or second phone line (naturally)

Great! Now you have the home telephone wiring you have always desired. Once you have completed all your connections, it is possible you may have some problems. (Let's face it, no one is perfect!)

Here is a short list to help you troubleshoot your phone jack installation.

Static

Static could be from loose connections, a pierced wire or even if the wiring has been wet. Check all your connections carefully.

Dead Air

This is usually from a short in the phone wiring. Maybe you stripped too much of the casing off and the copper from different colored wires is touching. Again, check all your connections carefully.

Buzzing Sound

The phone wire may be too close to a power wire or touching some metal. Also check that all the colors are matched properly.

So ends the do it yourself guide to basic home telephone wiring. If you require something more complex, contact your local phone company for assistance.

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Hey, doing it yourself is great but if you are unsure of the advice given or the methods in which to job is done... don't do it. This site is merely a collection of how some people do home improvements. There is no way we can anticipate every situation and we do our best to inform of any risks for each job. Be sure to check local building codes for proper installation and permits. 

If in doubt, hire it out.