Question about replacing a switch/plug in the bathroom?

[djj2m]

Hi, our house is 40 years old and we need to replace the switch with plug in our full bathroom. My husband bought one at ACO and put the wires exactly like the old one but kept blowing fuses. There are two black wires that are copper and one white one that is also copper. The long black wire is stripped in the middle having the copper curved to go around one screw. The second black wire is shorter and is hooked at the end. It came off of the ground screw. The white one was connected to the plug in. There are no bare wires.
He tried all sorts of combinations and got the plug to work one time but never got the switch to work for the lights.
Are the new switches different than our old wiring? He worked 3 hours one day and I helped him today and we just can't get it to work.
Thank you for any suggestions.
djj2m
Auburn Hills, Michigan

[mattison]

On the 2nd black wire you said went to the ground. Are you sure that isn't for the other leg of the switch? If it is, and you have it connected to the ground lug of the switch when you turn on the light it would trip a breaker.

[John Nelson]

In proper wiring, black wires never, ever, ever go to a grounding screw.

The white wire clearly goes to the silver screw on your combo device. This silver screw should be on the receptacle half of the combo (on the side with the wider of the two receptacle slits).

One of the black wires goes on each side of the switch half. Hook them up either way. The brass screw on the receptacle half of the device will be left vacant. Then turn the breaker back on and test. If the switch controls the receptacle in addition to the light, and you prefer that the switch control only the light, then shut off the breaker again and swap the two black wires.

Since you have no grounding, attach nothing to the green screw.

[djj2m]

Thanks for the info. It works great now. We have lights and a plug that works. You are a life saver. *smile*
djj2m

[John Nelson]

Cool!......