Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Adding New Overhead Light

Any help with the following would be appreciated:

Just bought a house built in the mid 1980s. The bedrooms do not have overhead lighting, which I would like to add. Each bedroom has a switch on the wall next to the door which controls a nearby wall outlet.

I bought the overhead fixture I wanted. Cut a hole in the ceiling of the first room, attached a ceiling box. Bought 14/2 cable. Ran a length of this new cable from the new ceiling box to the wall switch, which has one black, one, white, and one ground.

Is this what I should have done? If so, how do I wire it? When I use pigtail connections, splicing black to black and white to white, the wall outlet which was previously controlled by the switch appears to be always ON, and the ceiling fixture (which uses a fluorescent bulb), is OFF when the switch is in the ON position, and comes ON very dimly (not as bright as it should) when the switch is in the OFF position.

Thanks!

Sorry to tell you but you have tried to wire into a switch loop. The white wire is actually a hot wire on the switch. You have no neutral at the switch to complete the circuit.

You will need to get your power from another source.

You may want to check out some books on basic wiring.

You will need to rewire the currently switched receptacle to make this work.
At the receptacle you should find a white connected to one or more blacks. Disconnect the white from the black.
Connect all black wires to the gold screws on the receptacle.
Connect the white wires to the silver screws.

If the receptacle was only 1/2 switched you will need to replace it. If you look closely at the gold side you will find the tab between the screws broken. You don't want that any more.

At the switch connect the two whites together and push into back of box.
Connect the two blacks to the switch.

OK... thanks! I'll let you know how it works!

Thank you Joed! I now have overhead lighting in two of the three bedrooms. I'll work on the last bedroom at some point later.

Thanks again for your help. :)