Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Another switch powered outlet
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SandFilUp
03-11-06, 10:27 AM
You guys have been invaluable to me as I am attempting to re-wire all the outlets in our house, a lot of which were improperly wired from the previous owner. I have another outlet that baffles me (not that that's hard to do!). This one is also activated by a wall switch, and looks to be a middle-of-the-run outlet.
The outlet box has three 3-wire cables entering the box, all of which have white, black and ground wires only. The one from the bottom (which I think is main power) has the white wire attached to the top silver screw of the receptacle, the black wire is wirenutted together with the black wire of the top right cable in the box which is looped to the bottom gold screw on the receptacle, the white from this upper right is attached to the bottom silver screw of the receptacle.
The top left cable, looks to be from the wall switch, has the white wire wirenutted together with the two black wires that I mentioned were wirenutted together, the top left black is attached to the top gold screw on the receptacle. All grounds are wirenutted together attached to the box and then to the ground screw on the receptacle. At the wall switch there are just the white, black and ground wires.
The way its all hooked up now does not allow the wall switch to power the outlet, how should it be properly wired to allow this to happen?
The outlet box has three 3-wire cables entering the box, all of which have white, black and ground wires only. The one from the bottom (which I think is main power) has the white wire attached to the top silver screw of the receptacle, the black wire is wirenutted together with the black wire of the top right cable in the box which is looped to the bottom gold screw on the receptacle, the white from this upper right is attached to the bottom silver screw of the receptacle.
The top left cable, looks to be from the wall switch, has the white wire wirenutted together with the two black wires that I mentioned were wirenutted together, the top left black is attached to the top gold screw on the receptacle. All grounds are wirenutted together attached to the box and then to the ground screw on the receptacle. At the wall switch there are just the white, black and ground wires.
The way its all hooked up now does not allow the wall switch to power the outlet, how should it be properly wired to allow this to happen?
joed
03-11-06, 10:31 AM
If you examine the old receptacle you find the tab between the gold screws broken off. Break the tab from the gold side only( not the silver side) and it will work. The top half will be controlled by the switch. The wring sounds correct. You only need to remove the tab.
SandFilUp
03-11-06, 11:05 AM
Thanks for the response. My wife has a question:
I am hesitant to allow hubby to do as you suggest, only because one of our previous posts indicated that breaking the tab may be a fire hazard. See link http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=201989&highlight=sandfilup for the whole thread. The comments reads "The receptacle in the bedroom is wired wrong. It represent a serious life hazard. Someone wanted to make the receptacle half switched and half always hot, and did so by using the ground wire as the return. This is extremely unsafe. This MUST be corrected. Plan on buying a new receptacle and replacing that one, as it will be easier to replace it than to wire pigtails to replace the broken off tab. We cannot make this receptacle half switched and half always on with the wiring as it is. If you wanted to replace a wire we could do something."
Hubby is saying that the other receptacle was a fire hazard because of the ground wire, but I thought it was due to the broken tab. Would you kindly confirm that this is a different situation and your instructions do not present a fire hazard? Thanks so much. (The Wife)
I am hesitant to allow hubby to do as you suggest, only because one of our previous posts indicated that breaking the tab may be a fire hazard. See link http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=201989&highlight=sandfilup for the whole thread. The comments reads "The receptacle in the bedroom is wired wrong. It represent a serious life hazard. Someone wanted to make the receptacle half switched and half always hot, and did so by using the ground wire as the return. This is extremely unsafe. This MUST be corrected. Plan on buying a new receptacle and replacing that one, as it will be easier to replace it than to wire pigtails to replace the broken off tab. We cannot make this receptacle half switched and half always on with the wiring as it is. If you wanted to replace a wire we could do something."
Hubby is saying that the other receptacle was a fire hazard because of the ground wire, but I thought it was due to the broken tab. Would you kindly confirm that this is a different situation and your instructions do not present a fire hazard? Thanks so much. (The Wife)
joed
03-11-06, 04:07 PM
The problem with the other receptacle was using the bare ground wire as a hot power wire. You must never use a bare or green wire as a hot power wire.
I can not think of how breaking a tab would make a fire hazard. In some cases it will make the circuit not function but it would not be a fire hazard.
Break the tab on the gold screw side and you will be good to go.
I can not think of how breaking a tab would make a fire hazard. In some cases it will make the circuit not function but it would not be a fire hazard.
Break the tab on the gold screw side and you will be good to go.
SandFilUp
03-11-06, 05:43 PM
Once again, thank you very much...and my wife thanks you too!