Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Help with wiring new lights in living room

I am hoping to install 4 new recessed lights in my living room which only has a switched receptical now and no ceiling lights. The current wiring configuration is as follows:

Switch:
- 1 set of 2-wire
- black and white go to the switch
- ground to receptical housing

Non-switched plug:
- 2 sets of wires, one 2-wire and one 3-wire
- white from 2-wire pigtailed to black from 3-wire and then black to the plug
- black from 2-wire pigtailed to red from 3-wire
- white from 3-wire to plug
- grounds together

Switched plug:
- 2 sets of wires, one 2-wire and one 3-wire
- red from 3-wire to top of plug
- blacks from both sets pigtailed and then to bottom of plug
- whites of both pigtailed and then to plug
- grounds together

So the question is, how do I wire the new recessed lights? Which wires do I pull from? These all run off a 15amp fuse, can 4 50watt recessed lights be added ok? Also, I know I am going to have to run wire to the ceiling, is there an easy way or do you just have to make pilot holes and fish the wire through?

Any help is appreciated.

You can connect the new cable to your new lights into the switch, the unswtiched receptacle or the switched receptacle.
Tell us where you want to connect the new cable and we can tell you the connections that need to be changed.

Do you want the receptacle to remain 1/2 switched? If you do then it will be switched with the lights and the connection for the new lights must go to one of the receptalces.

I guess I would like to the new wires to attached to the switch, as it is the closest to the ceiling for feeding wires. As for the switched plug, not needed once I have lighting installed. Also, can I replace the switch with a dimmer switch for the lights?

Thanks for your help.

The red wire will not be needed. Cap it on both ends and leave in boxes.
Buy a new receptacle for teh switched one. The existing one will have the tab broken on the hot side.
Wiring is the same at both receptacles.
Connect both whites to the silver screws of teh receptacle.
Connect the blacks tot he gold screws.
Connect the ground to the green screw.

At the switch with your new cable.
Connect the whites together with a wire nut. Do not connect to switch.

Connect the blacks to the two screws on the switch or dimmer.
Switch will now switch the new wire going to the lights.

Sorry, after looking where the studs are and the ceiling joists, looks like it would be easier to run the wire from the non-switched plug. Given this, how would I go about wiring the lights to the non-switched plug?

Leave swtich alone. No changes required.


Non-switched plug:
- 2 sets of wires, one 2-wire and one 3-wire
- white from 2-wire pigtailed to black from 3-wire and then black to the plug
leave as is

- black from 2-wire pigtailed to red from 3-wire
disconnect from red and connect black to new black from cable to lights

- white from 3-wire to plug
- grounds together

leave as is
Connect new white to other silver screw.
Connect new ground to other grounds.



Switched plug:
- 2 sets of wires, one 2-wire and one 3-wire
- red from 3-wire to top of plug
disconnect red and cap


- blacks from both sets pigtailed and then to bottom of plug
- whites of both pigtailed and then to plug
- grounds together
Replace receptacle and connect blacks to gold screws and whites to silver screws.

Perfect. Thanks. I will give it a try and let you know how I make out.