Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - installing ceiling lights

I just bought a house 2 years ago. All the upstairs bedrooms have no ceiling lights in them. the light switches all turn on the pulgs in the wall. how do I go about fixing this... can i just wire the switches to the ceiling and install the lights... how do I get the plug ins to stay on without using the light switch

This is a very common DIY project. Luckily, you are interested in "upstairs" bedrooms, where there is likely an accessible attic above this room. The attic availability turns this into a reasonably doable project (sort of "medium" on the scale of difficulty).

First you need to make some decisions and do some investigation. Consider these points:

1. Does the switch control one receptacle, or more than one?
2. Does the switch control both halves of the receptacle(s), or just one half?
3. Is the switch just a simple switch (lever says "on" and "off" on it), or is it one of a pair of 3-way switches?
4. Do you want the switch to still control the receptacle(s), in addition to the light, after you install the light?
5. Are you going to install a simple light, or do you want to prepare this for a ceiling fan (with a pair of switches, one for the fan light and one for the fan motor)? If you might want a ceiling fan (now or in the future), would you want it controlled by wall switches or by a remote control?
6. Is the switch on an interior wall (i.e., easy to access) or on an exterior wall (i.e., more difficult to access with insulation in the way)?
7. Is the controlled receptacle(s) on an interior wall or an exterior wall?
8. Is there just one switch in the box containing the switch in question?

The next questions requires you to shut off the breaker, and gently pull the switch out of its box without disconnecting anything.

9. How many wires are connected to the switch, and what colors are they, and where are they connected?
10. Are there any other wires in the back of the box, not connected to the switch? If so, what color are they?

all the rooms seem to be the same... the light switch controls one receptacle in the room,
they all control both upper and lower receptacles
it just a simple switch on and off
just want to control the light with the switch
switches and receptacles are located on interior walls
didn't understand Question #8
two wires black and white. white connecting to the upper and black to the lower part of the light switch...Maybe a ceiling fan in one room or is it possible to wire them all just in case????

Pretty simple project. You'll need to run a new cable from the ceiling to the box containing the switched receptacle. Not a difficult project working from the attic. If you don't want the receptacle to be controlled by the switch any more, as an alternative you can run your new cable from the ceiling to the switch box. Either way will work if you don't want the receptacle switched, but you need to run the cable to the receptacle box if you do want the receptacle to stay switched.

Pick one of the two options above and we can start talking connections.

thanks...a question thou... in the receptacle a white wire is connected to it and then theres a black pigtail wired threw it not connected to the receptacle at all it just runs threw the box... can i just connect the black wires to the receptacle and leave the white ones unconnected. then run my wire from the ceiling..?????

can i just connect the black wires to the receptacle and leave the white ones unconnected. then run my wire from the ceiling..?????This question makes little sense to me. If I were to guess as to its meaning, I would answer it with a "no".

You can connect your new black wire to the receptacle on a brass screw (assuming that one of the existing brass screws is currently unused), but you also need to connect your new white wire to a silver screw on the receptacle (assuming that one of the existing silver screws is currently unused). Leave all the existing connections in the receptacle box unchanged. If you do it this way, your new light and your receptacle will both be switched by the existing switch (which you should leave exactly as it is now).

However, this is just one way of doing it. If that way is good for you, we don't need to talk about the other alternatives.

I would like the receptacle to remain on.. and my new light to be run by the switch only...

i was talking to a guy at work and he said I need to put a junction box if i want my receptacle to remain all the time and to use my switch for my light. so do i need a junction box for each room then??? and could you run me through the wiring aspect please...

Sometimes getting the receptacle to be hot all the rime can be as simple as moving a wire or replacing the device.

What colors and how many wires are in the receptacle box ?

No, you do not need a junction box. As pcboss says, you can do this merely by rearranging a few wires in the receptacle box.

Previously, you said:

in the receptacle a white wire is connected to it and then theres a black pigtail wired threw it not connected to the receptacle at all it just runs threw the box

Please restate the above with more precision and more detail. Tell us all the cables, all the wires and all the connections in the receptacle box.

in the light switch there is a white wire connecting to top black on bottom the receptacle theres white wire to top and white wire to bottom and black pigtale threw the box (not connected to any thing in receptacle)and again i want the receptacle to stay on always and to control the light by the switch(which i am installing also in the middle of the ceiling)

Sorry, I cannot parse that.

sorry i don't get what you are saying
Exactly!!

I don't get what Jay is saying.

I was about to ask the same question as this poster. Thanks for the usful info here.....I have a light arriving tomorrow and I am going to have a go at it over the weekend....no doubt I will run into little issues as I am doing this in my family room (no attic access)

Any tricks of the trade for getting the wires where I need them without making 'much' mess of the wall and ceiling?

Cantona, please start a new thread for your new questions. This thread is already confusing enough.