Hey guys, I'm just trying to understand what may be going on here with this wiring. This is a wall outlet that is on a wall switch. Two lines run into the box. The white and black are connected between the two runs, with the other white and other black going into the outlet. How does this circuit work?
Electrical outlet wiring question
- Thread starter Johnny248
- Start date
So is one side actually "live" coming in to the outlet one one side, with the other running to the switch? If that makes sense? Like loops through the switch? I guess I need to remove the switch and look. Ideally what I would like to do, is make this outlet constant power, no longer on a switch.
Are you saying the outlet is switched?
Your drawing is not interpretable
And I can’t see all the wires in the picture
Your drawing is not interpretable
And I can’t see all the wires in the picture
Just find the incoming hot side and use that for the outlet and any other outlets down stream
Yes. Sorry. The two lines coming from the right of the picture are romex running into the box. This is switched. I'm assuming that one line runs to the switch. I just want the outlet to have power all of the time.
Remove the switch and wire nut the two wires together . Blank off the box . I'm sure there are more complicated ways to do it .
It doesn''t. From your drawing, it looks like a dead short to me.
This is what I think is happening:
Please note I did not show the bare copper ground wires.
The cable on the R supplies the hot (BK) and the neutral (WH).
If the receptacle were not switched, these two conductors would run directly to it.
As wired, only the neutral (WH) is connected to the receptacle. The hot (BK), as wired, carries power to the switch.
The cable on the L serves as a connection to a remote switch. The WH conductor is serving to carry power to the switch, and the BK conductor brings power back from the switch to the hot side of the receptacle.
There are two things I don't like:
1. The conductors have been "backstabbed" into the receptacle. This is legal, but not good. The proper way is to attach the conductor to side of the receptacle with the provided screw. WH to silver (larger slot on the face of the receptacle), and BK to gold (smaller slot).
2. The WH conductor running to the switch is serving as a hot conductor. It should be identified as such with black electrical tape.
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Plus this is better than the mystery switch that does nothing for the next guy.
Just leave a note for that guy too.
As an advanced topic, it can also be wired so that one of the two sockets on the dual outlet is switched and the other one is always live. Then you can plug in a lamp to the switched socket and something else to the unswitched one.
That is done by breaking the connecting tab between the two brass screws on the "hot" side of the outlet. The two wires that are in the wire nut now would go on the brass "hot" screw for the outlet section you want always live. The black wire returning from the switch goes to the hot screw on the section that will be switched. The white wire from the breaker box (the right side cable) remains the only thing connected to the silver "neutral" side of the outlet. Since the connecting tab is still in place on that side, there is a return path for both sockets through that one wire.
Get rid of that cheap "stab in" outlet and use a "backwire" one instead. The backwire type has slots in the back to push in the bare ends of the stripped wires, which are then secured by tightening the screw. This is a much better connection than the spring tension of the stab-in holes. It is also very simple to connect two wires to one screw on such an outlet.
That is done by breaking the connecting tab between the two brass screws on the "hot" side of the outlet. The two wires that are in the wire nut now would go on the brass "hot" screw for the outlet section you want always live. The black wire returning from the switch goes to the hot screw on the section that will be switched. The white wire from the breaker box (the right side cable) remains the only thing connected to the silver "neutral" side of the outlet. Since the connecting tab is still in place on that side, there is a return path for both sockets through that one wire.
Get rid of that cheap "stab in" outlet and use a "backwire" one instead. The backwire type has slots in the back to push in the bare ends of the stripped wires, which are then secured by tightening the screw. This is a much better connection than the spring tension of the stab-in holes. It is also very simple to connect two wires to one screw on such an outlet.
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I agree completely with your reply, particularly the part about the "backstabbed" receptacle. When you push the wire into the hole, a spring holds it in place and makes the connection. The problem is that over time the spring goes through enough heating and cooling cycles that the spring loses its temper and the electrical connection loosens. If you are lucky, the connection breaks and the receptacle and any others downstream deenergize. If your luck is not so good, you have increased resistance and arcing in the connection. Countless fires have been started by this time saving design.
The outlet is a cheap builder guide (or worse) outlet and they are using the quick way to connect the wires to the outlet.
Replace the outlet with one from Home Depot that costs $2.00 to $3.00. Look at a 75¢ outlet and a $3.00 outlet and it will be obvious the difference. You have a 75¢ outlet.
Pushing in a wire from the back into a spring loaded connection is a crappy way to connect a wire to an outlet. Wiring from the back where you need to tighten a screw against the wire is fine.
I believe electricians wrap a white wire with black tape to indicate it's carrying hot.
And unused screws on the outlet should be screwed in. Sloppy work by an electrician or a homeowner.
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use a good name brand heavy duty 20 amp rated outlet, and no backstabbing connections,, then just use needle nose pliers and make a J hook , putting it around the screw on outlet, close the J hook , then tighten/loosen then tighten down firmly, wrap around the outlet in black electrical tape.
