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- Installing a Switch and Receptacle in a Single-Gang Box
- 1
Turn off the branch-circuit circuit breaker on the service panel. Remove the switch cover plate. Check to make sure that the power is off by turning on the non-contact voltage tester and bringing it near the wires in the box. If there is voltage still present on the wires, the tester will beep loudly. Some boxes have more than one circuit running through them. You may have to turn off more than one circuit breaker before you can work on the circuit safely.
- 2
Remove the two #6-32 screws holding the switch in the box. Pull the switch out of the box and disconnect the wires from the switch. Remove the wire nut holding the two white wires together. You may have to use the Lineman's pliers to untwist the white wires once you remove the wire nut to separate them.
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- 3
Separate all the wires so that they do not touch one another or the box. Turn the branch-circuit circuit breaker on temporarily. Use the non-contact tester to ascertain which black wire is bringing power to the box. Fix the position of that wire firmly in your mind and turn the circuit breaker off again.
- 4
Cut the white wire flush with its insulation and remove 3/4 of an inch of insulation from the cut ends with the wire strippers. Cut a 6 to 8 inch length of white wire, removing 3/4 inch of insulation from both ends. Make a 3-way splice with the two white wires in the box. Hold the stripped ends of the wires side by side and twist them tightly together in a clockwise twist with the Lineman's pliers. Complete the splice by screwing on a wire nut. Form a loop, in the free end of the white, pigtail wire.
- 5
Connect the black wire bringing power to the box to the side of the switch receptacle with the double brass screws joined together. Connect the black wire going to the light to the single brass screw on the opposite side of the switch. Connect the white wire to the silver screw and the bare copper wire to the green, octagon-shaped screw. Place the loops around the screws in a clockwise direction and tighten the screws.
- 6
Install the switch/receptacle in the box, install the cover plate and turn on the circuit breaker.
- 1
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoyes, if the receptacle and switch are built together they can fit in a 1 switch box.
if you have those larger two switch boxes then you can put two separate ones in the box
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Why would an electric receptacle have 3 hot and 3 neutral wires With one set of wires screwed into the sides of the outlet and the other two sets pushed into the back?
no you have to improperly install it....... :P Shut off the power to the receptacle. Now remove the three black wires from one side of the old receptacle and twist them all together with your pliers. Make a short pigtail 6 inches long, same colour and wire size. Now twist this pigtail into the other three wires. Hold all four wires together with the appropriate size wire nut. Do the same with the white wires. Push all the wires into the back of the receptacle box. Connect the two pigtail wires to the new receptacle black wire to the brass coloured screw, white wire to the silver coloured screw. Screw the new receptacle back into the box, install cover plate, turn the power back on. Done deal.
How can I install a 110 receptacle alongside a 220 receptacle using the 220 receptacle wires for power?
While you can physically do this it violates the Electrical Code. 110 Volt and 220 Volt receptacles are required by the Electrical Code to be on separate breakers for safety reasons, this would put them on the same 220 Volt breaker.
How can you wire a 110V plug outlet on a generator to stop the plug from melting?
If the plug is melting it is because of a heat build up caused by loose connections. If the plug is not a moulded plug check that the screws are tight. If it is not that, then the plug blades are not tight enough in the receptacle. Change out the receptacle on the generator. Draw a picture of the receptacle and mark where each wire goes. The best way of doing is is when you have the new receptacle take one wire off of the old receptacle and put it in the same position on the new receptacle. Having tight blade connections will prevent the plug overheating and melting.
How do you add a light switch to a ceiling fan that doesnt have a pull switch. i installed a light kit but theres no way to turn off the light. do i drill a hole and add a switch to existing wiring?
Some brand fans have a remote control kit that installs in the fan housing. Also if you have access you can run a separate switched voltage to the fan. In this case you would have to put a second switch in the same box that controls fan, unless it is a switch with speed control that came with fan. In this case you would have to install a new box (Old Work Switch Box from Home Depot or Lowes for example) and run voltage to the box, install a switch and run wire to fan and connect to light. One other possibility is to check the ceiling box and see if there is a spare red wire. If so you could use this to switch power to the light separately from the fan. Again it depends on the switch configuration and supply voltage feed.
When I power anything on at the outlet in my bathroom (which has two outlets and a light switch on the same receptacle) it turns the wall light ON. Should I be worried about faulty wiring?
Answer for Canada, USA and countries running a 60 Hz, 120/240 volt, split supply service.This sounds like a DIY electrician didn't make the correct re-connections. If "power anything on" means when you plug a device into the receptacle part of the outlet, the wall light comes on, then there is crossed wiring in the wall box.There should be a minimum of two black and white conductor cables in the box. If the circuit is extended from this box there could be another one or two cables.This is the point where if you feel conversant with electrical terms and have test equipment you could try and repair the condition or call an electrician.What has happened is the switch leg for the light switch has been connected across the receptacle. This can happen because the switch leg used a white wire instead of two black wires. So when you plug a device into the receptacle, the device acts as a switch and turns the light on. You might find that the light does not come on completely bright due to the internal resistance in the plugged in device.At this point an electrician would shut the breaker off feeding the circuit, take the cover plate off the box and remove both the receptacle and the switch. Undo all of the connections and sort out which cable wire does what. This is where the test equipment is needed.Once the cables are all separated briefly turn the breaker back on and determine what cable brings the supply to the junction box. Mark this cable and turn the power source back off again.Next determine what cable goes to the wall light. Put the test meter, switched to the ohms scale, across the black and white wires of the cable under test. There should be a reading, unscrew the lamp and the reading should stop. Do this a couple of times to make sure that you have the correct cable.If there are more cables in the junction box these most likely go to other receptacles that are connected to the same circuit down streamTo reconnect, connect all of the white wires that are in the junction box together plus a short white pigtail for the receptacle's neutral side (silver screw). Connect the white pigtail to the receptacle.Now take the incoming black "hot" conductor and create two pigtail short wires and the downstream black wire, if there is one, and wire nut all three or four wires together.One of the black pigtails goes to the receptacle and the other pigtail goes to the top contact on the switch. At this point the receptacle will be across the black and white incoming "hot" cable and the top of the switch will have a "hot" conductor connected to it.All that is left to do is connect the black wire from the light cable to the bottom of the light switch. To test the circuit before closing everything up, turn on the breaker and flip the light switch to the on position and the wall light should light. If it does, turn the breaker back off again, reinstall the switch and the receptacle, install the cover plate and the project is finished.As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.Before you do any work yourself, on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
Can you put two switches and GFI receptacle in same box?
Yes, that is fine.
Why would an electric receptacle have 3 hot and 3 neutral wires With one set of wires screwed into the sides of the outlet and the other two sets pushed into the back?
no you have to improperly install it....... :P Shut off the power to the receptacle. Now remove the three black wires from one side of the old receptacle and twist them all together with your pliers. Make a short pigtail 6 inches long, same colour and wire size. Now twist this pigtail into the other three wires. Hold all four wires together with the appropriate size wire nut. Do the same with the white wires. Push all the wires into the back of the receptacle box. Connect the two pigtail wires to the new receptacle black wire to the brass coloured screw, white wire to the silver coloured screw. Screw the new receptacle back into the box, install cover plate, turn the power back on. Done deal.
Can you add a receptacle to an end of run switch?
No, the neutral conductor will not be in that box. The white wire in the end of run will be the return "hot" leg back to the light fixture. When wired this white conductor should have had a black tape marker put on it to signify that it was not a neutral conductor. That same conductor should also have had a black marker placed on the end in the fixture's junction box.
Can you put a receptacle on the end of an extension cord?
Yes, the receptacle will have to be terminated in a receptacle box of some kind. Construction usually use an FS type box with a 1/2" hub. A 1/2" strain relief connector is used to hold the extension cord into the FS box. Wire the white wire of the cord to the silver screw, black coloured wire to the brass screw and the green wire to the green ground screw on the receptacle. The cover plate should be weatherproof FS type if the cord is to be used outdoors. If for indoor use a normal steel cover plate designed for use on a FS box will work fine. If strictly for indoor use, a box called an 1110 utility box, will also work to hold the receptacle.
How do you put a household receptacle on the end of an extension cord?
Yes, the receptacle will have to be terminated in a receptacle box of some kind. Construction usually use an FS type box with a 1/2" hub. A 1/2" strain relief connector is used to hold the extension cord into the FS box. Wire the white wire of the cord to the silver screw, black coloured wire to the brass screw and the green wire to the green ground screw on the receptacle. The cover plate should be weatherproof FS type if the cord is to be used outdoors. If for indoor use a normal steel cover plate designed for use on a FS box will work fine. If strictly for indoor use, a box called an 1110 utility box, will also work to hold the receptacle.
You have just replaced your ceiling light and when you turned the power back on the light stays on even when you turn off the switch?
Re open the switch junction box after turning the power back off. If you can locate the wire that bring the voltage to the box make sure that this wire goes to the top of the switch. If it is tied into more black wires this could be receptacle circuits that are on all of the time. If this is the case, from this group add a pigtail from this group to the top of the switch. from the bottom of the switch find the wire that is going to the light. It is probably in the group that is tied together. Once found terminate this wire to the bottom of the switch. Put the breaker back on and try the switch.
How can I install a 110 receptacle alongside a 220 receptacle using the 220 receptacle wires for power?
While you can physically do this it violates the Electrical Code. 110 Volt and 220 Volt receptacles are required by the Electrical Code to be on separate breakers for safety reasons, this would put them on the same 220 Volt breaker.
How do you put in a back porch light where there has not ever been one?
if there is a plug or switch nearby where you want the switch for this light use that for power. go to your panel and turn off the breaker for that circuit. open up that switch/ plug and pull the switch/plug off. find a stud to put your switch on. preferably in the same space as the other box is in so no drilling is required and less damage is done to the drywall. put a 2 wire into the box and attach the black wire to the constant power in the box. you can find the constant power by pulling out all the wires as so nothing is touching them and turn the breaker back on. use a voltmeter to find the black or red wire with power on it. turn the breaker back off and attach your new black wire to the constant power with a merrette. attach the your new white wire to the existing whites in the box. put your new ground wire under the ground screw. cut a hole in the drywall for your new box. run the 2 wire to that hole. take your box and cut all the tabs/positioners off it. put the wire in the box and skin it. make the hole for your octogon outside. run a 2 wire from the light box opening to the opening for the switch. skin the 2 wire and put it in the box. connect the whites and leave the blacks as is. mount the box. ground the ground wires under the ground screws. put on the switch. (blacks on the brass screws, one black on one, the other on the other, it doesnt matter which goes where) put a cover over the switch. close up the existing switch/plug as it was before. outside: put your 2 wire into the octogon box and ground the ground wire. mount the box on the wall in the opening. put up your fixture. connections= white to white, black to black. flip on your breaker. and it should all work ( dont forget the bulb ;) i forgot to add, make sure u put a poly around the switch box if it is on an exterior wall. without a poly water can seap into your house creating mold shorting out you circuit and you will have air from your house leaving into the outdoors.
How far do you put a GFCI from water?
How far do u put a GFCI receptacle from water
How can you wire a 110V plug outlet on a generator to stop the plug from melting?
If the plug is melting it is because of a heat build up caused by loose connections. If the plug is not a moulded plug check that the screws are tight. If it is not that, then the plug blades are not tight enough in the receptacle. Change out the receptacle on the generator. Draw a picture of the receptacle and mark where each wire goes. The best way of doing is is when you have the new receptacle take one wire off of the old receptacle and put it in the same position on the new receptacle. Having tight blade connections will prevent the plug overheating and melting.
How many 14 gauge electrical wires can you put in a 2x4 electrical box?
Answer varies. Is it a deep or shallow box? is there a receptical, a switch in the box as well? is it just a junction box? are they single wires or NM cable?
How do you add a light switch to a ceiling fan that doesnt have a pull switch. i installed a light kit but theres no way to turn off the light. do i drill a hole and add a switch to existing wiring?
Some brand fans have a remote control kit that installs in the fan housing. Also if you have access you can run a separate switched voltage to the fan. In this case you would have to put a second switch in the same box that controls fan, unless it is a switch with speed control that came with fan. In this case you would have to install a new box (Old Work Switch Box from Home Depot or Lowes for example) and run voltage to the box, install a switch and run wire to fan and connect to light. One other possibility is to check the ceiling box and see if there is a spare red wire. If so you could use this to switch power to the light separately from the fan. Again it depends on the switch configuration and supply voltage feed.
