I am currently trying to wire a light in a room where there was not one. I did this in two other rooms already, but the wiring in those rooms were different. This current room, the switch that controls a wall socket has a ground, a black and a white which I believe is coded for hot. Therefore, I do not know how to tie the light in, because I don’t know where to put the neutral. I took the panel off of the socket that is controled by the switch and see that the white is pig tailed with other black wires. How do I tie in the light? Do I need a three way switch to create a neutral port? Help!
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Just pick up the neutral at the outlet.
For that matter feed it from the outlet also( downstream from the switch ).
Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
ok. I'm very new to electricity, so I need more. Getting the neutral from the socket will be very difficult. The walls are up, so fishing is a big chore. Is there a way to work with the wires I have in position? Can I change the white that is coded hot to become a neutral? Please go into more detail.
Pauls -
This might be a good time to let a pro handle it. Sometimes, what looks like a tangled mess to an amatuer is simplicity itself to someone who does it every day.
Hire an electrician and have him teach you what was done, how it was done and why it was done that way.
The situation makes sense. The white acts as a hot at the switch to cut the power, but what I'm wondering is can I turn the socket into a full time socket, rerun the white as a neutral and run my light into the switch?
If the tab is broken, it is only a half switched outlet. Are there Red, Black, White and bare wires at the outlet? I think you might want to pick up some reference material before embarking too much further. I would sugest Rex Cauldwells Wiring a House or the Black and Decker wiring books. Electrical is not always as easy as it seems, esp. with retrofits. Any mistakes can have deadly results. Know your limitations...Good luck, and BE CAREFUL!
What you are talking about is called a Switched Leg.http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/basiclightswitch/basiiclightswitchsl.htmNote that with the current code the white wire, which carries the unswitched hot, should be remarked as a hot. Any color, but white, gray, or green. But black or red is common. Use tape or a marker.Now here are two basic ways of converting a switched receptacle to control a switched light.http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/convertswitchplug/convertplug1.htmhttp://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/convertswitchplug/convertplug2.htmThere are some other versions, such as if this also controlled other switched receptacles, or if you still want to have a switched receptacle.But this will get you started..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
So, if I switch the old socket out, with one that has unbroken tabs, put the white wire with the neutrals, run the neutral all the way to the light, connect the power source to the switch and the black from the light to the switch, everything should work?
Basically yes.
Or just grab the switced feed and neutral at the outlet and run them up to your light location.
With ground.
I just thought of something- are there parts of this that are exposed and others that aren't?Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
When you say parts that are exposed and others aren't, what do you mean? The walls are drywalled and I just roughed in a new light and ran the wire to the switch.
Just thought that maybe the swith wall was exposed due to some other project and the out let wasn't.
If it all was concealed I would have grabbed it from the outlet and run ...hard to see from here.Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Bill:
Question: My electrician calls this scenario a switch back, and a switch leg is when the neutral and hot run thru the switch box.
Do you know which is right?
I could not find where the NEC defines switch leg.A google shows many references to the term. Some of the uses are not clear, but those that are use it like I did."Switch-leg is a wiring configuration in which the full-potential circuit is available at the fixture location, while one half of the circuit (hot in new installations, but often neutral in older knob-and-tube systems) is routed from the fixture location, through a switch, and back and into the fixture itself."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring_(United_States)"Glossary - Switch LegSwitch Leg: The term used to describe the electrical wire that feeds power to a fixture controlled by a local switch. This enables local switching of light fixtures. Provides an outlet of switched power to be used as needed for subsequent fixtures. Ideal component to minimize system cost where switch to fixture ratio is very high."http://www.lithonia.com/Library/glossary/glossaryItem.asp?Gterm=Switch%20LegThe only thing that I could find for "switch back" wiring - was things like "push the switch back into the wall"..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Thanks for researching. I was curious if you had heard switch- back as i had only heard it from this one electrician, though he is pretty sharp. His grandfather taught him years ago so I figure he picked it up somewhere. I am going to inquire next time i talk to him.
I'm happy to announce that with your diagrams, some patience and a little bit of luck I was able to wire in the new light (and I'm pretty sure I can still reproduce). Thanks again for all your help. That was a huge accomplishment for me. I am good with wood working, but electricity is a new venture for me. Thanks again.
Tnaks for letting me know that it worked."and I'm pretty sure I can still reproduce"Buit I am still trying to descide if that is a good or bad thing <VBG>..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.