How do I install an electrical outlet next to a switch?
I have a light on a wall with it’s switch about three feet below it. I’ve added the double-gang box and an outlet, but clearly don’t have it wired correctly.
There are three wires coming into the box: black, white, and copper (ground). I’ve attached those wires to the line side of a GFCI receptacle, then run new wires from the load side of the receptacle to the switch. Oops!
When nothing is plugged into the outlet, the switch and light work as expected. However, plugging anything into the outlet (such as Christmas Lights) causes the light on the wall to come on dimly, and the Christmas lights are also dim; further, turning the switch on causes the light on the wall to come one fully (as expected) and the Christmas lights to turn of completely.
Any thoughts as to what I’ve done wrong? I have a feeling that I should have spliced something in either the light or the switch boxes.
Thanks,
Kevin
they are both wrong.
If you only have three wires coming into the box (your light switch) then that means the supply (of powere) is going to the light first then the wires are going down to the light switch to complete the circuit. You need to have the supply at that light siwtch box in order to connect an outlet. If you were to do this then you would have 6 wires in the box. a black white and copper from supply and a blac white and copper that go to your light. If that were the case then you would just splice in your outlet from the supply using wire nuts.
But I will agree that if you don’t know what you are doing its unsafe to mess with electric as you could burn your house down and not be covered
Posted in Install Christmas Lights
January 23rd, 2010 at 1:34 am
if you want to live to see Christmas’s , get an expert to install it.
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January 23rd, 2010 at 1:51 am
call a lecky quick.
it sounds as though you are trying to use the light circuit as a ring main. you are going to start a fire and your insurers wont pay up. just look at the rating of the light circuit against the ring main. then look at the size of cables.
you may have used 30 amp rated cable for your box, but what about the light circuit suppling the lights?
30 into 15 goes bang!
just because there is electricity inthe light circuit does nt mean you can use it for any thing you want.
find your ring main and start again.
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January 23rd, 2010 at 2:35 am
I will assume you are in the USA? If not, ignore this answer. You have installed a GFCI receptacle in series with the switch leg wiring. That will not work as you have discovered. Both the white and the black in the switch box are hot wires. One to feed the switch (hot wire), and one back to the light (switched wire). The neutral (white) you need for the receptacle is inside the light fixture box. Oooops.
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I’m a real electrician, not an impostor
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:20 am
they are both wrong.
If you only have three wires coming into the box (your light switch) then that means the supply (of powere) is going to the light first then the wires are going down to the light switch to complete the circuit. You need to have the supply at that light siwtch box in order to connect an outlet. If you were to do this then you would have 6 wires in the box. a black white and copper from supply and a blac white and copper that go to your light. If that were the case then you would just splice in your outlet from the supply using wire nuts.
But I will agree that if you don’t know what you are doing its unsafe to mess with electric as you could burn your house down and not be covered
References :
20+ years of construction and electrical work
January 23rd, 2010 at 3:33 am
You shouldn’t play with wiring if your not 100% sure of what your doing. If you had testing equipment or understood how to wire a light switch you wouldn’t be in this mess.
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