How To Wire A Switch To A Plug Outlet

Install a switch to control the top outlet of an existing duplex receptacle or electric outlet.

How to wire a switch to a plug outlet. More about how to wire a switched outlet. This is an alternative to waving your arms while wandering about in a dark room searching for a pull chain or reaching under a lamp shade to find the switch. Instead of running a separate pigtail from the hot wire to each switch just leave the hot wire extra long. A pigtail is a short length of wire that runs from a hot or neutral screw terminal on the receptacle to the circuit wires which are joined together in the outlet box with a wire connector.

In addition there is test and and reset buttons on gfci combo switch outlet and one side can be used as line source. If you re running out of outlets to plug things into installing a switch outlet combo is a great way to squeeze in another receptacle without completely wiring in a new outlet or sacrificing existing outlets or switches. The pigtails simply tap into the hot and neutral lines to feed the receptacle. The source is at the outlet and a switch loop is added to a new switch.

Remove the black line wire from the switch twist it together with the black wire going to the receptacle and add a six inch length of black wire of the same gauge. You can wire a switch outlet combo in one of three ways. In the first case the switch controls the outlet and nothing else. Now remove the wire cap from the two white wires in the box add the white wire from the outlet and reset the cap.

The black wire should be installed at the top wire screw on the back side of the switch. Connect the last switch in the usual manner looping the wire around the screw in a clockwise direction. Before wiring installation of a combo device one must know the basic different between combo gfci and combo switch outlet. How to install and set up the belkin wemo light switch.

Electrical wiring for a switch outlet combination. To make this happen connect the black circuit wire to the brass screw on the device the white wire to the chrome screw and the ground wire to the green ground screw. To connect the switches simply score the wire with your wire stripper and push the insulation to expose about 3 4 in. A table lamp plugged into a switched top outlet of a duplex receptacle will allow easy lighting of the room by toggling a wall switch.

In this configuration there is a complete pathway running through the electrical box to the downstream portion of the circuit. There is a break away fin tab intact to the line terminals of normal combo switch and outlet whereas it doesn t exist in gfci or afci combo device. Connect this jumper wire back to the switch terminal. Install a new black wire to the bottom wire screw on the switch located beneath the top connection just made.

How to install electrical outlet and switch combo wiring in most cases the primary power source is shared between the switch and the outlet either with a wire jumper or the bridge or tab that is located on the side of the combo switch and outlet. Connect the black incoming wire to the switch to be installed in the circuit using the screwdriver. Wiring an outlet to a switch loop.