Home Page link

Re: switch grounded outlet combo question.

Building Construction - Building Construction Industry Discussions. 

Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Re: switch grounded outlet combo question. Dave 11-19-2007
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by Dave on November 19, 2007, 4:41 pm

>I have a single pole switch outlet combo device in my kitchen. The
> switch started to make a loud pop when the light was turned off, not
> on. I tried to replace the device and here is what happened. There
> are three wires in the box. I know the one hot and the other are
> neutral. No ground wire. I wired hot to hot, and the neutrals to the
> other two silver and then light brass screw. Powered on and the
> switch worked, no plug, unless switch was on. Reversed the two
> neutrals and now only outlet works, no switch. What did I do. There
> are two screws for the hot, one labeled common and the other unlabeled
> and they are both connected by a brass tab. Help. The previous combo
> was not grounded, two pronger, 10A. New is grounded 15A.

Go hire an electrician before you burn your house down or kill somebody.
Seriously, you don't know what you're doing and you really could do some
damage.

Why, exactly, would there be two neutrals? Hmmm? Maybe, just maybe, only
ONE is a neutral and one is a lead from the light fixture you're wanting to
control.

It sounds like the combo unit is set up so that the switch can control the
outlet. There should be a tab between the top (switch) and outlet (bottom)
on one side. For the switch to control the outlet you would just apply
power to the side opposite the tab, preferably to the switch, then connect
the neutral to the side of the outlet opposite the tab. Switch controls
outlet.

It sounds like you want the outlet on all the time and the switch to control
an (overhead?) light. Wire the hot lead to the side of the unit with the
tab. This applies power to one side of the both the outlet and the switch.
The neutral goes to the other side of the outlet. The wire from the
overhead light goes to the other side of the switch. The switch is inline
on the hot lead to the light, the outlet works all the time.




Posted by Steve Barker on November 19, 2007, 7:09 pm
again, as you were told before, you don't know what you are doing. That's
why you are getting the 80 some volt reading. (and the fact that you are
using a digital VOM) right?


get someone over there that can do the job before you fry your hand.

s


>
> Doesnt matter if the hot is on top or bottom, switch outlet
> respectively.? The multimeter read hot 120v and the other wire read
> 85-90v and then neutral. Why is one lower v?



Posted by James Sweet on November 19, 2007, 7:21 pm

>
> Doesnt matter if the hot is on top or bottom, switch outlet
> respectively.? The multimeter read hot 120v and the other wire read
> 85-90v and then neutral. Why is one lower v?


You really need to get a book on this at least, get an experienced friend to
help, or as someone else suggested, call an electrician. It's hard to give
you a sure answer without looking at how it's wired up, there's more than
one way it may have been done. If uncertain, you really don't want to be
messing with this stuff.



Similar ThreadsPosted
Re: switch grounded outlet combo question. November 19, 2007, 3:20 pm
Re: switch grounded outlet combo question. November 19, 2007, 7:37 pm
Electircal Outlet Box Question November 2, 2006, 11:30 am
On?off switch for water heater July 16, 2006, 11:21 pm
Switch-receptacle-fixture? November 29, 2006, 9:16 am
Problems with three way electrical switch...HELP June 9, 2008, 9:43 pm
Plaster/Skim removal from Socket/switch boxes February 18, 2007, 5:15 pm
Smaller, less ugly outdoor electric outlet? October 13, 2007, 3:51 pm
(Q:) Switched light on load side of GFCI outlet August 7, 2007, 8:40 am
Question: October 7, 2006, 2:31 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy

XML SitemapXML Sitemap