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Posted by Paul on February 20, 2007, 6:16 pm
hello - I am adding a couple of outlets in my unfinished basment,
something I have done before (though never in this house - new (1985)
house)
However, with this circuit, when I add an outlet (black/white/ground
NM), and I test the outlet with circuit tester , I get "hot/neutral
reversed".
When I flip the switch that I believe is at the end of this circuit,
(this switch controls an overhead light, and only has cable going into
it) my circuit tester (on my "new" outlet) changes from "hot/nuetral
reversed" to "hot/ground reversed". As far as I know, there is nothing
(outlet, junction box, switch) between my new outlet, and the wall
switch.
The light switch has a black wire, and white wire that has been
painted black going in, as well as bare ground.
Any suggestions as how to wire outlet, re-wire wall switch?
Many thanks,
-paul
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Posted by RBM on February 20, 2007, 6:22 pm
It sounds like you've connected an outlet to a switch leg. If there were
only two wires in the switch box, connected to the switch, you don't have a
neutral, which is required to feed an outlet
> hello - I am adding a couple of outlets in my unfinished basment,
> something I have done before (though never in this house - new (1985)
> house)
> However, with this circuit, when I add an outlet (black/white/ground
> NM), and I test the outlet with circuit tester , I get "hot/neutral
> reversed".
> When I flip the switch that I believe is at the end of this circuit,
> (this switch controls an overhead light, and only has cable going into
> it) my circuit tester (on my "new" outlet) changes from "hot/nuetral
> reversed" to "hot/ground reversed". As far as I know, there is nothing
> (outlet, junction box, switch) between my new outlet, and the wall
> switch.
> The light switch has a black wire, and white wire that has been
> painted black going in, as well as bare ground.
> Any suggestions as how to wire outlet, re-wire wall switch?
> Many thanks,
> -paul
>
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Posted by Paul on February 20, 2007, 8:31 pm
well there were technically 3 (black, white, ground)...
is it possible to add an outlet to a "switch leg"?
thanks,
-paul
> It sounds like you've connected an outlet to a switch leg. If there were
> only two wires in the switch box, connected to the switch, you don't have a
> neutral, which is required to feed an outlet
>
>
>
> > hello - I amaddinga couple of outlets in my unfinished basment,
> > something I have done before (though never in this house - new (1985)
> > house)
> > However, with this circuit, when I add anoutlet(black/white/ground
> > NM), and I test theoutletwith circuit tester , I get "hot/neutral
> > reversed".
> > When I flip the switch that I believe is at the end of this circuit,
> > (this switch controls an overhead light, and only has cable going into
> > it) my circuit tester (on my "new"outlet) changes from "hot/nuetral
> > reversed" to "hot/ground reversed". As far as I know, there is nothing
> > (outlet, junction box, switch) between my newoutlet, and the wall
> > switch.
> > The light switch has a black wire, and white wire that has been
> > painted black going in, as well as bare ground.
> > Any suggestions as how to wireoutlet, re-wire wall switch?
> > Many thanks,
> > -paul
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Posted by Nate Nagel on February 20, 2007, 8:52 pm
Nope. Not unless you repull the switch leg with 14/3 or 12/3 instead of
the 14/2 and 12/2 that is there now.
nate
Paul wrote:
> well there were technically 3 (black, white, ground)...
>
> is it possible to add an outlet to a "switch leg"?
>
> thanks,
>
> -paul
>
>
>>It sounds like you've connected an outlet to a switch leg. If there were
>>only two wires in the switch box, connected to the switch, you don't have a
>>neutral, which is required to feed an outlet
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>hello - I amaddinga couple of outlets in my unfinished basment,
>>>something I have done before (though never in this house - new (1985)
>>>house)
>>>However, with this circuit, when I add anoutlet(black/white/ground
>>>NM), and I test theoutletwith circuit tester , I get "hot/neutral
>>>reversed".
>>>When I flip the switch that I believe is at the end of this circuit,
>>>(this switch controls an overhead light, and only has cable going into
>>>it) my circuit tester (on my "new"outlet) changes from "hot/nuetral
>>>reversed" to "hot/ground reversed". As far as I know, there is nothing
>>>(outlet, junction box, switch) between my newoutlet, and the wall
>>>switch.
>>>The light switch has a black wire, and white wire that has been
>>>painted black going in, as well as bare ground.
>>>Any suggestions as how to wireoutlet, re-wire wall switch?
>>>Many thanks,
>>>-paul
>
>
>
--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
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Posted by Dave Martindale on February 20, 2007, 8:59 pm
>> It sounds like you've connected an outlet to a switch leg. If there were
>> only two wires in the switch box, connected to the switch, you don't have a
>> neutral, which is required to feed an outlet
>well there were technically 3 (black, white, ground)...
The ground doesn't get counted as one of the circuit wires. So there
were only two. In addition, the black paint on the white wire is
supposed to tell you that *both* wires need to be treated as black
(hot), and that the white wire is not neutral.
>is it possible to add an outlet to a "switch leg"?
No. The "switch leg" contains two conductors that, if connected
together, turns on a lamp or outlet located somewhere else. You don't
have both (unswitched) hot and neutral, so you cannot connect an outlet.
I'd like to take this opportunity to suggest that you find a book about
DIY electrical work and read it before you do any more additions to your
basement. There are a bunch of conventions you need to follow to ensure
that your changes (a) work, (b) are safe, and (c) can safely be worked
on by someone else. Even if you aren't worried about having your work
meet electrical code (so it will pass an inspection), it should still
follow these conventions and standards for the other reasons listed
above.
Dave
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