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Electrical Question (1 Viewer)

Adam Sanchez

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Hey guys

I hope this is the place I can asking something like this. I have what I hope is a simple wiring question.

I have a single pole light switch that controls a single plug of a standard 2 plug wall receptacle. The kind where you plug a lamp, etc, into and use the switch to control it.

We recently bought a Lutron Caseta wireless kit and I plan to mount the remote in the wall where the switch currently is. The remote will just rest there and does not connect to the house wiring in any way.

Basically I want to ask, how do I remove the wall switch and make the outlet that was once switched, just be a standard active outlet that is no longer switched?

Do I just cap off the ground inside the wire box, and twist the rest of the wires that came off the switch together?
 

Robert A

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Well, assuming you are comfortable with messing with electrical stuff, it is relatively straight forward. Even though from a circuit stand point it is really simple there are a few different ways to run the wires for this so you may have to do a little testing to find out where the main power for the switched plug is coming in. The 2 plug receptacles have a little bar that connects the upper and lower outlet wiring terminals. To make one switched and the other not, that bar was broken when the outlet was installed. Then one wire was run for the switched HOT and one wire was run for the always HOT. Usually white is neutral, black is always HOT and red is the switched HOT. You can either get a new receptacle or bridge the upper and lower outlets with a short jumper wire on the terminals. I would just get a new one. The important part is successfully capping or removing the power to the switch. This will depend on how the whole thing was wired. If you screw that up you could end up with a short and potential fire hazard. If you aren't comfortable working with home electrical you may just want to hire someone.
 

schan1269

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The instructions come with a basic diagram. Like said, unless you know what/how many wires are inside where the switch is, you may be capping a hot to a ground(cause, that is what a switch does).What is this wireless switch going to control?
 

Adam Sanchez

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Adam Sanchez

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Robert, I'll have to take a look at things tomorrow but I do know our plugs have that a switched outlet do have that tab broken. I know because I did it myself. We replaced every receptacle and wall switch in the house not too long ago and if any switch controlled a plug, I kept it exactly how it was, I.e. If the switch only controlled one of the two plugs. I kept it that way. So this might not be as simple as twisting together the wires I find behind the wall switch? (I know I wouldn't included the ground, that I cap serparely.)
 

Adam Sanchez

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So I finally had time to open up the switch on the wall and take a look. Here is a photo of what I found. All that is connected to the switch is two red wires so I believe this supports my thoughts that I can simply twist them together and that will make my one switched outlet an "always active" outlet.

Is there anything I'm missing?
 

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DFurr

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You are correct Adam. All that switch is doing is breaking the circuit. If you twist those together the line will be "hot" all the time.
 

macfan601

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Out of curiosity, I don't see a ground wire in that box, but do see an empty ground lug on the switch. I am guessing that this is very old wiring that needs to be updated. I hope you don't have kids that might flip a switch, or push in a plug with wet/damp hands, or might stick a toy in a plug.
 

Adam Sanchez

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Thanks for the confirmation. I went ahead and did it and it's all working like I wanted. I don't smell anything burning. :)


This is a condo, built in the 70s. I can't speak for the grounding, but things I have that have a 3rd prong, such as my computer power strip, do register as "grounded" as far as the device is concerned.


We are about to have a baby! That is what this was all about, adding a dimmer to our babies room. Now I'm going to be thinking our wiring is unsafe....


Don't some things ground to the box itself if there is no ground "wire?" Our electrical boxes are all metal.
 

macfan601

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Adam Sanchez said:
"Don't some things ground to the box itself if there is no ground "wire?" Our electrical boxes are all metal."



Yes, some jurisdictions did allow grounding to the metal box but even in that case you should be able to see a copper wire going to the box. Usually if a metal box is grounded you should be able to see a green ground clip. It could also be that since your condo is that old that there have been some upgrades done and those were grounded. I didn't mean to alarm you as ungrounded switches and outlets were used for years. What you might want to do is get a 3 light outlet wiring tester from Harbor Freight or your local home center. Should cost you around $5. Just go around your condo and plug it in the various outlets and then at least you will know which outlets are grounded. Just because an outlet has 3 holes doesn't necessarily mean the ground is hooked up or hasn't slipped.
 

Adam Sanchez

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You reminded me of something. Not too long ago, we replaced every plug and switch in the house with the more "square" modern style "rocker" I believe they are called with matching wall outlets. My father in Law has that tester you are talking about and we used it in each plug after we switched it out and they all came back as wired correctly. We even took the opportunity to correct some 3-way switches that were not working correctly.
 

Mark McManus

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Hey guys

I hope this is the place I can asking something like this. I have what I hope is a simple wiring question.

I have a single pole light switch that controls a single plug of a standard 2 plug wall receptacle. The kind where you plug a lamp, etc, into and use the switch to control it.

We recently bought a Lutron Caseta wireless kit and I plan to mount the remote in the wall where the switch currently is. The remote will just rest there and does not connect to the house wiring in any way.

Basically I want to ask, how do I remove the wall switch and make the outlet that was once switched, just be a standard active outlet that is no longer switched?

Do I just cap off the ground inside the wire box, and twist the rest of the wires that came off the switch together?


Have you looked at SwitchFlip? http://switchflip.me/ This works well without having to rewire anything.
 

Mark McManus

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Feb 11, 2016
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Mark McManus
Hey guys

I hope this is the place I can asking something like this. I have what I hope is a simple wiring question.

I have a single pole light switch that controls a single plug of a standard 2 plug wall receptacle. The kind where you plug a lamp, etc, into and use the switch to control it.

We recently bought a Lutron Caseta wireless kit and I plan to mount the remote in the wall where the switch currently is. The remote will just rest there and does not connect to the house wiring in any way.

Basically I want to ask, how do I remove the wall switch and make the outlet that was once switched, just be a standard active outlet that is no longer switched?

Do I just cap off the ground inside the wire box, and twist the rest of the wires that came off the switch together?


I know it's been years but have you seen the new product called switchflip?

www.indiegogo.com/projects/switchflip-control-your-lights-power/x/6730810#/
 

Mark McManus

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Feb 11, 2016
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Mark McManus
You reminded me of something. Not too long ago, we replaced every plug and switch in the house with the more "square" modern style "rocker" I believe they are called with matching wall outlets. My father in Law has that tester you are talking about and we used it in each plug after we switched it out and they all came back as wired correctly. We even took the opportunity to correct some 3-way switches that were not working correctly.

Hi adam,

I saw this at CES in Vegas this year: www.indiegogo.com/projects/switchflip-control-your-lights-power/x/6730810#/
 

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