Electrical wiring question...brain lock
...I've always been confident wiring three phase stuff, but when it comes to common household circuits, I go brain dead. I have a combination single pole switch / outlet. I want the switch to control the outlet. There is a break-off tab on one side of the unit. How do I wire the hot and neutral wires? (ground is obvious, of course) I'm feeling really stupid right now.
[img][/img]
[img][/img]
0
-
Neutral goes to the longest slot on the receptical, hot to the shortest, earth ground to the round slot. I don't know about where the tabs are on that switch without holding one in my hand, but most likely there is one. You would break the tab on the neutral side if there is one, bring the hot wire to that side, leave the tab on the hot side if there is one, and if not, add a jumper wire to between those two poles. Then attach the neutral and the earth ground and you're ready to go. Check with an ohms meter before powering up. 0 -
Silver screw is for neutral, gold is for the hot wire. If it is a dead end circuit, that's it! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Marc1301
Silver screw is for neutral, gold is for the hot wire. If it is a dead end circuit, that's it!
...That's what I did earlier, and tripped the breaker. I'm down to feeding jumper leads off a 9v battery and using a multi meter, trying to get the switch to power the outlet up and down. I have two of these switch/outlet combos, one with the tab snapped and the other with it intact. Befuddlement is setting in. ARRRR. Give me 3 phase any day!0 -
It has been a long time since I studied electrical circuits and did not do much house wiring BUT
If Silver (Neutral) screws are on the Left in your pic and Gold (Hot) screws are on the Right and the Green (Ground) is Upper Right in your pic, this is how I would wire it.
First break the tabs between the silver and gold screws so that the outlet and switch are seperate circuits.
Then try this
NOTE - I have not wired residential for a long time. Perhaps someone behind me can verify that this is correct.0 -
quote:Originally posted by tapwater
[br[/img]
Looking at this picture, the way it is setting now.
There should be a jumper tab between the two poles on the left side, and not one one the right. Bring the hot wire into the receptical at the bottom right screw (gold). If there is no tab on the left side poles, add a jumper wire there (two gold screws). Attach the neutral to the top right screw (silver), and the earth ground to the green screw.
That shoud do it and the switch should operate the socket. test at the in (bottom left) and out (top left) screws for switch function with a wire jumped across the receptical.0 -
quote:Originally posted by RUGERGUNZ
It has been a long time since I studied electrical circuits and did not do much house wiring BUT
If Silver (Neutral) screws are on the Left in your pic and Gold (Hot) screws are on the Right and the Green (Ground) is Upper Right in your pic, this is how I would wire it.
First break the tabs between the silver and gold screws so that the outlet and switch are seperate circuits.
Then try this
NOTE - I have not wired residential for a long time. Perhaps someone behind me can verify that this is correct.
You've got hot and neutral reversed. The jumper will be on the left side of the picture,0 -
Every problem has an easy solution:
[:D]0 -
Feed wire coming to box. 1 black 1 white and ground. Your neutral goes to silver screw on receptacle ( looking at pic long slot on right). Your black wire goes on one side of switch. break jumper tab. Know run a black jumper wire from other side of switch to gold screw on receptacle(small slot, left on pic). And that should fix you up.[8D] 0 -
...Clarity just broke through the cloud cover. I was thinking too hard. Thanks guys.
...I ~still~ like 3 phase. No durn neutral to deal with. (Unless it's that old 'third leg to ground' system. Good way to get killed if you don't realize what you have at hand.0 -
0 -
Every problem has an easy solution:
[:D]0 -
...No broken tab. No jumper wire. Attach hot and neutral to the two screws on opposite side of intact tab. Works fine. Plugging the appliance into the outlet completes the circuit. We were all thinking too hard. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by RUGERGUNZ
It has been a long time since I studied electrical circuits and did not do much house wiring BUT
If Silver (Neutral) screws are on the Left in your pic and Gold (Hot) screws are on the Right and the Green (Ground) is Upper Right in your pic, this is how I would wire it.
First break the tabs between the silver and gold screws so that the outlet and switch are seperate circuits.
Then try this
NOTE - I have not wired residential for a long time. Perhaps someone behind me can verify that this is correct.
This is correct except for the reverse polarity. Reverse the hot and the neut and you'll be fine.0 -
Yupp it makes sence to me to. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by matwor
quote:Originally posted by RUGERGUNZ
It has been a long time since I studied electrical circuits and did not do much house wiring BUT
If Silver (Neutral) screws are on the Left in your pic and Gold (Hot) screws are on the Right and the Green (Ground) is Upper Right in your pic, this is how I would wire it.
First break the tabs between the silver and gold screws so that the outlet and switch are seperate circuits.
Then try this
NOTE - I have not wired residential for a long time. Perhaps someone behind me can verify that this is correct.
This is correct except for the reverse polarity. Reverse the hot and the neut and you'll be fine.
Thanks for the verification. It has been so long since I held an outlet/switch that I forgot which side was what. If you read my "if" statement I think I was in the right in my thinking but the hot/neut are opposite from my description, making the hot and neut switch as well. It makes sense to me, but I think I made it more confusing.0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
16 comments