Discuss replacing outlet on a switch on IKEAFANS.com. We're Personalizing the IKEA Experience. replacing outlet on a switch - Electrical, Plumbing, Demolition and Construction - ask our experts!.
I've been replacing all my beige outlets and switches this weekend, because beige has no place in my home, and I seem to have come to a problem. One of the switches in my office is set up so that the top outlet of the duplex is controlled by a wall switch. When I replaced the outlet, I put every wire in the exact same place on the new outlet. I also replaced the switch at the same time. For some reason, there is no ground wire in the junction box for the light switch. When I turned the power back on at the breaker, the switch didn't work. The light that I plugged in stays on whether the switch is turned on or off. I tried using a different switch, and even put the old one back in. I haven't tried putting the old outlet back in - wish I could go home on my lunch break (don't really get one of those). Does anyone have any ideas about what I'm doing wrong here?
Hmmm - I've never encountered a place where the top outlet of the duplex was controlled by the switch but the bottom wasn't. In general, in those outlets, the power for both outlets comes from the same source. At least, it has in the ones I've replaced throughout my home. So, if the switch really was only controlling one of them, I'd say you had a very strange setup to start with, or you had some kind of special outlet there that was made for such a setup.
I'd try putting the old outlet back in, as I'd guess that the outlet is set up to receive power from two different sources, and the new one is not. If it works with the old outlet, try taking it to a hardware store and trying to find one exactly the same in white.
That's the best I can do with my limited electrical experience
That's what I'm leaning towards. I haven't gotten to the other switched outlets, but they all operate like that in my apartment. They do at my parents' house too, but neither of them know how to do any wiring, so they're no help.
I can't answer the electrical question, but I do know there are outlets where one is switched and the other isn't...usually in the living room or bedroom for a lamp so you can switch it on when you enter, but the bottom one might have a clock or TV or something that should be hot all the time. It's called a half-hot.
Actually, now that I know what it's called, I was able to do a search. This site has a complete description of a duplex outlet, and describes what you have to do to it to make it "half hot".
I think you need to break off the tabs depicted as #4 and 11 in the picture as described in the notes to essentially "disconnect" the two halves of the outlet. I'd look at your old one and new one and see if that's the difference.
Plus, unlike on other boards, I don't worry about whether something's a stupid question. On some other boards, you'd either get a rude answer, or no answer at all.
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