Help wiring a switched outlet?

Question

A switched outlet (only one of 2 switched) stopped working, so I took it apart to see if there is a wire loose.

The recepticle has places for 5 wires (2 black, 2 white, 1 grnd) Should all of these wires be connected to the recepticle? I ask this because the diagrams I see online have only 3 wires shown...and i have 4.

Answer 1

You are looking at a in line receptacle. One set of black and white wires will go on the top of the receptacle. and the other set is for the leads going to the next receptacle or switch the bottom set. Remember that the gold screws are for the hot side and the silver screws are for the neutral wires. And the ground has its own area to connect to. Best of luck and turn off the breaker before attempting this fix.

Answer 2

Most of the time, a receptacle stops working because of the recept before it. So, if the second one stopped working, then check the first one. I bet you'll find a loose wire there. If not, then check the switch. As for the 4 wires, you should see a black, red, white and bare wire on the second recept and 2 blacks, 2 reds, 2 whites, and 2 bares. They should be spliced together and then "pigtailed" to the first receptacle. The tab previously mentioned above will be broken on the "hot" (black) side of the recepts, one half of the recept will have the black wired to it and the other half will have the red wired to it. Where I'm from, the red is the switched part of the recept and the black is the constant hot. Good luck

Answer 3

My first peice of advice to you is do not listen to anyone on answers regarding anything electrical, it is very painful for me to read the majority of the comments people make. There is a chance (about 25%) that you can move it by just changing a few wires. There are several ways to wire a switch controlled recepticle, the most basic ( and the way you want to hope that it is done) is like this: Your feed (a wire that is always hot) will be black, and the wire controlling the switch controlled recepticle will be red, and sometimes the electrician will pull both in and out of a recepticle and tie the reds together, almost like killing 2 birds with one stone. Pull out the recepticle you wish to be controlled by the switch and see if there are red wires with a wirenut on them, if so, take it apart, put your red on your desired recepticle, take the red off the old switch controlled and put the black on. If you wish to have the top half always on, and the bottom half of the recept to be switch contolled, there is a little tab on the side of the screws you can break and seperate the 2. Like I said, the odds of it being wired like this are slim, but it's worth a shot - good luck.

Answer 4

Yup if ya got 4 wires then let me guess, 2 blacks, 1 white and one ground, right? The 2 blacks are on one side (with the brass screws), the bare copper wire is the ground and that is the green ground screw and then theres the white wire by itself on the opposite side of the blacks. The bar connecting one of the plugs from the other is broken off between your two black wires thus making one of the plugs switchable. The neutral or white wire side the connection bar between the upper and lower plugs is still there thus completing your neutral circuit for both plugs. So thats how it's suppose to be hooked up. If all the wires are hooked up and you don't have any juice when ya turn the switch on I would check the switch! Use a voltmeter and put one lead on one switch terminal and the other to a ground (ground wire on switch?(or) metal box possibly that the switch is mounted in?) Check both terminals on the switch this way with the switch off and on. If no voltage readings at all then your power source is at fault. Breaker tripped?. If you have juice only at one side all the time then the swich is bad. If you have juice on both sides with the switch on then the switch is good. Be careful and good luck!

Answer 5

In a normal recept wiring setup, you would have a white, black and probably a bare copper wire as a ground, (although it could be green). The white wire would go to the silver screw, the black wire should go to the brass colored screw and the bare, (copper), wire to the green screw. That will make both recepts hot when something is plugged in.
However, if one of the recepts is to be switched, then there will be wires to both recepts and the little brass tab that normally connects the two recepts will have been broken out. If you are thinking of replacing this on your own, be sure to break off the little tabs on both sides, otherwise you'll have a dead short when you turn on the switch.

Answer 6

your switch could use 2w,2blk,1 gd. if another outlet or set of wires are feeding it. Home builders ofen loop seravel switches or outlets together (under 15 amps)back to 1 fuse to save money. It could also be a three way switch which means you have two diffrent switches to turn on a outlet or a lampfrom two different locations.They could of left the gd. wire off if you are turning on items like ceiling lights.Is your switch a sigle switch or does it have two switches on it. what color is the fifth wire. Need more infirmation and a ohm meter etc.

Answer 7

Yes, you should have 5 wires connected. Two for the upper (unswitched) outet, two for the lower (switched) outlet and one to the ground.

Bert

Answer 8

First, see if you are getting power through the switch. If you are, then replace the receptacle and wire it just like the old one.