Can someone help me with this before I blow up my house ? I put a new switch and outlet in and I want to wire it so the outlet is hot all the time. Right now I have to have the switch turned on for the outlet to work. The old one I replaced was wired so the outlet was hot all the time, but this new one is set up different. Please help..

 

get a double plug such that fits in the recepticle...transfer the wires in the same order and presto! double hot plug...and DO pop the breaker or disconnect the fuse before doing anything...zap!

 

First, tell me what the switch is powering.

I only see three leads - Hot, common, and ground. Is there another?

 

Bypass the switch, and wire it straight to the recepticle.

Nevermind. It'll be easier to go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy a regular 20A recepticle. Don't get the 15W, they are junk.

 

The switch works the light in my bathroom and thats it. What you see is what you get. 3 wires ...white on the left, black on the right and the bare wire jumps from the left side of the switch to the top green screw on the right side.

ZAP... I need the switch for the light, I wish it was that easy..lol

 

This picture is correct, that is where the black (HOT) wire goes as well as your bare wire going to the green screw:



This picture is NOT correct, REMOVE the bare wire, the bare wire is GROUND and ONLY connected to the green colored screw on the receptacle. Right now you will trip the breaker. Also, the white wire (Neutral) goes to the bottom screw (where the bare wire is now)



Now, if you want to power something with the switch you run a wire from the screw that had the white wire on it in the above picture. You will also have to run a bare wire and white wire to what ever you decide to power (i.e. a light etc)


I should have added you can simply put a jumper (where the white wire is and the bare wire is in the above picture) and that will let you turn your light on and off as well as always power the receptacle…

 

looks like you cant do that with the one you bought. get a regular outlet. wire it up, black (hot) goes to the gold screws, neutral (white) on silver and ground (bare) on the green screw.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^
What 01 XLT said.

 

01...its been like this for a few weeks and seems to work fine. The switch turns the light on and off, and when the switch is on the outlet is hot. Ive never tripped the breaker. What gives...seems kinda weird doesnt it?

 

Best way to remember where to connect the wires is:

Black on Brass (BB)
White on silver
Bare on Green

 

From the picture the bottom wire (below the white wire) looks like a bare wire. Is that so? Or is that a black wire?

 

yes, the left side of the switch has the white on the top and the bare on the bottom. The bare is looped to the green screw on the right side. And of course you can see where the black is on the top screw on the right side.

 

You need a recepticle and a switch that are separate to have electricity at the plug in all the time. I think the mechanics of the switch you have now will not allow this. Thus, you need two separate componants. A switch for your lights, and a recepticle for your plug-in appliances.

 

Oh, and you can power your switch by your receptical if you wire them in parallel. That way they both have the same voltage.

 

It just doesnt make sense...the switch/receptacle I took out was one unit, just like this one. The old one worked fine for 35 years. I just wanted to replace it with a white one (it was black)