installing an outlet that is turned on and off by a switch

help........i'm installing outlets in my grand mother's kitchen cabinets to plug in lights on the underside of the cabinets. the outlets will be inside of the cabinets and i want to be able to turn them on and off with a switch by the sink. how do i connect the power source successfully to the switch and then the outlets. this could be considered new construction as the breaker box and all wires are being replaced

 

The best diagram I've seen for wiring split circuits is in a small book published by the Step-by-Step Guide Book Company. I've seen them for sale at Menards (and probably the other home stores as well). I bought mine at a used book store and it is invaluable.

 

This isnt a split circuit,, you need a switch loop.

 

This is very simple - so simple that I suspect you are pretty inexperienced at this. If so, please get a book on home wiring and read it - there are a number of safety issues you must be aware of before you start.

Bring power into the switch box with 12-2 (for 20A circuit) or 14-2 (for 15A circuit). Run another 12-2 or 14-2 from the switch box to the outlet box.

In the switch box tie the two white wires together with a wire nut. Connect one black to one screw of the switch, the other black to the other screw (doesn't matter which wire goes to which screw). Connect the bare wires together and to the green ground screw on the switch.

In the outlet box just connect black to the brass colored screw on the outlet, white to the silver screw, and bare to the green screw.

NOTE: I'm pretty sure that these lights cannot be on the same circuit as your small appliance circuits (outlets along the kitchen counter). Maybe one of the code jockeys on this site can verify this.

 

Although you could use a switch loop as sberry suggested, you certainly do not need to, and I would recommend against it.

Mike has pretty much laid this out for you, and I second his recommendation to read a book or two. Most home wiring books cover projects such as this quite well. A good selection of such books is readily available at all home improvement centers and public libraries.

I want to reinforce the caveat that Mike mentioned: Do not put this on the same circuit as one feeding any of the receptacles serving the kitchen counter. That would violate code.

 

thank you all very much for your input. no i'm not overly experienced with wiring and i do have a book. unfortunatly this particular subject was not in it. i just wanted to verify what i was doing was the correct way to do it. now considering the codes the next question is would it be code acceptable if i were to attach it to one of the lines leading to the den as they run through the wall in the kitchen on there way to the den the circut i'm considering has three outlets on it and that is all. i am rewiring a mobile home and feel that the amount of breakers in it unacceptable. it's pretty pathetic when you can't brew a pot of coffee and listen to a radio at the same time. once again thank you for your input and i'll keep you in the know as to my progress