i want to add an electrical outlet in my bathroom...now...the bathroom only has a light swith...

in the wall that separates the bedroom and bathroom is an outlet...the outlet services the bedroom...i have looked and it is in the same wall space as the light switch is in the bathroom...there is no stud between the two...

what is the best way to add an outlet to the bathroom from the bedroom outlet...

i have two wires coming into the outlet box in the bedroom...the outlet has 2 white and 2 black with ground...

 

Technically, code prohibits this. Stuff outside of a bathroom may not share a circuit with a bathroom receptacle.

However, code issues aside, the simplest thing is to replace the switch with a GFCI receptacle/switch combination. This simply adds the receptacle to the bathroom lighting circuit. Make sure that you have at least four insulated conductors coming into your switch box. If you only have two, we'll need to rethink it.

 

ok...i checked the lightswitch in the bathroom...i have four wires in the box...the two white wire look like they are taped together and the black wires are on the switch...

so how do i put in a gfci outlet using the wires that are in the box...i am a greenhorn on how electrical stuff works, but i am pretty proficient in connecting things...from what i think, is that the white wires are the hot...the black are the neutral...

i don't want the outlet to be switched off with the lights...of course, i want the outlet to have power all the time...how do i hook the outlet up so the switch only switches the light???

materials...i need to get a double gang electrical box...correct???

thanks...michael

 

You have exactly backwards. The black is the hot and the white is the neutral.
Connect the white wires to the silver screws on the gfci. One of the black wires is the power in. You will need to determine which one. Connect the power in to the line connection. Connect the other black to the switched output. Connect the ground to the green ground screw.

 

Joe's advice is correct, but let me fill in a few details.

First, I assume you are in North America. If you are somewhere else, be sure to tell us before proceeding.

Shut off the breaker before doing anything. Then use a circuit tester or voltmeter at the switch to confirm that the power is really off.

On the combo device, you will have three brass screws and a silver screw. Two of the brass screws will be on the same side of the device, and connected to each other with a brass tab.

I hope the two white wires are actually connected with a wire nut rather than just tape. You will need to buy a 3" section of white wire and attach that to the two white wires. This small wire is called a "pigtail". Attach the other end of the pigtail to the silver screw on the device.

Remove the two black wires from the old switch. Attach one of the two wires to either brass screw on one side, and the other to the brass screw on the other side.

Connect the grounding connection as it was to the old switch.

Restore the power and test.

If the receptacle is dead when the switch is off, and you would like it to be live at all times, then turn off the power again and reverse the two black wires.

 

john mentioned a "combo device" in his last post...i have seen the switches with one plug-in, but never a gfci outlet with a switch...i was thinking of adding a double gang box, with a switch and a regular size gfci outlet...

what is the protocol for connecting the wires to that...the same as what john mentioned or something else...???

i do live in the usa and will definitely turn the power off..

thanks...

 

The procedure is the same. But you'll need to add a wire to jumper between the switch hot and the receptacle hot. Post back if you need more details.

And yes, the GFCI/switch combo does exist. Check out the Leviton Cat #5299. I just took a closer look at this, and this particular device is not wired exactly as I described. The terminals are a bit different than I thought. There are six different ways to wire it described by the spec. It can be common-feed or split-feed wired, and it does have both line and load terminals for the GFCI. You can wire it so that the switched fixture is GFCI protected, or not protected.

 

Lowes has them.

So does Home Depot

 

ok...i have the combo device...i didn't expect two black wires coming out of the device...

what do i do with the two black wires coming out of the combo device...


remember...i have 4 wires in the box...the instructions didn't really convey how to wire the switch combo...just a regular gfci outlet...the key is that i want the outlet to be hot all the time...not affected by the switch...

any help or drawing would be nice...also...what exactly is a wire jumper??? is that a pigtail or something similar???

thanks...michael

 

Please give us a hint as to which combo device you bought. Don't come right out and tell us. We love a mystery.

If you have the Leviton 5299, the two black wires are labeled "switch output". Attach one black wire from your box to one black wire from the device, and the other black wire from your box to the other black wire from the device. Use a black pigtail (3" segment of wire) to attach one (either one) of these two wire nuts to the screw labeled "load" and "hot". Connect both white wires together and to a white pigtail to the screw labeled "load" and "white".

Turn the power back on and test. If the receptacle is switched, turn the breaker back off and move the black pigtail to the wire nut with the other black wires.

 

i have a lowes product...it is a COOPER wiring devices product...

it is a shocksentry combination switch/gfci

it has a silver screw (white label)
it has a brass screw (hot label)
it has two black wires coming from the bottom with the label switch output...

it has yellow sticker covering two screws towards the bottom that read (the load terminals under this label are for feeding additional receptacles.

i am assuming i don't need to remove this yellow sticker and use the screws under the sticker...is this a correct assumption???

let me see if i understand...i take the two black wires in the box (which are connected to the existing switch) and connect one of the black wires to one of the black wires on the switch and the other black wire to the other black wire on the switch...

i then connect the two white wires in the box with a pigtail included and connect the pigtail to the silver screw (white) on the gfci...

i then run a pigtail from one of the black connections a connect it to the brass screw (hot)

and of course...ground to ground screw...

do i have the correct process...oh yeah...i will not forget to turn power off...

thanks for your help...

michael