I recently bought a new house. I think its about 60 years old or so. I need to convert a switch to an outlet? My neighbor says I can take the wires from the switch and put them on the hot of the outlet and run a wire from neutral to the screw on the box. It works well but i just wondering if this is safe. Another issue is with another outlet. is it possible to have a receptacle with a seperate circuit on the top and bottom outlet. In the kitchen there is one receptace but there are two circuits coming in through the wall (one is not used). I want to hook up a fridge and a microwave and I know the one circuit cant handle it and I dont want to tear up the wall to put in a bigger box if I dont have to. Any help would be appreciated

 

1. Yes, the wiring method described by your neighbor will work. But don't let that fool you into believing that it is correct or safe. What you have done is a code violation and a very dangerous one at that. You need to tie the recept. back to the circuit neutral. Using the gorund as a neutral is a big no no.

2. Yes, you can have two circuits on one recept. If you look at the recept you will see two brass colored screws on one side of it. Between the two, you will see a small tab of metal connecting the two. If you break that tab off, you can use two circuits on the recept. However, if you do that, you must use a common trip breaker for the two circuits (either a 2 pole breaker or a handle tie mechanism.) This is so the code rule requiring simultaneous disconnect of all hot conductors to a device is met.

 

Nobody needs a new receptacle that badly. Don't compromise the safety of your family for one receptacle. And don't let your kids play at the neighbor's house.

 

We had a guy in a farm forum telling everyone what a good idea it was to bond the neutral to ground pin with a jumper in the recept box. He even told how he straightened out an electrical inspector on that matter. A couple of the guys are electrical engineers,, ha,, that went over big.

 

I'd love to know how he straightened out that inspector. Outside of a highly unethical inspector and several "letters of approval from Ben Franklin" I don't see how it's possible.

 

What you did at the switch is wrong and dangerous. If you make some changes at the device that this switch used to control you can make the proper wiring connection and use the white and ground as they are supposed to be..

 

Thanks you all for the information. I rewired the outlet the way it should be and it still works.