light switch


  #1  
Old 08-20-04, 05:38 PM
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john 3:16
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Question light switch

hello,
i am replacing a wall light switch similar to this one here what i need to know is, what do i need to do, or how do i need to run a jumper, to have each one to work on it's on. as of right now, all i can get is, when i turn the switch on, the light works, but when i plug something up, the lights go out, like i'm grounding it out. could someone tell me how to wire this so they will work seperately? i won't to be able to have the light turned off, and my plug still be hot. thanks in advance for the help. DALE
 
  #2  
Old 08-20-04, 06:19 PM
R
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You need to supply moire information.

What wires come into the box. where are they connected?

How was the old switch/recepticle wired? Did you match the old switch/recepticle exactly, even down to the tab on the side of the device?
 
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Old 08-20-04, 06:41 PM
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john 3:16
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hey,
thanks for the reply. it just has the standard black, white, and copper ground. as far as the previous wiring, it was done wrong then by whoever did it. i am just replacing it, and i won't each one to be seperate from the other like it should be. thanks again.
 
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Old 08-20-04, 06:59 PM
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If the only wires you have are a black white and ground wire, then you cannot use a combination switch and recepticle outlet. You do not have enough wires for this type of device.

This explains why you are having problems.

Did the original person who put this in replace a standard switch with this device? This cannot be done. Go buy a regular 2 way (on/off) switch and put this in place.
 
  #5  
Old 08-20-04, 07:57 PM
Homer Simpson
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Tad,

I pray to God everyday and She protects me. You notice that they say that
God is everywhere, but we always think of Him as kind of a recluse. Someone
else said that, gotta give credit.

A recpt and swt combo. Don't worry, this is the kind of mistakes big city
electrictions make all the time.

What you have done is to put the light in series with the load on the recpt..
The light doesn't go out it just dims a lot.

Ok the fix is in. On the device(switch and recpt) are 4 screws. On one side
are two brass colored screws and on the other side is a silver and brass screw. The 2 brass colored screws have a tie on it tying the 2 screws together electrically. The silver and brass colored screws on the other side
are not connected electrically.

You have a least two romex cables coming in to the outlet box. One is power
(line) coming in and the other one is the lite (load) going out.

The grounds (bare wires) must be connected together and connected to the strap grounding screw (green) on the the recpt.

The power wire (Black) must be connected to the side with the 2 brass screws. If the tie is in place you only have to connect to one brass screw.

The other black wire going to the light is connected to the Brass colored screw on the other side of the switch.

The white wires are all connected together, with a pigtail going to the
silver screw on the recept. WOW, that was easy

What you did was put a resistor (lite) in series with whatever you plugged
into the recpt. Say goodbye, Homer. Goodbye
 
  #6  
Old 08-21-04, 07:06 AM
Rlfrazee
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Tad if I am reading your post as racraft did you do not have a neutral in the box where this combo device is located you have what is called a switch leg or loop. Only hot wires (the white is used as a hot) are used in this design. If you only have one cable with a black white and bare ground coming into this box this device will not work as racraft stated.....RL
 
  #7  
Old 08-21-04, 09:32 AM
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john 3:16
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thanks guys for the great replies. but yes, what i have is a standard light switch that you flip on, and flip off. i am not sure who put this combo in, i was just trying to replace it. but, i think it didn't belong there in the first place. as far as the wires, like i said in my earlier posts, it has just the standard light switch wires, 1 black, 1 white, and the little bare copper one. i guess that explains why, the light switch always worked, but the plug-in never did. lol thanks again. DALE
 
  #8  
Old 08-21-04, 09:40 AM
Homer Simpson
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How many wires?

Tad,

Count the wires in the box.

Do you have 2 black wires, two white wires and two bare copper wires?

Or do you have only 1 black wire and 1 white wire with a piece of black tape
on it and 1 bare copper wire?

If you only have 1 wire of each. You will have to pull a NMB 3 conductor with ground from the switch box to the lite box for it to work. If this is the
case the electrician ran the power(line) to where the lite is instead of where
the switch is. Then he ran a 2 conductor cable from the lite to the switch.
The power comes from the lite box down the white or black wire, thru the
switch and back up the white or black wire to the light fixture. Hopefully,
this is not your situation. If is post back when you pull the new wire.
Say goodbye, Homer. Goodbye

PS One alternative is to pull a 2 conductor wire with ground from another
receptical close by.
 
 

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