How do I wire a switch to control an outlet? I hooked the power (hot) wire to the switch and then to the outlets using black to black, white to white, etc. and I kept blowing breakers. Do I need to hook the wire coming back from the switch to the power wire up differently? Does the black switch wire need to go to the white power wire? Please advise.

 

Wiring a switch to control a receptacle is pretty much the same thing as wiring a switch to control a lighting fixture. There are two ways: (1) run power to the receptacle or fixture first, and use a switch loop, or (2) run power to the switch first, and then on to the receptacle or fixture.

Do you have a receptacle which was previously unswitched and you are trying to make it now controlled by a switch? If so, you need a switch loop. The wiring at the receptacle is:
(1) Connect the power cable black wire to the switch cable white wire.
(2) Connect the power cable white wire to the silver screw on the receptacle.
(3) Connect the switch cable black wire to the brass screw on the receptacle.

If you think about what you have now for a minute, you'll realize that the switch creates a dead short between hot and neutral. That can't be right.

 

I am actually running power to the switch first. The switch is then wired to the outlet. I am having problems connecting the wire that returns from the switch to the power wire. How would I wire the return wire back to the junction box where the power wire connects?

 

Wiring at switch: connect the hot incomming line to one terminal on the switch. Connect the black wire from the receptacle to the other terminal on the switch. Tie the two white wires together. Tie the green/bare ground wires together and bond box and switch body with pigtails.

Wiring at outlet: Black on brass, white on silver, green/bare on green, and bond box if needed.