Replacing old single gang switch receptacle combo with GFCI same

A little assistance here. Solution probably smacking me in the face but just can't see through it. I am replacing a very old single gang switch/receptacle with the same but a GFCI switch/recptl combo.

There are three cables 2 wires each coming into the box. Looking at the receptacle/switch from the front the switch is at the top and the receptacle at the bottom. On the left side is only one screw at the bottom where there hot side of the receptacle is with a black wire going to it. On the right side; bottom is one white wire going to the bottom side which is where the neutral is for the receptacle and it is bound with other neutrals. At the top right there are two black wires going to it which is next to the switch.

The new GFCI swith/receptacle has two wires coming out of it which I realize is one wire hot going in and the other going back out to the switch and of course then on your line side (load not being used) you have your hot and neutral terminals.

What I am having difficulty wrapping my head around is the existing switch/receptacle set up. If the hot is going in next to the hot at the receptacle and the neutral going in next to the neutral of the receptacle why are there two wires going into the top of the switch on one screw. Confused here/ a little suggestions

Thank you

 

the two wires..................are both under one screw
or
is each under its own screw..................................we are talking about the old switch???





does the switch turn on 2 lights.

 

That top screw has two wires on it..... possibly hot in and hot out. Screw used as a splice point.

The proper method is to combine the two wires and add a tail so that there is only one wire per screw terminal.

 

if the "2 wires "are hot (line).................where.......what ...is the load

 

There are three cables coming in to the box.
One cable is feed in
One cable is feed out
One cable is light.

 

Yes, two wire on right side next to switch are both under one screw.

I understand proper method is to wire nut the two wires together and then put a jumper to the screw, that will be done.

What I am trying to figure out is what side of the switch/receptacle is controlling the light. There has to be power coming into the switch and then back to the light thus controlled by the switch and they can't be on the same screw, then the receptacle has to have a hot and a neutral. There are only three screws on this thing.

 

yes


PJ

how ........... do ............. you .......... know .............. this

 

Switch on the top, receptacle on the bottom. Only one screw on the left side, Note hot slot of receptacle on left side. Bottom right wire goes to wire nut with other neutrals. Top right screw has two black wires.

 

does the switch control 2 things..................2 lights..............1 fan and 1 light

WHAT DOES IT CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


IT SOUNDS LIKE the switch controls 2 things




ah.......................try this .....put the "2 wires" with one of the switch wires coming out

attach the other switch wire to the hot on the outlet(wirenut with pigtail to outlet)


report back imho................ymmv

 

if the outlet was hot all the time

the switch got its power from the outlet

and the "2 blacks" are 2 loads

 

So far it looks as though the switch only controls the one light above the bathroom sink, Don't know yet if the receptacle was hot all the time or switchable; just opened it late in the afternoon and decided to tackle it fresh this morning. The present combo is not GFCI. No other receptacle in the bathroom or opposite wall, only a light switch for the hallway (3 way), don't know if the switch feeds the receptacle in the bathroom or vice versa yet. Wanted to get some ideas prior to tracing it out.

If this receptacle is feeding anything else down line I am not protecting it via Load on GFCI, just want to have that receptacle GFCI protected.

Thanks
Understand what IMHO but what is YMMV?

Link to type of GFCI
http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/Produ...minisite=10251

Thought:
Bottom left side probably hot feeding receptacle and switch. Bottom right neutral feeding receptacle.Top right two wires probably controlling two lights (only see one so far). With the new GFCI - Connect the hot incoming to the line GFCI, connect the neutral incoming to the line GFCI, one of the wires on the GFCI to the line on GFCI (feeds power to the switch), wire nut 2 wires from top right with pigtail and connect to other wire of GFCI.

I think that makes sense. The existing switch must feed power from the hot side of the receptacle internally to the receptacle and switch. The two top right wires are probably going out to lights; I thought there was only one light in the bathroom, there maybe two, just looked at it quickly yesterday.

 

Above you said controls one light. Now there may be two ?

 

IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
YMMV:*Your Mileage May Vary. Commonly used to describe procedures with variable results.This also means “Try this at your own risk.

A Glossary of Survival and Preparedness Acronyms/Terms
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...,d.b2U&cad=rja

 

Johnsc: Thanks for the translation. Got it; clever.

Meantime, just got back from the situation with the combo switch/receptacle. Yes as assumed there were two lights; one was around the wall partition so did not see it yesterday.

As I figured in my thought this morning. Bottom left was hot in; bottom right was neutral in; top right was the two lights under one screw.

Wired as follows:
Neutral in to line neutral.
Hot in to line hot.
Wire nutted two lights to one of the wires of the GFCI
Other wire of GFCI to hot line screw.
And that was the solution. It threw me yesterday when I did not see that other light.

Thank you for your time and your suggestions did help kick my head in the right direction.

SOLVED

 

great..............thanks for the thanks