I've got a small project where I'd like to add a switched outlet to a wall in a bonus room, but have the switch outside in the hallway. There is currently a switch in the hall that ties into a light in the attic, and it would be easy for me to tie the outlet into that run. I'd prefer not to have the attic light on while I'm using the device plugged into the outlet, so my question is - can I add a switch in line with the first switch that controls the attic light? The hot would run from Switch #1 to the outlet and Switch #2 and then Switch #2 to the light in the attic. I understand that I would need to have both switches On to use the attic light. Is this OK to do?

 

If there is only one black and one white and both are on the switch then it is a switch loop.
If there are two or more whites in the box connected to each other and NOT to the switch then you have a neutral.

 

What wires are available in the hallway switch box?

 

hot, neutral, ground. There is another switch in the box that controls the hallway can lights.

 

If you only have black white and ground then you do not have a neutral. You have a switch loop. The white is being used as a hot. You will need to find another location to get power.

 

I'm not sure if it's not a switch loop as it looks like a hot and neutral were brought into the switch box on the wall and there's a single cable going to the light in the attic.

 

 

Not sure exactly what you mean by 'tieing into the existing switch".

Sounds like you have a hot and neutral you could use to power your receptacle. If you want it to be controlled by one of the existing switches then connect the hot to the switched side of that switch.

 

Was trying to do something like this:
The white wires are tied together in the first box.

 

To make the top switch control the light and the bottom switch control the receptacle do the following.
Connect all the whites together in each box and not to the switch.
At the bottom switch connect the bottom black and the top black together with a short 6 inch pigtail wire.
Connect the pigtail wire to the switch.
Connect the black to the receptacle to the other switch screw.

At the top switch connect one black to each screw.

 

Makes sense now. Thanks for the description.