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I'd like to use my garbage disposal outlet to wire my new dishwasher (never had one here before). However, BOTH receptacles are switched. Is there any way to unswitch one of them so I can hardwire the dishwasher?
AJ
AJ
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It depends on how the circuit is wired. What are the wires that are landed on both the receptacle and the switch, what color are they and on what screws are they on? Need to know this first in order to know if it's possible. -
There are no screws on either the switch or the receptacle. The switch has two holes (no more), both with blue wires inserted. The outlet has 8 holes in the following configuration:
bx xw
xx xx
There is a blue wire in the "b" hole and a white wire in the "w" hole.Comment
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Where are you located, what country are you in? Blue is sometimes used as a hot wire in the US but normally black is used. Anyhow, the information you provided still isn't enough to make a determination if you can split this receptacle or not. What is needed is where does the power come into this circiut at, does power come to the receptacle first or into the switch box first. And is there anything else on this circuit besides your garbage disposal. Here's a link that'll give you your options on how to wire your receptacle to be split wired depending on where the power enters the circuit at. http://homerepair.about.com/cs/elect...h_receptcl.htm
You may need to run new wire between the switch and the receptacle depending on this. Otherwise you always have the option of running a new circuit from your main electrical panel up to the dishwasher location.Comment
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a Blue wire???
Is the wiring in your house done in conduit by chance? If so it would make it [u]easy</u> to pull a new wire between the switch and receptacle if need be!
Also, are there any other wires in the switch or receptacle box that are joined with a wire nut and tucked in the back? that may tell you where the power is being fed from and how to proceed from there.
A.DComment
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If the outlet is wired to code, and i assume it is, then blue is correct. In 125/250 wiring (common residential wiring) Bare copper, Green or yellow with a green stripe indicates ground, white is circuit common and Black identifies a wire that is constantly hot. Blue or red is often used to identify a switched leg from the switch to the device.
A common 125v duplex receptacle has two screws on either side, Gold colored screws on the hot side which is the proper attachment for the black wire, Silver colored screws on the common side where the white wire is to be attached. (Remember white wire to white metal) On the end of the device you will see a green screw where the ground is to attach.
If you closely examine the side where the two screws are you will see a small break away tab that connects the metal behind the two screws. By removing that tab each outlet can be fed by a different circuit. That is sometimes done to provide split service on kitchen outlets, or in the case of the outlet under the sink, a black (always hot) feeder can be attached to one screw and a blue or red (switched feeder) can be attached to the other screw.
The disposal is then pluggen into the switched socket while the dishwasher is plugged into the constant hot socket.
This type of split service is also used in living rooms that do not have a ceiling light. In this way one socket is controlled from a switch near the door and a lamp plugged into that socket can be controlled from the wall switch.
When replacing outlets on switched circuits it is vitally important to remove the tab between the two gold screws or the swithed outlet will be fed all the time from the constant hot line, thus defeating the switching action.
One final note. In the post they said they wanted to "hard wire" the dishwasher. While i am sure he meant to say he wanted to create a constantly hot outlet, the term "hard wire" means to wire directly into the house wiring without using a plug and outlet.
The code requires that all appliances be connected with a plug and receptacle connection to provide a means of disconnect when servicing the appliance.
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Hey all, thanks for the great info. I got sidetracked for the last few days and am just getting back to the dishwasher hookup.
It's clear that the hot wire is going to the switch and not the outlet. The blue [hot] wire is coming from a conduit with three additional wires (red, black, white) that power the outlet next to the switch). Turning off the breaker for the switch has no effect on the outlet next to it, so I know they're not connected in any way. The other blue wire is running from the switch into the conduit that contains only one blue and one white wire (running to the outlet).
The blue & white wires going from the switch to the outlet appear to be in a piece of conduit, which means I can pull another piece of wire through. However, I have some questions:
1. What is the source of the new hot wire to the outlet? Do I make some kind of Y splice with one end going to the switch and the other end going to the outlet?
2. What's the best way to attach the wires to be pulled through the conduit (I'm assuming I have to attach two wires - one for the new hot wire, and one to replace the one I'm pulling out)?
Also, I checked the link provided by kactuskid and read something about using two-conductor cable. Is that readily available at the local home depot? Is it small enough to fit through a small piece of conduit?
Any further assistance/advice will be greatly appreciated.
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Well, IF it is allowed by code in your area to have the disposal and D/W on the same circuit you could try and just push a piece of
#12 (THHN..TWH... RW-90 any type will work in your case) wire down the conduit from the switch to the receptacle, if that doesnt work, you could try disconnecting the blue and white to the receptacle, tape a piece of half decent string to these wires and pull them all out. Attach the new piece of wire to the existing blue and white and use the string to pull everything back in.
To connect everything, disconnect the wire from the switch that leads back to the panel, make a short "pigtail" and connect it to the now vacant terminal on the switch. Join this pigtail to the new wire and the wire that goes back to the source with a wire nut big enough to join all three At your outlet (purchase a new one, it sounds like the one thats there only has "backstabbed" terminals, they dont make a good connection). Break the little connecting tab on the BRASS side of the receptacle, and connect the existing blue wire and your "new" wire to the terminals on that side of the receptacle. Connect the white to one of the silver terminals and thats it. you will now have 1/2 the receptacle switched for your disposer and the other 1/2 will remain hot for your D/W.
You can get that "single" wire from the home depot or even off an electrician that most likely will have short pieces laying around their van. (We all do, those short pieces are handy and cheap!)
Good luck with your installation and let us know how you make out!
A.DComment
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Been tied up with finishing the kitchen as well as "real" work. Just wanted to say thanks for all the great help. Managed to pull some new wiring through the conduit and rewire the receptacle so one outlet is switched and the other live.
Couldn't have done it without your help!!!
AJComment
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