Adding an outlet to a switch.

[Ken]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum and can use a little help. I'm remodeling my bathroom and I want to make sure I don't burn down my house by screwing up the electric. A little background, my bathroom has a single ceiling light (which I just replaced) controlled by a wall switch. There are no outlets at all in the room. I found a neat little combo switch/GFCI outlet and I wanted to replace the old switch with it. The problem is I have two wires currently connected to the switch (hot, neutral and no ground). The combo switch has 2 wires and two screws and a ground screw. The wires feed the switch and the screws feed the outlet.

My question is how can I wire this so the outlet has power and the switch controls the light. I would prefer the outlet to always be hot, but if it has to be switched with the light I can live with that.

Thanks in advance!
-Ken

[HayZee518]

you can't do it on this device - there's no neutral in the box. the cable connected to the existing switch is two wire - if it were a three wire you could do it. Power is being fed to the ceiling fixture. A cable goes from the fixture to the switch. black feeds the switch, the white is the return path to the light. Legally both ends of this white should have a black marking tape on it or painted black.

[Ken]

HayZee518 thanks for the quick response.

I see your point. Perhaps if I give you some more details you may be able to offer a solution. First the house was built in 1950, so just about nothing is grounded. Second, when I wired the light fixture up, it did have three wires. Two were originally tied together and run to the light's white. The third wire runs to the black light. I kept this same configuration when I installed the new ceiling light.

Does this extra information help at all? Thanks in advance for your response to my question and all the other questions on here. This board is awsome because of all of you who ask and answer questions. I've learned a lot just poking around.



-Ken

[Hube]

Ken; Its all well and good to try to solve an electrical problem BUT, unless you first get some better understanding of how a circuit to a switch and light is wired your best to LEAVE IT BE until you obtain some books, instructions, etc on the BASICS of electrical switch and light wiring.. Once you get some of these basics, you will be able to better understand the difference between the hot and the neutral wires, etc
Remember.Electricity can kill![xx(] Hube

[Ken]

Thanks Hube.

I appreciate the fact that electricity can kill, which is why I came on here looking for help. I've learnt a long time ago that the first step in solving a problem is figuring out what you don't know and how dangerous that can be. I think I will take your advice and leave it be for now. Perhaps after learning some more I will be able to answer the question myself. Again, a sincere thank you for your response.


-Ken

[HayZee518]

Ken, how'd you make out with the circuit after the diagrams I sent?

[Hube]

Itsbest not to bother him right now ,he might be reading up on electric wiring procedure.