Outlet

[wesco34]

My outlet does not work properly. When I plug a lamp into it, and turn it " ON" the bulb burns from dim to bright then off. And repeats the cycle. Mean while the overhead light on the ceiling comes on with it's switch in the "OFF" position.

What is the problem and how do I fix it?

Wes Wratten

[Rewired]

Um... When did this problem occur or has it always been like that?? It sounds like there is a miswire in the circuit somewhere, something like the outlet being in SERIES with the light overhead.. I say this because there is a switch present in the circuit and its "OFF" yet the light comes on when you connect to the receptacle correct?? It almost sounds like the outlet in question is connected to a "switch loop"... whereby there are 2 wires to the switch, one hot and one to the light, and NO NEUTRAL present even though one of the wires is white...

Please take the switch out of the wall and look at the connections, if there is 2 wires coming in and connecting to the switch ( one black and one white), problem is elsewhere.. IF there are 4 wires.... 2 black and 2 white, with the blacks going to one terminal on the switch and the whites going to the other terminal.. there is your problem!

The only way to correct this problem is to pull another cable from a separate source to feed the outlet, OR if you can pull a " 3-wire" cable from the light to the switch box, you can re-configure the wiring and make the outlet work correctly.. Please let me know what you find in the switch box, now you have me really curious!!

A.D