Switched Outlet - Red Wire?

[dadot9]

Just moved into my first house and want to replace some worn out outlets....

The first one I want to replace is on a switch across the room. There are three(3) white wires, one(1) red wire, and the ground. The outlets I bought have two screws on either side and two holes on the back for each side. The old outlet has all holes and no screws. How do I hook the new one up?

I understand the white would be on one side, but does the red just replace a normal black wire installation? Should I hook two whites to the screws and the third to on of the holes on the back? Should the red be on the brass screw side like a black wire would be? I at least know where the ground would be

TIA Scott

[Jimmer]

Scott,

Welcome to the forum. How were the wires connected to the old one? You said there were 3 whites and they were connected in the holes in the back. There are normally only two holes on each side, did you have something different?

When replacing outlets it is a good idea to first check to see if the tab that goes between the screws on each side have been broken (indicating a split circuit). If they are then you need to break them off one the new plug. Then if you remove one wire at a time and connect it to the new plug in the same spot you can rarely make a mistake.

If you have already removed the wires from the old plug then you are going to have to assume that the whites are nuetral (like they are supposed to be). I have seen two hots and two nuetrals, and two hots with one nuetral but not one hot and three nuetrals. It seems a bit odd.

Good luck, Jim

'Just a handyman trying to help'

[jharris1984]

Same Issue

Hey there,

I hate to bring up a very very old thread however my issue was exactly the same as this original post and I was hoping to get some help with it.



This is what I have currently. I also have three black wires that are all wire nutted together.



Sorry about the picture being side ways.

I have a standard outlet and I'm trying to figure out which wires go where? My outlet that I need to hook up is below.



There is nothing wrong with the outlet other than it is worn out and the plugs fall out of it. The switch works and both the outlets work as well.

Your help would be very much appreciated as I couldn't find the answer to this one anywhere else.

Thanks,
Jon

p.s. Sorry about the links to the images. Unfortunately the forum wouldn't let me insert the pictures until I hit 15 posts.

[HayZee518]

Well, I'm kinda stumped too as to why they're using all the whites on the outlet. one cableset I can figure out is a type UF cable, one is a three wire, and one is another two wire. what it might be is one hot going to a three wire to a three way switch via a BLACK. Two other BLACKS are spliced to the blacks to serve downstream outlets [circuits] All the whites are going to one side of the outlet, but I can't tell the polarity of the outlet. The RED is the only wire on the other side of the outlet so it appears to be the return HOT in the three wire. Gonna hafta make up a diagram and figure it out and post it here later on. Oh BTW if what I see is true, you have two #14 wires and a #12 wire in the same box. If the hot is a #14 and fused for 15 amp, I see no problem, BUT if the #12 is hot and fused for 20 amp, then the other two wires[#14s] are in danger of overheating. They're only rated for 15 amp.

[jharris1984]

I'm not sure if it matters ( I'm thinking it doesn't) but this outlet does connect to a three switch plate next to the front door. It operates the outside porch light, this outlet next to the front door on the inside, and also the light at the top of the stairs. Again any help is very much appreciated.

[jharris1984]

Oh and the outlet I'm replacing is a 15 amp receptacle. Not sure if that is what you were asking about the wires or not.

[HayZee518]

mixed wires in a box is misleading. the 12 may be what the owner only had to use, the circuit being fused at 15 amp -OR- the 12 is the feeder fused at 20 amp which puts the 14s in jeopardy.
all the red wire is telling me is that it is coming off a three way switching circuit to turn on and off the outlet from two places. the blacks spliced together is 1) feeding a downstream circuit, 2) feeding the three wire circuit, 3) feeding another box [switchbox] as you indicated.

[jharris1984]

Any ideas on how to go about hooking up the new receptacle?

[HayZee518]

the new outlet has two screws and two quick wire terminals on each side. put one white on each nickel colored screw and stab one white in the back [same side] connect up the red to one brass screw on the other side.

[jharris1984]

Thanks a bunch.