Undoing a split & switched outlet

[Craig20]

I have a split outlet in which the top receptacle is always hot and the bottom is switched. I want to change this so that both receptacles are always hot and reuse the switch to control a new ceiling light that I am installing.

The split outlet is at the end of a run that is made up of the following in this order:
1) Switch
2) An always hot outlet
3) The split/switched outlet

14/3 Romex runs from the switch, the black line is hot and red is switched.
At the first outlet black is connected and red bypasses and is connected directly to the red of the next run of cable.
At the split/switched outlet the black is connected to the top half and red is connected to the bottom (switched) receptacle.

I figure that there are two ways that I could make the change I want.

1) Disconnect the red line at both the switch and the outlet, and replace the split receptacle with a new unsplit receptacle. In this case the red line would no longer be connected at either end.

2) Leave the outlet as is, remove the red line from the switch and tie it in with the blacks in the box. In this case both the red and black will always be hot.

Is one of these options better than the other with respect to safety or electrical code? Are there any other options short of opening the walls and replacing the 14/3 with 14/2 Romex?

Thanks in advance!

[davidg73]

disconnect the red at both ends and put a wire nut on it. do NOT hook it up at both ends and run in parallel to the black. it really won't hurt anything but is a sure fire clue that someone who knows nothing about electricity has fooled with it.

[HayZee518]

I guess the guy that wired it originally gave you the option to split wire every outlet in THAT run, but only split wired the end outlet. Remove the red off the switch andcap, remove the red in the end box and cap. change the end outlet into one that doesn't have the link broken.