Converting Light Switch to Outlet

[NickTheNut]

Searching online is giving me too many conflicting results; before I call an electrician, I thought I'd ask the good folks here at Garage Journal.

I have a light switch in my office that's hooked up to an outlet in the opposite corner of the room. We don't use the switch because it's in a bad place in the office (you have to fully walk into the office and to the wall opposite the door to get to the switch). But it is a perfect spot to mount a flat screen TV.

So I want to convert the light switch into an electrical outlet. And then make the switched outlet into just a regular outlet. I know "deswitching" (I'm sure that's the wrong term) the outlet isn't a problem. I can do that easy.

But what I am wondering is if it's safe to convert the switch to an outlet. Or can I even maintain the switch and install a dual outlet/switch like switches that garbage disposals usually have?

I'm not an electrician, but am comfortable with electronics (soldering, reading multimeter's, building circuits, etc.). But I'm always nervous when it comes to home electrical wiring.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[dittle fart around]

You can make the switch an outlet. A switch box usually doesn't have power in the box. The power is at the outlet and the wires to the switch just open the hot leg. That means a hot wire goes out to the switch then back to the outlet and not directly to the outlet. Connect the switch wires to the outlet's hot and neutral then replace the switch with an outlet.
The dual outlet and switch can be used to operate the outlet in the same box or you can run wires from the switch to any light or outlet you want to turn on and off. You need to have power in the box for the outlet.

 

[pentavolvo]

need to pull switch out and tells us what is in there for wiring and or a picture, same at outlet

 

[Steevo]

If all three conductors (black, white, ground) pass through the box with the switch in it, and the switch merely interrupts the black/hot conductor, then yes, you can simply put a receptacle in place of the switch. Cut or strip the white/neutral wire so that it can be connected to the neutral terminal on your receptacle, wire the two blacks that were on the switch to the hot side of the receptacle, wrap the ground around the green screw and you are done..

 

[NickTheNut]

Thanks for the info guys! Sounds easy enough!

 

[luvit]

just a thought, if a the switched outlet makes sense to have near the switch, you can do this, or a double-gang.. and you can still hard-wire bypass the other outlet on the opposite side of the room.

 

[just1more]

Like stated before, you should be able to change the switch to an outlet, I'm assuming you have romex wire? Along with pulling the switch, I would pull the outlet it controlled. It can depend on where the 110 volt "line" is feeding power to the outlet as to the way you would wire the new outlet. Should be one of two options.


1). 110 line runs to /thru switch box, black wire cut, with each end of the cut wire attached to the switch, then continues to the outlet........ If this is the case, cut the white wire and attach to the silver outlet screws and the black wire to gold screws. This is lke Steevo said above.

.....................OR.............

2). 110 line runs into outlet box, with a "switch leg" to the switch itself. Normally in this case, the white "line" wire attaches to the outlet and the black "line" wire would have a connection to another black wire that runs and attaches to switch. If romex was used the white wire at the switch now becomes a black wire (normally a pc. of black electrical tape would be wrapped on each end of the insulation to signify this.) This new "black" wire then attaches to the gold terminal of the outlet. .... if this is the case, you would have to rewire the switch leg to make it a 110 volt line for the new outlet.
this is what DFA said above.
..........hope this isnt too confusing?

 

[twinklerai]

You can make the switch an outlet. A switch box usually doesn't have power in the box. The power is at the outlet and the wires to the switch just open the hot leg. That means a hot wire goes out to the switch then back to the outlet and not directly to the outlet. Connect the switch wires to the outlet's hot and neutral then replace the switch with an outlet.
The dual outlet and switch can be used to operate the outlet in the same box or you can run wires from the switch to any light or outlet you want to turn on and off. You need to have power in the box for the outlet.