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View Full Version : Change outlets controlled by a switch to "always on"?


thebuch
Jul 24, 2010, 08:26 PM
Hi,
I have a room with four separate outlet assemblies (eight total receptacles). All four bottom outlets are controlled by a wall switch. Is it fairly easy to make two of these outlets always on and keep the other two connected to the wall switch? I'm a pinsetter mechanic by trade so I do a lot of electrical work on those machines but I have very little experience with home electrical wiring and if I can do the work at each outlet individually I'm going to go for it. However if it involves running new wiring I'll pass or call an electrician to do the work. Thanks in advance!

KISS
Jul 24, 2010, 10:49 PM
Id have to guess what you have.

There will be two sets of black pigtailed wires to each outlet.
PIGTAIL = 2 wires entering box will be wire nutted to a 3rd short wire. (The short wire is the pigtail (pigs have short tails).

On your outlets a bar will be removed on the brass screw, so would suggest a new outlet which will have the bar present.

Take the wire that was connected to the switched outlet and just take it off and put a wire nut on it.

Connect everything else up as it was with a new outlet. You'll have an unoccupied brass screw.

hkstroud
Jul 25, 2010, 04:11 AM
Or you can just disconnect the pigtail to the bottom half of the outlet at the wire nut and connect it to the wire nut that connects the pigtail to the top half.

thebuch
Jul 25, 2010, 08:41 PM
Understood. I'll have a look at it when I get a day off. Thanks!