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    john b's Avatar
    john b Posts: 9, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Mar 6, 2008, 07:45 PM
    Add an outlet to a bathroom
    I am doing some remodeling in my home. We currently have an old medicine cabinet attached to it is a light fixture and outlet (all in one). I want to update the medicine cabinet but don't want to lose the light and outlet. Can I use the existing wire to create a switch, light, and GFI outlet?

    Thanks

    John
    donf's Avatar
    donf Posts: 5,679, Reputation: 582
    Printers & Electronics Expert
    		  
    #2

    Mar 7, 2008, 10:25 AM
    John,

    Are the light and outlet physically part of the cabinet? Is there a wall switch that controls the both the outlet and the light?

    Any chance you can tell me what wires are coming to the cabinet?
    john b's Avatar
    john b Posts: 9, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Mar 7, 2008, 05:42 PM
    Hi Don,

    Yes, the light ( one light one either side of the mirror) and outlet is part of the cabinet. There is no wall switch, the lights where turned on by a nob under the lights, the outlet is also under one of the lights.

    As far as the wires, there is one set of wires connected to the top of the cabinet in a metal box - 1 black, 1 white, and a ground.

    Today I tried to take the wire and connect a GFI outlet and a wall switch (from the wall switch I ran a wire above where the old medicine cabinet use to be. The outlet worked fine.

    However when I flipped the switch for the light (have not yet installed a light) the breaker kept flipping off. I am not sure if it was because I have not yet installed a light or if I screwed up the wiring, or asking for too much power, or something else.

    Thanks for the help.

    John
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #4

    Mar 7, 2008, 07:02 PM
    This post is confusing. Initially I got the impression that for the original case, you had a wall switch that controlled both the lights and the outlet in the medicine cabinet and you wanted a GFCI outlet and light both controlled by a wall switch.

    Today, I got the impression that you added the wall switch, the outlet in the medicine cabinet was live all the time and you want the wall switch to control the light and want the GFCI receptacle that is hot all the time.

    Which is it?
    john b's Avatar
    john b Posts: 9, Reputation: 1
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    #5

    Mar 7, 2008, 07:31 PM
    Originally - I had just a medicine cabinet which had built into it a light and outlet. I wanted to update the bathroom buy installing a new mirror, a light above the mirror that is connected to a switch, and also install an outlet to use a hair dryer/electric toothbrush.

    There was no existing wall switch, outlet, etc. I tried installing them today but it has not gone well.
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #6

    Mar 7, 2008, 08:05 PM
    That's what I figured.

    Were you planning to wire the light and have only the outlet on the GFCI? This makes the most sense. If the GFCI trips, your not left in the dark.

    The switch will get a black and white wire. The black wire should go to the bottom of the switch. The white wires should have some black tape on them to "mark them black".

    Lets do in stages:

    Existing white goes to white of new light

    Existing black goes to black of new switch

    White(taped black) should go to black of new light.

    Light should work with switch. GFCI is disconnected.


    Grounds:
    Are you using a plastic or metal box for the switch?
    Are you using a plastic or metal box for the GFCI?
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