How do you remove a light switch and replace it with a plug?

Answer 1

If you don't know much about electrical wring, you probbaly should have someone qualified do it, but if you do, here are couple of different ways depending on the setup you have. POWER SHOULD BE OFF TO ALL CIRCUITS WHILE YOU ARE WORKING, ACCEPT WHEN YOU ARE TESTING FOR HOT WIRES. 1. I am assuming that the switch is single pole (has on/off printed on it. You will first have to determine if there is a hot/neutral, and a ground wire in the junction box (usually white/black(or red)/and bare wire). If there is not, this switch box does not have power to it, and is only a bypass for power coming from another powered junction box. You can also tell if this is how it is wired, if all the wires in the box were going to the switch, or if there is a white wire which has been painted black. If any of these conditions apply, you will have to actually have to run a power wire to this particular junction box. This would be worst case scenario. 2. If there is a hot,neutral,and a ground, than the process is fairly easy. All you need to do is determine which one of the (2) black wires which are going to the swith is the hot wire, and which is the switched wire. You can do this by testing each of the two wires on the switch with the switch in the off position put one wire from the tester on the white wires which are tied together, and the other wire on the black wire on the switch. You will only get a read from one of the wires, that is the hot one this wire should go to the hot side (bronze color) of the new plug, and you will have to run a single white wire from the bundle of white wires to the neutral side (silver color)on the new plug. The bare wire should get attached to the green screw on the new plug. This will either be at the top or the bottom of the silver side of the plug. The plug will now work, and can be installed in the box with a new cover plate. The only matter remaining is if you want whatever the old swith controlled to always be hot, or always be dead. (since you have no switch any more, it will have to be one or another). If you want it hot, attached the remaining black wire to the bronze side of the new plug. If you want it dead, just cap it and put some tape around it and close up everything.

Answer 2

First thing to remember is: DO NOT leave any splices in the conduit or open. The 2005 NEC does not allow splices left in the open or in a conduit... except for special exemptions. The easiest way is to add a box and conduit leading to the new box from the old box. Add a box indtead of move a box. The harder way, actually moving a box is to re-pipe from the junction box prior, or distribution panel if that is required, to the new location. If the conduit is longer, new wire will have to be pulled. If it is shorter you may be able to use the existing wire if it is in servicable condition. Check for cracked or damaged insulation along the entire length. Next if there are any other conductors in the conduit, and you are removing the old box, they will have to be moved also. This can be time consuming and somewhat expensive, depending on locations of boxes, existing conduit, structural penitrations, etc. OR If by chance you are using (ROMEX) non-metalic sheathed cable, then the job gets a lot easier. Pull the conductors and box to the new location with out damaging the cable. Remember that any splice will have to be in an accessible box. The advantage is that there are no conduits to have to deal with. Precautions MUST be taken to prevent damage when running through structural member penitrations. Good luck Terry North

Answer 3

If you don't have experience working with electricity. Make sure you turn off the power to the circuit you will be working on or you will electrocute yourself. Buy a voltage tester in any electrical supply house put it in the hot part of the outlet you will hear a beep or it will light up to let you know you have power. Then check one breaker at a time until you find the proper circuit. Once you find it turn it off.

Disconnect the hot wire first, followed by the neutral, followed by the ground if one is present. Connect the new outlet in reverse of the disconnect. ie. ground first, followed by neutral, followed by your hot.

Answer 4

Wiring a switched plug is the same procedure you would use as if you were switching a light fixture. If you just want to switch half of the duplex receptacle you have to keep in mind that the tie bar on the hot side of the receptacle has to be removed. The bottom of the receptacle will then be wired as a normal receptacle and the top half can be operated from the switch. This type of switching is common in bedrooms where the bed lamps can be turned on by a wall switch when entering the room.

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Not sure what type plug you have in mind. However, as a general description when you are switching anything you want to "Open" the Hot side of the voltage supplied to the device with the switch. In Residential wiring this is the black wire. So if you have a Black (Hot), White (Neutral) and Bare (Ground) wires coming from supply side you would wire the Black into the switch and the other side of the switch would connect to the Black wire going to the "Plug". You would just connect the White wires together with a wire-nut and the bare wires with a separate wire-nut.

Answer 5

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

This answer is for one duplex receptacle and two switches in a three gang box. You will need a 120 volt supply cable from the distribution panel. In this cable will be a white, black and bare ground wire. Strip the sheath back 8 inches and insert it into the three gang box.

In the back of the three gang box there is a ground screw. Wrap the ground wire around this screw, tighten the screw and let the rest of the wire hang out of the front of the three gang box.

Cut three 6 inch short pieces of black wire and strip the insulation from both ends about 3/4 " long.

Use your pliers and twist these three pieces together and connect them to the incoming black supply wire. Use a wire nut large enough to capture all four wire and twist it on firmly.

The three short pieces will be the supply voltage to the receptacle and the two switches.

On the receptacle connect one of the pig tails to the brass coloured screw.

Connect the other two pigtails to the top screws on the switches.

To determine the top of the switch, look for a dimple on the handle. If you can not see it, the switch is in the off position. When the time comes to mount the switch make sure that the off position of the handle is pointing to the floor.

Cut a 6" length of white wire and connect it to the incoming white supply wire, this is the circuits neutral.

Connect the white pigtail to the silver screw on the receptacle.

Connect the ground wire that is hanging out of the box to the green ground screw on the receptacle.

Coming into the three gang box should be the two feeds from the individually switched light fixtures.

Connect one black wire from light number one to the bottom of the first switch.

Connect the black wire from light number two to the bottom of the second switch.

Gather the two white whites from the two individual light feeds, along with the white from the supply that has the pigtail attached to it.

Use your pliers to twist these four conductors together. Use a wire nut large enough to capture all four wire and twist it on firmly.

Mount the receptacle to the three gang box.

Mount the two switches to the three gang box, remember handle down looking at the floor.

Install the three gang cover plate and the job is finished.

When the breaker is turned back on for this circuit, the receptacle will be "hot" and there will be a voltage potential at the top of the two switches.

When the switches are turned on there will be a 120 volt potential at the lighting fixtures junction boxes.

As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 6

By ensuring the appliance is turned off, that there's no hazards around then you can carefully unplug the cord from the wall grapping the cord from the end (plastic piece).

Answer 7

By pulling on the blade cap and not by the cord.