How do you convert an outlet to a switch?

Answer 1

I am not trying to be mean here, but the fact that you need to ask this question tells me you should have a qualified electrician do this for you. The age of your home will have alot to do with what needs to be done, as will your local electrical codes.

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If by wall switch you mean one for controlling lamps... you shouldn't! (Unless it's the practice in your country to run both power outlets and lighting off a single, common ring-main: in the UK the lighting and power circuits are separated at the main fuse or circuit-breaker box.)

Answer 2

To add a switch you need to run new wire to the fixture you wish to switch. For more information please click on the link shown below to the Related Question "How do you wire a new light with an on-off switch using wires coming from an outlet?"

Go to your local home improvement centre and buy a book. It will teach you how to do it legally and will serve as a handy reference during the job.

Finally, it must be said: Do It Right Or Don't Do It At All. If you are negligent you could easily kill someone through fire or electrocution. If you read and do your homework and learn what is required you may find that small electrical repairs can be quick and easy.

If you can't understand what you need to do, hire an electrician. The cost of a professional is much less than the value of the time you will waste and the danger you will put yourself in if you don't understand what you are doing.

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.

Answer 3

An electrician will be able to safely install a switch on your receptacle.

If you already have one, they usually operate by having the receptacle controlled by the light switch, meaning that the appliance or lamp you plug into the switched receptacle can be controlled by the light switch.

For convenience (or per code in some places) a switched receptacle is often only one half of a duplex receptacle and the other half is always energized (not switched).

Answer 4

Converting a hot receptacle to a switched or half switched one is easy. Converting a switched one to a hot one, whether on both halves, or only one, will be more difficult. To do this, you need to get a hot (either from the other receptacles in the room, or from the CONSTANT hot in the switch box) into the receptacle box. After you've got a hot in the receptacle box (not a switched, but a constant hot), you can just break the hot jumper tab and you'll have two separate outlets. You can make one hot all the time, and the other switched, if you like. For a better explanation with photos, see the PDF Related link shown below. : IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS. : If you do this work yourself, always turn off the power

at the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND

always use an electrician's test meter having metal-tipped probes

(not a simple proximity voltage indicator)

to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

Answer 5

Answer for Canada, USA and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.This is how to wire one half of a receptacle outlet, to say control a table lamp. This is done by switching only one half of a duplex receptacle. Remove the brass tab between the upper and lower sockets on the receptacle. Small slot side. Leave the (silver coloured) tab intact.

Run a two wire feeder cable to the switch and pigtail the black wire into two "hots". One will go to the top of the switch and the other will go directly to the split receptacle.

From the switch box, a three wire cable will be required to complete the circuit.

The usual configuration of the three wire cable is red wire from the bottom of the switch to the top switched section of the receptacle and the black wire of the three wire cable is connected to the un switched section of the receptacle.

The switched "hot" will connect to the brass screw on the upper half of the split receptacle.The un-switched "hot" will connect to the brass screw on the bottom portion of the split receptacle.

The white wire will connect to the silver coloured screw on the receptacle.

This will leave you with the top half of the receptacle switched and the bottom half of the receptacle un switched.

The ground wire is connected to all of the electrical boxes and the receptacle ground terminals throughout the circuit.

This is popular connection for branches circuits where lamps are the only lighting for a room.

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.