Half-Switched Outlet

greyhound75635

I need to know how to tell if my outlets were 'once' half-switched. The outlets have been replaced and are all hot. The outlets have 2 black wires on the hot 'gold' side and 2 white wires on the 'other' side. The metal piece between the hot wires has not been removed.

My living room is half-switched which makes me believe the bedroom is also. To test this, do all 4 outlets have to have the metal piece removed or can I test it on just one?

Thanks for your help and advice.

jbfan

What does the switch do now?
Have you removed the switch to see what the wires are.

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AllanJ

Telling for sure whether a receptacle is half switched requires a whole page of text to describe.

Sometimes only some of the receptacles in the room may be half switched. A duplex receptacle on which the metal piece between the screws is not broken off is not half switched but could be completely switched.

Half switched receptacles usually have an odd number of wires (counting all colors) in the box and usually one wire is red.

Two black wires on one side and two white wires on the other side usually signify that power continues from here to another receptacle. The receptacle being examined is not half switched.

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Jim Port

Any receptacle in the room could be switched. It just depends on how it was wired.

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Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

greyhound75635

The switch has one black wire and one white wire. This is 65 year old wiring.
Thanks.

greyhound75635

This is 65 year old wiring. There are no red wires in the house. I know that the metal piece not broken off will make both plugs hot. The plug has been replaced most likely by someone who did not like the fact that the old plug had been painted. I do not know the configuration of the original plug.
Thanks for the reply.

Jim Port

You will need to find where a white is spliced or on the brass side of a receptacle to see which receptacle is meant to be switched.

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Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.