HELP I need to wire a switch to an outlet to hook up my garbage disposal

r8drman69 · 06-03-2007, 05:44 PM

Please help DIY friends.

I need help to rewire my garbage disposal outlet to an existing switch, but the tricky part is of the two outlets, I want one constant hot and the top one to be switched hot / off.

I had this working fine, but as my buddy and I changed the outlet to GFCI's, he or I somehow messed it up.

I have tried a few different ways to wire it up, but no luck either I am tripping the fuse, or I can get the bottom one hot but nothing on the top. I can also get both outlets to be hot and both outlets to be switched, but I cant' seem to get it back to the top outlet being controlled by the switch.

thanks for bailing me out!

send_it_all · 06-03-2007, 06:23 PM

You can use an air switch that mounts to your countertop next to your faucet. It plugs into a constant hot outlet and then your disposal plugs into it. The switch is a button that gets mounted on the countertop and is vacuum or air operated. It costs about $60 but it's pretty slick and extremely easy to install. I just put one in a coupla days ago. customer loved it.

send_it_all · 06-03-2007, 06:25 PM

Forgot to mention that I got mine at Home Depot. They're where the garbage disposals are. They also come with different colored buttons like stainless, white and chrome.

jwhite · 06-04-2007, 06:54 AM

If you look at the recepticle that you removed the tab between the two hot screw terminals was removed.

GFI recepticles do not have this feature. So, you cannot have a split wire GFI. You can install a GFI breaker and put the original REC back, IF and a big IF the gd and dish are on the same circuit and not on a multi wire branch circuit.

HouseHelper · 06-04-2007, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwhite

If you look at the recepticle that you removed the tab between the two hot screw terminals was removed.

GFI recepticles do not have this feature. So, you cannot have a split wire GFI. You can install a GFI breaker and put the original REC back, IF and a big IF the gd and dish are on the same circuit and not on a multi wire branch circuit.

But a garbage disposal and dishwasher do not have to be GFCI protected, so use a standard receptacle and break the tab on the brass side to give you the split feature you want.

jwhite · 06-04-2007, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HouseHelper

But a garbage disposal and dishwasher do not have to be GFCI protected, so use a standard receptacle and break the tab on the brass side to give you the split feature you want.

I know that... lol.. it was the op who decided to put in a GFI. I was just telling him why it was not working.

HouseHelper · 06-04-2007, 02:37 PM

Sorry, I quoted you but my comment was directed to the OP. I KNOW you know it's not required

!

jwhite · 06-04-2007, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HouseHelper

Sorry, I quoted you but my comment was directed to the OP. I KNOW you know it's not required

!

You did bring up a good point. Why install a GFI. Is there some belief that this will somehow make something safer?

It does sound like someone misunderstands the purpose of a GFI and when it will add a safety factor to a wiring installation.

r8drman69 · 06-05-2007, 11:18 PM

thanks to all your input.

I did take a look at the old outlet and I noticed the broken tab.

I also realized that the GFI outlet was not capable of this, so I removed the GFI and put in a standard outlet, wired it up and broke the tab and I have the garbage disposal working from the switch again.

thanks again for the help.

r8drman69