Splitting receptacle, control with two switches.

renrut69 · 07-30-2012, 12:34 PM

Hello. I have found some posts close but then they expand and ...

I took down a ceiling fan on the patio which was controlled by two separate switches in the house. One switch for the light, one for the fan. I want to install a receptacle in its place in which one old switch controls the top portion and the other switch controls the bottom portion. The are four wires that contolled the "fan". Red, black, white and ground. I broke the tab off on the hot side of the receptacle. I have ground in place, I have the white installed on the neutral side with the tab still intact. I tried to install the red (which appears to be "live" even though the switches were in the off position.) to the upper hot side of the receptacle, and the black to the bottom. This, as you probably already know is not correct. That gave me the upper receptacle constant live, and the lower "on" in the switch off position (if I remember correctly.)

So then I pulled out the switches to look at the set up. Right SWITCH, black up and black down, very simple. (Note - I am replacing all my switches from flip to rocker switches, single pole is the only type I have.) I replaced the right switch, same black up and a black down. Now the left SWITCH I'm guessing 2 pole (?). Facing the switch from the FRONT, there is a Red wire upper hole, left hand side (neutral side ???). Right side, upper hole, white wire. Right side bottom, red wire. Now I'm at an ALL STOP.

1. I believe I need to get a new 2 pole rocker switch for the left side so I can duplicate the left switch setup.
2. I have no idea how to wire the receptacle to make the upper and lower outlets operate independently by the two separate switches.
Hope that was clear enough.
Many thanks,
John

AllanJ · 07-30-2012, 12:53 PM

Is there a wire that goes from one switch to the other switch? Are there any other wires in the switch box that you did not describe?

A single pole (and non-3 way) switch can have 4 holes, the two at the top are connected together and the bottom two are connected together. This lets you do such things as feed two lights using one switch (cables going off in different directions from the switch box) without having to cut a short length (pigtail) and join it to the two ends leaving just one end to poke into the hole since two wire ends cannot go in the same hole.

(The pigtail method is better, also screws are better than those holes you just push the wire in and it sticks. Also two wires cannot go under one screw and the pigtail method is better than using one screw and one hole, also connected within the switch, for the two wires.)

renrut69 · 07-30-2012, 01:17 PM

Hello. I have found some posts close but then they expand and ...

I took down a ceiling fan on the patio which was controlled by two separate switches in the house. One switch for the light, one for the fan. I want to install a receptacle in its place in which one old switch controls the top portion and the other switch controls the bottom portion. The are four wires that contolled the "fan". Red, black, white and ground. I broke the tab off on the hot side of the receptacle. I have ground in place, I have the white installed on the neutral side with the tab still intact. I tried to install the red (which appears to be "live" even though the switches were in the off position.) to the upper hot side of the receptacle, and the black to the bottom. This, as you probably already know is not correct. That gave me the upper receptacle constant live, and the lower "on" in the switch off position (if I remember correctly.)

So then I pulled out the switches to look at the set up. Right SWITCH, black up and black down, very simple. (Note - I am replacing all my switches from flip to rocker switches, single pole is the only type I have.) I replaced the right switch, same black up and a black down. Now the left SWITCH I'm guessing 2 pole (?). Facing the switch from the FRONT, there is a Red wire upper hole, left hand side (neutral side ???). Right side, upper hole, white wire. Right side bottom, red wire. Now I'm at an ALL STOP.

1. I believe I need to get a new 2 pole rocker switch for the left side so I can duplicate the left switch setup.
2. I have no idea how to wire the receptacle to make the upper and lower outlets operate independently by the two separate switches.
Hope that was clear enough.
Many thanks,
John

renrut69 · 07-30-2012, 01:22 PM

Thank you for your reply. There are no wires jumping from switch to switch.
John

renrut69 · 07-30-2012, 01:24 PM

And the box has many wires that appear to be just tied and pigtailed together.

DannyT · 07-30-2012, 01:34 PM

sounds like that second switch is a 3-way switch.
the red wire is still hot because it is connected to the other 3-way switch.

renrut69 · 07-30-2012, 02:21 PM

THANK YOU! We recently moved into this house and there is a switch in our bedroom overlooking the patio/pool and we had no idea what it went to and you are correct that switch controls the top receptacle as I have it set up now. (What probably went to the light of the old ceiling fan.) So I'll need to buy a 3 way rocker switch. Thinking that the switches/setup can be duplicated, it appears I have the receptacle wired wrong. This is where I get confused when white wires go to the hot side etc.

Much appreciated.
John

**oh'mike** · 07-30-2012, 04:13 PM

John--Please don't post the same question in another thread---keep all related questions here--thank you---Mike---

renrut69 · 07-30-2012, 04:32 PM

Sorry, just signed up today and did not know we had gotten off the thread.

**oh'mike** · 07-30-2012, 04:37 PM

Most regular members click in 'todays posts' or 'new posts'---check out that feature--and Welcome--glad you found us.