How To EASILY Add An Outlet In Any Room Using A Light Switch!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Have you ever needed to add an outlet to a room? How did you go about doing it? And would this have made it easier? I really appreciate the feedback!

[@KE5ZZO]

Good tip leave outlet tester in while flip on light switch…. I 2 situations where outlet tested correct with nothing plugged in but plug in washing machine and it flipped hot and neutral… and different outlet. Plug in oil scent warmer and it killed power to outlets

[@SalemAbuOmar]

sometimes the light switch dont have neutral line

[@nothankyou5524]

Not with a wago or an ideal, that's for sure. Your stuff is great!!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@rayray8687 what are you talking about? It wasn’t screwed into anything. It’s an old work box that has wings on it that tighten down onto the sheet rock like a vice. It will last as long as the house does. You sure you had an electrical company?

[@bthamus8334]

​@@SalemAbuOmar If you don't have a neutral, just pull another one! OH... The house should be piped out like they require residential in the Chicagoland area. Ooops. Nevermind... House should have been piped out since day one. Anyway, I guess you can rip out walls and call a RomexJockey...😅 Good luck!

[@johnrodgers6768]

These are absolutely the best DIY electrical videos I have ever seen. After watching a number of these, I'm going to pull my past work and double-check everything. Love the WAGO connectors, never saw those before -

[@averageeverydayfishermansh4501]

The interwebs are reading my mind. I had not researched this in any way and mostly (LOL) know what I am doing but I was planning on adding an outlet to each of the decorative ledges up on the top of the living room walls and saw this video so thought I would take a look. I was planning on going from another outlet, which would have been tough on the one ledge because of the location, and had forgotten about possibly going from the light switch. I was planning this for the last two years (I am a professional procrastinator) so my wife can put her Christmas village up there and then add some lighting when it's not Christmas (huh, missed Christmas again. LOL) but was really going to do it this weekend as I had nothing going on. This video is EXCELLENT and really talks through the process in a way anyone can understand without making us DIY'ers feel like idiots. Thanks for a great video. But don't worry, I saved this video so I can reference it later...after I have procrastinated for a few more months. Maybe she will get those Christmas village decorations up for next year!?! I guess we have to wait and see. LOL!!

[@waynerosenthal6737]

Thanks!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Welcome!

[@Flightrisk2]

50 years old and learned something new today...thanks a bunch!!!!

[@LoTech77]

I don't even need to add any outlets to my house but the video is so well done that I just watched it all the way through.

[@billhandymanbill2775]

Nice step-by-step video. Some suggestions: be very careful when cutting in the “old work” electrical box into the drywall as the “Romex” non-metallic plastic jacketed electrical cable may be stapled to the 2x4 wood stud and you don’t want to damage that cable. Yes, in older homes, you may not have a neutral in the switch electrical box because the electrician first brought the supply power cable into the ceiling light electrical box and then ran a “switch leg” to the electrical switch, something that is rarely, if ever done, today. No, you cannot use the ground wire as the return neutral even though they are both connect together in the panel per the NEC (National Electrical Code). Be careful when using a “old work” electrical box next to a stud as if it is too close to the wooded stud since one of the two fold out drywall wings may not fully open up since it may hit the 2x4 stud. For convenience and to meet NEC requirements, I always leave 6” of wire past the electrical box to make my electrical connections. It should be noted that this video uses “Romex” wiring and not the original “BX” spiral armor electrical cable which is found in older homes and in homes in older cities like Chicago and possible New York City.

[@billhandymanbill2775]

Also, you should not use an oscillating “multi-tool” to cut the drywall since you accidentally and quickly cut an electrical cable, water pipe, gas pipe whereas the “jab saw” give you better control to feel around albeit it is much slower in cutting!

[@aurvaroy6670]

Great video. I do have a tip for identifying the hot wire in any electrical box without having to go back and forth flipping a breaker. So when the power is off, you can test continuity between the neutral and ground wires for each cable in the box. The cable that feeds power into the box will always have continuity between its neutral and ground wires since they're bonded together at the panel. Any other cables in the box will obviously not have this continuity. Once I learned about this trick, I always do this whenever I need to identify a hot wire in a box I work on since it saves me time and makes me feel safer not having to energize any exposed wiring.

[@kevinrush4411]

To be clear, you are saying the ground wire and the (dead / return) neutral wire are connected at the breaker box. Thus you can check them for continuity and the remaining wire is the hot live one. (I originally read it wrong.)

[@lostmagicofdisney]

@@kevinrush4411 I feel like you two are saying opposite things. From what I've learned, you're logic makes better since to me.

[@aheineman9138]

⁠@kevineush4411 You have it opposite of the original comment. The live/hot/load wire is connected/grouped with the neutral and ground. The line wire is the one that’s separate.

[@AR-up4xe]

Thanks, very helpful video. It would also be nice to see how you would go about adding an outlet downstream of the switch. Especially how you would fish the wiring through several studs or even around a corner of an adjacent wall.

[@klmbuilders5385]

Remove the baseboard and the drywall just below where the top of the base lands. Drill through the studs (be aware you may encounter nails from the plate into the studs). Run the sheathed wiring through the holes and into an area between the studs for an old work box installation (locate and cut the hole for the box prior to running cable). Install nailing plates to bottom of studs that were drilled (You can forgo the nailing plates if you're positive where you can nail the base back) Reinstall drywall and baseboard.

[@What1zTyme]

Great lesson/seminar/demonstration.. well done! Thank you for your hard work and clear explanations!

[@Woojo01]

This is exactly what I need! Thanks for taking the time to post this. Your instructions are detailed and very easily understood. 👍👍😀

[@richarda3764]

I've got a pantry and a hallway closet I could use outlets in so this video is perfect to pull power from the light switch. Thank you!

[@Kangenpower7]

You might also consider the switch with a built in receptacle in it. Also before you start your project, make sure there is two black and white wires in your box with the switch in it. If there is only 2 wires going into that box (1 black and 1 white wire), then there is not 120 volts there that you can use to power a receptacle. This is because many builders put in only a 2 wire romex to the light switch, and the hot wire and neutral are both located in the ceiling box the light is located in. The builder installed a hot wire to the switch and the return wire is going to the lamp in the ceiling box.

[@yosefmacgruber1920]

@@Kangenpower7 Then why didn't this video talk about using the light fixture as a place to get power for the outlet? But then is that really a good idea? Often lighting has its own circuit, so that when an outlet is overloaded and the circuit breaker trips, the entire house does not get plunged into darkness. But then many DIYers would not know how to pull a wire from so far away having to go to a different wall stud cavity. Here is a hint. Probably easier to jump over a few studs by going into the basement then back up again. Not always is a shortcut, "the shortest distance between two points". But then, is there some need or requirement to seal up those holes drilled through the floor? And no fun if the drill bit comes up in the wrong place and snags the carpet.

[@crazydoglady5]

VERY clear and detailed on how to do it and what not to do. I am still learning electrical. Its alot for my pea brain. The best I can do is change out an outlet. switch or electrical outlet.

[@mauro.6666]

Thank you, I've been looking for a video just like this for a while already. I appreciate your information and your explanation. Thank you

[@imredojcsany9877]

Good video, but its worth mentioning that not all switch outlets will have a neutral available in them, especially in older homes they would use 2 wire to cary a hot and a switch leg from the lighting outlet.

[@SalemAbuOmar]

same my comment

[@narlycharley]

This should be at the top. Most older homes will run power from the box in the ceiling.

[@bthamus8334]

Just pull another wire through the pipe. Use a fish tape... Remember to stay 80% of the pipe. Take your time, do a good job. Easy. Residential in Chicago requires it to be piped out per the NEC. EZ-PZ. Same if you want to run extra switch leads to say a ceiling fan to control a light, etc... Just run a extra wire. What seems to be the problem?😏😼

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Exactly! What is the purpose of running the neutral to the switch in the first place? Lot of wasted wire in my opinion.

[@bthamus8334]

@@Watchyn_Yarwood They are replacing the switch with an outlet.

[@louisbrucetatarsky9817]

Thank you, I really like the Wago connector, makes for a cleaner installation.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Wagos are particularly good for wiring in pigtails so that the next time that some fixture wears out, you can just replace the wire to the fixture without disturbing the rest of the wiring.

[@michaelwhitfield609]

Awesome awesome job. You must be a teacher. I appreciate this info for it is greatly needed. Thank you very much.

[@AudioVile]

Excellent video! Clear, easy to understand instructions!

[@rexwilson6598]

Thank You Brother for the Video's , I'm working on a project at my place ! Just Subscribed to your channel ! Thanks Again Brother !

[@srezzy1326]

Excellent video as well as the wago connections. Brilliantly understandable!

[@deca12351]

You do a really great job with your video's !!! You really explain everything so well !!! Thank you

[@Hengry-uw7gi]

Yes 👍 you explain things very well & make easy for the viewers . New sub

[@Poliflix76]

Thank you for your well explained tutorial! Super helpful!

[@clarencewiles963]

The combos work great for my vacuum in our hallway one outlet and ready to go.

[@paulhughes3961]

Awesome information, I know a little about electrical but never thought about using waygo clips .

[@chifan7]

Excellent video. Very clear and straight forward. Thank you.

[@LRC1015]

Good job with this video! You explain things in a way that’s easy to follow. As a beginner I have a question. Would you be able to add a GFCI in the same way?

[@sim539]

You are the best !!! God Bless You and your channel ❤

[@SSHitMan]

In the 35 years I was doing construction, always in older buildings in Chicago, there would rarely be a neutral wire in a switch box and the walls were plaster on lath and stud finders don't work on those walls. And it's very difficult to cut the hole without making a mess of the 100 year old plaster. Always had to do a lot of patching afterwards. But the chain trick was something we used often, albeit with window chain as we always had that available, but that's almost impossible to find these days.

[@scottallberry]

Ive watched a lot of your videos. Great reference material for a diy person. I bought a new house and shortly after noticed a lot of outlets had no tension and plugs just fell out. I watched your videos, felt confident and replaced nearly every outlet. No issues, used wagos, and it turned out well. The only thing i had difficulty with was managing the wires in the box. The wago didnt particularly take up much room, but the added wires to correct stacked wires on terminals just ate up every bit of space. Are new boxes bigger now than they used to be or are their tricks to getting the wires folded up behind the outlets?

[@hankaaron3942]

Best guidance ever! Nice channel, new subscriber for life.

[@marklewus5468]

Interesting video for beginners, but what about those of us who live in houses built in the 80s or before where there is no neutral in the switch box? Ie, hot+neutral at the lamp, hot + switched at the swiitch box?

[@crooker2]

Try doing that in a house that was built in the 1940's. I had to do this same thing. No ground. It was ok... But I do have labels on the outlets that say "No Equipment Ground"

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

If you find yourself in that position, you should be able to fish a neutral down from wherever the lamp is getting it's neutral from. I'm not sure what the time line on these changes were, but there was an exception for situations where a neutral could be fished if needed later. The main reason why that's no longer permissible is just because of the smart devices that people are replacing the usual electrical fixtures with that require a neutral.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@crooker2 That is permissible, however, it's important to try to avoid using any devices on that circuit which have a ground pin as they were not designed with extra insulation to prevent electricity from leaking to the user in case of a fault.

[@ld8258]

This is excellent. Thank you.

[@Lola_Santoro]

I love your channel!

[@TimeToCheckReality]

Not a mention that in many houses more than a few years old, there is no neutral (white) wire in the switch box.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That happens, but you should be able to fish a neutral down from the light then. However, at that point, you're probably going to want to just hire an electrician as that can get kind of involved if it's not something that you're used to and there may be other issues that arise.

[@MRUDE]

So helpful! Thank you

[@samsonjpedroza]

EXCELLENT TUTORIAL !!! A+

[@SoeLife]

Thank you for sharing!

[@alexosorio4889]

Great tutorial video. Thank you

[@JersayPedro]

Your switch/receptacle suggestion made me realize: if i was building a new home or adding on a room, I'd call for them at all switches. Having a higher receptacle is convenient for things like vacuum cleaners or corded tools that are used then removed. I don't think there's much of a visial appeal tradeoff considering the added convenience.

[@mrmcdermo]

Great tutorial. Alas, I live in the Chicago metro area and everything has to be conduit or BX (only allowed for runs less than 30” I think). No romex allowed. Soooo annoying for DIYers.

[@joejoewhite7552]

Great video thanks

[@tjnies]

Great video! Question: I wanted to install an outlet below a light switch just like this, except that the light switch is a 3-way, at the top of a set of stairs. There are 2 other switches at the bottom of the stairs and at the end of the hallway. How to proceed wiring a situation like this?

[@dastickyone5822]

Very helpful

[@frogfoot198]

A better video for me is adding a light switch to both sides of the closet door. My closet has a light switch on the outside of the master closet but I'd like to have one on the inside as well. This would require using two three way switches too I believe. Thanks for all your videos.

[@michellerearden7984]

I’m so glad I found your channel! Am I able to add a GCFI outlet getting power from a switch? Thanks

[@imredojcsany9877]

Yes You can use a gfci as long as you have a line and neutral available. I would use a normal receptacle unless you specifically need a gfci in that location for code reasons, such as a bathroom, kitchen, garage etc.

[@jdiguls2848]

WOW!¡! Great idea,WHO would've ever thought😂WAGO this🥖

[@geesharp6637]

Link to your Sheathing Stripper? Great video. I have a small hallway at the bottom of the stairs in basement with no receptacle. Now I have options.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yes definitely does open up another possibility to adding outlets and not having to do a lot of work cutting out drywall and drilling holes in studs to get wiring to another outlet. Thank you very much for reminding me to add the sheathing stripper! I knew I was forgetting something. I added a link to it in the video's description! Thank you again for the reminder and for the feedback!

[@JersayPedro]

Two questions: 1. I usually would pigtail as you showed at the switch, but is it a code violation to backstab the new hot wire connecting into the switch by backstabbing it into the same location as the hot wire at the switch? I've heard people say backstabbing isn't safe overall, but if that's the case, why are manufacturers allowed to sell them in the USA? 2. Decades ago an electrician told me that a pro can tell if a homeowner has been messing around with a receptacle or switch by looking at the screw on the cover plate. Supposedly, pros will always leave the screw in a vertical position. Is that still true? It looks like you practice that. Very informative videos!

[@hmj.seward2015]

A few weeks ago I did these steps to add another receptacle in the bathroom to run an LED strip nightlight. I jumped off the dining room light switch which was on the other side of the wall inline with where I wanted to put the receptacle. I believe that light was wired backwards because when the LED lights come on, so does the dining room light. When the dining room light is on, the LED's won't come on. The power goes first to the light then to the switch (only 2 wires in the box when I opened it- black and white). To fix this I believe I would need to rewire first to the switch, then to the light. This video certainly would have come in handy when doing that. I did, however, also add another receptacle in the living room off of one in the kitchen and that one works fine, as well as the light above the sink which is hardwired to a switch.

[@Kangenpower7]

What happened in your case is the hot wire is going to the ceiling box above your dining table. Then the neutral is also located there. The builder installed a 2 wire romex to the switch, and back to the ceiling box. So the hot wire is only "Hot" when the light is off, then when the switch is "on" then both the black and white wires are the same voltage (both wires are now 120 volts above ground). When your switch is off, the 120 exists between the black and white wires, and the lamp bulbs in your fixture in the dining room are allowing the LED lights to get power, while the LED lamps can run on less than 20 volts and still allow the lights in the dining room to run at about 100 volts. If you are thinking this guy has no idea how my home is wired, check this out as a test. With the switch off, and the LED lamps working in the bathroom, take out the light bulbs from your dining room fixture. If there are 2-3 lamps, then taking out the last one, and the lights in the bathroom will go out. This is because the LED lamps in the bathroom are getting to the neutral wire by going through your dining room lamps.

[@hmj.seward2015]

@@Kangenpower7 Actually, that makes perfect sense. In any case, I would still need to re-run the wiring to get it to run independent of the DR light. Thank you for replying and explaining it to me.

[@Kangenpower7]

@@hmj.seward2015 , Glad to help you. I do understand the home wiring better than average electrician.

[@Kangenpower7]

I was reading Popular Mechanics article from 1954, they explained how to install additional receptacles by removing the baseboards, drill a hole into the basement, then run wires to a circuit in the basement and to a remodeling box in the wall. I like the clever idea of using the chain to pull in a wire. Another way is using 'fish sticks' - you can find them at hardware store, about 5 foot long fiberglass rod that you can attach a 2 foot and 4 foot extension to it. I also have a fish tape.

[@ghostrider993]

When wiring up a GFCI, from a light switch is it the same process? I would think it would be but just wanted to double check.

[@michaelc7152]

Good video.

[@erikaparra6124]

can i use gfci for this

[@erikaparra6124]

Hi, can I connect GFCI Outlet?

[@donnaarnold5768]

Did you screw the blue box into the Sheetrock? Will that be secure when you’re plugging and unplugging over the years? Thanks

[@HowToHomeDIY]

No. It’s an “old work” box. Those screws flip up and tighten down wings that clamp to the sheet rock. They are made for this purpose.

[@donnaarnold5768]

@ ooohhh….thank you!

[@carrolte1]

I was wondering if this can also be done if the switch is part of a two-way switch where two different switches control the same light.

[@Baumer747]

You wired a regular outlet. Would it be different if you added, or wanted to add, a GFCI outlet?

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

No, a GFCI outlet just requires a hot, neutral and ground wire to it. It's what comes after the GFCI outlet that differs in terms of whether you've wired it via a pigtail protecting just its own outlets or if you're got the next ones wired off the load terminals where it protects everything that comes afterwards. And technically, the ground isn't even required as long as the outlet is clearly labeled as such.

[@Kangenpower7]

I have always been told to not put a receptacle on a light circuit breaker. So maybe if you plan on installing a heated toilet seat, with very little amp draw, that might be OK, but not someplace where you might plug in a 1,200 watt hair dryer or something like a motor, fan or other higher amperage loads. The reason is back in the 1950's a homeowner might plug in a electric heater or toaster, and cause 1/2 of the home's lights to shut off when a 15 amp fuse trips. Back in the 1960's, it was possible to put on 1,200 watts of lights on each of the two circuits used my most homes, Back when they actually used 100 watt light bulbs. Now with 10 watt LED lights, that is unlikely.

[@jesseramsey9156]

How do you secure the line going to the outlet below to avoid tension

[@wolfoftheair]

Make sure the light switch is being fed by 12-gauge wire, not 14-gauge as is common because code is about safety and letting construction keep costs down rather than expandability. Also, think about what you're going to connect to it, and ensure you're not going to overload the circuit breaker (no more than 12A load total, including the light, on a 15A breaker; no more than 16A load total on a 20A breaker; no more than 24A load on a 30A breaker).

[@billmcmaster7909]

Good video, however you didn't explain how you secured the Romex going out of the switch box?

[@bobcosgrove3235]

He didn't and that's a code violation.

[@imredojcsany9877]

@billmcmaster7909 your not required by code to support cable being run in an existing wall, because you couldn't without opening the drywall.

[@tomrhode9321]

Should I use solid wire or stranded wire

[@michaeliavecchia9555]

most mechanics will use a widow sash chain. it's stronger and has holes so you can attach the conductors through then before you tape. not all walls are that open.

[@BeverlyRaymond-vy9tk]

My other question is, besides the bathroom, kitchen counters, where the fridge plugs in and the laundry room, where else do you need a GFCI outlet instead of a standard outlet. Also while I was looking up electric code, it stated if there is only one outlet in the bathroom, you need to install GFCI 20 AMP instead of 15 amp. Can you please confirm?

[@hyretech]

Any Garage outlets (recent change)

[@smittyone66]

great video

[@GutsyGibbon]

How do you know that there are no blocking 2x4s between the studs interfering with the path from the switch to the outlet?

[@B0bby.315]

Never seen those Wago connectors before. Sick

[@jeffpearson-w8g]

Good video. But. First make sure there is a neutral. I have seen switches wire in wall with only a hot.

[@cdarrigo]

Can you do a video on adding additional receptacles into an existing circuit. I want to add to outlets in my basement and tie in to an existing circuit. I don't want to have to install another breaker into my box, mostly because that scares the hell out of me

[@davidwilliams6173]

I have been doubling some of the receptacles in order to eliminate using too many plugs on a single receptacle. I feel this safer.

[@Methodical2]

Are those Wagos code compliant? I see them used on some of those 1/2 recessed lights so I assume they are.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yes, they are listed splicing devices.

[@Methodical2]

@@HowToHomeDIY Thanks

[@stuw5910]

Wow, as a brit used to very safe 'ring' mains circuits and far lower power capacity radial lighting circuits this scares the heck out of me and would breach all safety regs in UK. Are there many electrical related house fires in US?

[@Magicinstalls]

Great video! But I thought you told us to never leave the unused screws loose like that

[@AquaTech225]

You can also get fancy. An break the tabs on the outlet. An make the bottom or top. Always hot. A the other half of the outlet only hot when the switch/light is turned on.

[@Geblorg]

Not sure if it is required, but I would cut off the part that was twisted in the wire nut before placing wires in the Wago connector.

[@eklasurrahman2711]

I m waiting for you to do this

[@civildk9077]

This method also works for putting an outlet on the 'other side' of the wall, in the same location between the studs.

[@scm217]

Can you do this when the switch is a 3-way? If so, could you make a video for that, please? For the life of me I can not get my head around 3-way wiring.

[@kitkimbrough1145]

How about switches with mounting screws, and wire push in mounting sockets as well on the back of them!?...Can each be used instead of pig tails, or wagos!?

[@tomlaffey924]

Does the outlet stayed powered when switch is off, of does it need to be in the on position?

[@imredojcsany9877]

That depends on how you wire it. If you wire it ahead of the switch it will be on all the time. If you wire it after the switch it will go off with the lights.

[@FDDLERSGREEN]

Did i see that right? Was there not a white wire going to the light switch? I never saw you disconnect it, and i saw 2 white wires in a wire nut, but no white wire going to the switch. 11:18 or so

[@HowToHomeDIY]

There was never a white wire going to the switch.

[@hemanathlakshminarayan8863]

Have a fireplace added in my living room bought and not part of builder provided. Have issues when switched on goes down given not enough voltage and breakers activated. What are my options pls.

[@r2videos965]

Any need to wrap wagon with electrical tape?

[@klmbuilders5385]

Most light circuits are wired with 14 gauge wire. Receptacles should be on 12 gauge wiring. Is there a workaround for that or does it matter if a 15 amp receptacle is used?

[@imredojcsany9877]

14 guage wire is acceptable for a 15A circuit, it is used in most places in homes, except for 20A kitchen and bathroom circuits

[@francisfhong]

So if my light switch box does not have a neutral, does it mean I cannot replace the light switch with a combo switch? Thanks

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Correct. Has to be a neutral for the receptacle to work.

[@johnconnors7000]

Most new homes with overhead lighting do not have a neutral going to the switch. They use the “down on the black up on the white” method . Good video but this should be mentioned and looked for.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

They did that on older homes. Most homes now have the neutral in the box.

[@PhillyVet]

​@@HowToHomeDIYso if I have a hot nuetral in my switch box I use the same procedure but with 3 waygos and 2 pig tails for hot and hot nuetral return correct?

[@MIKExMASSACREx]

Why would there be a neutral available in a single pole switch? Isn’t the romex going to the switch neutral leg reassigned as a hot leg?

[@HowToHomeDIY]

If you’re in an older home possibly. But a neutral has been required by code since the early 2000’s.

[@MIKExMASSACREx]

@ yea that’s why you have to reassign the neutral by wrapping it in black tape?

[@brucesamuelson7541]

Great, but oftentimes there's no neutral wire in a switch box. It does have a ground which is the same as neutral, so is it within code to combine them going to the outlet?

[@imredojcsany9877]

@brucesamuelson7541 no it is not ok to use your ground as a neutral. The neutral is a current carying conductor. Although they both return to ground at your service, if you connect a neutral to the ground you run the risk of energizing the metal components of everything on that circuit.

[@bobcosgrove3235]

No. A ground is not the same as a neutral

[@brucesamuelson7541]

@@imredojcsany9877 Question: What are the 3 service wires coming into a home? Answer: two hots and 1 common/neutral/ ground all the same thing. A ground is added to the box for safety

[@imredojcsany9877]

​@brucesamuelson7541 as i said in my first comment, yes they are all bonded at your panel. The reason for a separate ground is to cause a short if the line side of a circuit were to come in contact with any metal part of an appliance. Without it the metal could become energized without tripping the breaker. Neutral wires carry current back to ground, thats why they are insulated and grounds are not.

[@brucesamuelson7541]

@imredojcsany9877 As I'm not a certified electrical engineer and it's called alternating current for a reason I'll take your word on it. I've wired whole houses always keeping them separate with no issues. I've never ran a new outlet from a switch as most have no neutral and outlets and lights are always on separate breakers in modern applications. Thanks for the info, have a pleasant evening

[@jamesglach3229]

I think you should have mentioned that you could connect the hot wire from the receptacle to the other switch terminal (via a pigtail) to have a switched outlet.

[@PhillyVet]

So instead of adding an additional outlet in a new box and running new wire, I could use my existing 14/2 switch with 3 seperate waygos and 2 pig tails from the hot nuetral and black hot to the new combo outlet. Am I following what you're saying correctly?

[@andyevans2336]

Only concern that I have is that when using power from a lighting circuit, you do run the risk of in the case of over loading the outlet, or a short ciruit. This leaves you in the dark.

[@mikemcmenamin9226]

What about the code that says the wire should have a staple at 6" from the box.?

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Not required on finished walls.

[@edreitmartinez9127]

I would like to use a switch receptacle cambo i just need instructions how to hook it up my parents bathroom has lights in ceiling and the wall with the mirror controlled by a two lights switch combo

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

I have a question. Why is there a neutral wire in the switch box? The switch switches the hot wire. I put a junction box in the attic. I cut a length of romex to go from the junction box to the switch. I put black tape on each end of the white wire in this length that goes to the switch. I then splice this length of wire into the black wire in the attic junction box, leaving the white wire that comes from the breaker panel intact in the junction box.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Because that’s how most homes are wired now. Older homes though oftentimes won’t have a neutral in the box as it’s at the light fixture. So if that is the case, obviously you wouldn’t be able to do this.

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

@@HowToHomeDIY But is it required under NEC? I have spent the last hour or so searching and I found nothing in NFPA 70 that requires it. I read 210.7 and 404 and unless I am missing something, which is a good possibility, it's not there. I am NOT a licensed electrician. I subcontract fire and security system design and build under electrical contractors so I have access to NFPA 70. I do my own electrical work and have for years and honestly, this is the first I have ever seen of a neutral ran into the switch box and tied off. I just asked out of curiosity and further education. I have learned a lot from your videos and look forward to many more. Thank you!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@Watchyn_Yarwood check out NEC 404.2 (C). There are some exceptions but generally they don’t come into play in residential. This code really got enacted in 2011 as more and more homes are using occupancy sensors and smart switches and for those to work they usually need a neutral. Appreciate the feedback! I’ve seen you in the comments before. Thanks for contributing to the community!

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

@@HowToHomeDIY 👍

[@Sparky-57]

Look in NEC 404.2(c) code now requires it.

[@cheesecube]

what if my light switch is using 14 gauge wire can i connect that to 12 gauge

[@michaeljavert4635]

Plastic box, no good. Cheap receptacle, no good. 14 gauge wire... Eh... 12 gauge would be better, assuming there is 12 gauge or thicker feeding the power. Assuming a neutral is in the switch box it behooves one to use a combination switch and receptacle. That saves time and prevents needing to cut holes in the wall. One can always use a power strip if they need more outlets and the cords are long enough that it can lie flat on the ground. And there are also short extension cords if absolutely needed. Wago wire nuts are wonderful but should be wrapped in electric tape. I have seen instances where levers open by themselves without any wires pushing on them, so stuffed in a box where they can work loose and wires push against them, it behooves one to wrap in electric tape. I see you did mention the switch as I made this comment before the video got that far.

[@cdarrigo]

I'm confused. When do I use a old work box versus a new work box?

[@Bonkrr]

The 'old work' box doesn't have to be attached to a stud to hold it in place. Instead there are clips that hold it firmly against the drywall. The screws you see at the top and bottom of the old work box pull the clip tight against the front of the box, pinching the drywall in between.

[@flatroc1]

Thats all good but Often find, the power is taken straight to the light fixture and only a 2 wire positive wire is dropped down to the switch, leaving no negative wire in the switch box.

[@PhillyVet]

So basically you can follow his procedure but use 3 waygos and 2 pigtails for the hot and hot nuetral that goes back to the powered fixture. Am I understanding you correctly?

[@imredojcsany9877]

That happens very often in older houses. In that case you can not take power from that switch box because there is no neutral there.

[@imredojcsany9877]

​@@PhillyVetyou can not do this in that situation because there is no neutral only a hot coming to the switch and a switch leg returning to the light fixture.

[@10forthebigguy753]

As I get older, I prefer outlets that I don’t have to bend over for.

[@enigmawyoming5201]

I must be older than you. I prefer to not need to plug anything into any outlet. My wife, bless her heart, loves to plug into outlets.

[@nothankyou5524]

Me, too. I'm 33.

[@rddav1]

Dig it!

[@garyd3725]

You should have mentioned that this is only possible if the the power goes to the switch first. If the power goes to the light first then you only have one black and white (with black tape on it) at the switch. Then there is no way to get unswitched power to the receptacle unless there’s a 3 wire in the switch box.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

A switch loop. Which I briefly covered at one point in the video.

[@KenFullman]

As a Brit watching this, I found it so interesting. Absolutely nothing you show has any relevance to me because everything is so different. The most obvious differences are: Out light switches don't have any neutral cables. It's purely hot in, hot out and earth. So we can't power an outlet from a light switch. Even if we could it would be totally against our code because our lighting circuits are rated to carry much less power than our outlets. So putting an outlet on a lighting circuit would potentially overload the lighting circuit. I believe those wire nuts that are ubiquitous in the states, are totally illegal in the UK (and probably in the rest of Europe) Our walls are generally solid so, you won't be able to simply drop a chain out of the bottom of the recepticle. So if we're going to install a new outlet, it's not going to be that easy. We have surface mount conduit for running cables on the surface of the wall but if we want to totally hide the cable, it generally requires a lot of work cutting channels (and a recess for the back box) in solid masonry. Walls made from hardwall and timber are very rare here.