How do I disconnect a light switch from an outlet?
Check the outlet carefully. Does the switch control both parts of the outlet or only one part? The usual circuit is to control one half of the outlet while the other half is always hot. To accomplish this the jumper on the side of the outlet is removed. A small piece of wire can replace the jumper and the switch leg can be made safe in the outlet with a wire nut. If the switch controls both parts of the outlet then the wire to the outlet must be identified and moved from the load side of the switch to the line side while the lights are left on the load side of the switch. If you do not understand these instructions contact a qualified professional electrician to do the work. If all goes well it is about a 1/2 hour job including set up and departure. If there are other problems the time factor is unknown.
If the light switch is off can I touch the electrical wires safely? If the light switch is off, can I touch the electrical wires behind the light socket? Or do I need to go the extra step to take out the fuse/circuit breaker to that socket?
Always turn the circuit off from the fuse box/circuit breaker panel before working on it. After turning it off, use a proximity voltage tester to verify that the circuit is not energized.Now, onto my edited answer:The hot wire (black) can come from the panel, through a switch, and then to the light. The neutral (white) wire would leave the light and make its way back to the panel. In this configuration, turning off the light switch would technically mean that there should be no energy at the light.Would I recommend working in that light fixture box? Nope. Just turn the breaker off.But there's another method to wiring a light that you have to watch out for too: the switch leg. This is where the hot wire comes into the light first and gets connected to the white wire that goes to the switch. From the switch, the remaining black wire comes back up to the light. Technically, if the connection in the light box is well done and the the switch is in the off position, you shouldn't be able to receive a shock in the light box.Would I recommend working in the light fixture box in this scenario? Not a chance. Just flip the breaker, and you're safe.In either configuration however, you could be shocked in the switch box.Have (safe) fun electrifying your world!
How do you change an electrical outlet that's controlled by a light switch?
Your question is unclear.I assume that you mean, how to you make it so that the outlet is powered all of the time, and no longer needs to be switched on to work.Remove the faceplate from the outlet box that has the switch (make sure that you have switched off power at the circuit breaker box first!).There should be two wires attached to the switch. Remove them from the switch and twist the exposed ends of the two wires together. Cap off the twisted ends with a wire nut.You can then stuff the ends of the wires back into the box, and then cover the outlet box with a solid metal or plastic cover plate from the hardware store that was made just for this purpose.Throw the switch into the trash (or save it in the junk drawer in case you ever need a switch again).if you are confused by anything that I just said, then hire an electrician and let him do it.If you don't want to remove the switch, you can use a short run of copper wire as a “jumper”. Simply attach the wire to the top and bottom terminal of the switch - thereby simply bypassing it (this way you can leave the switch in place).
Disable a light switch?
It's a very easy job, but I'm concerned... it's in the "if you have to ask, you shouldn't attempt it yourself" category. However... First, turn off the breaker that feeds that dual switch. Remove the outlet cover plate. Remove the switch you don't like from the box. Remove the two black wires from that switch. Use a wire nut to fasten the bare ends of the two black wires together. (Don't use anything else but a wire nut.) Either: put the switch back in, connected to nothing. Replace the cover plate. Done. Or - leave the switch out; replace the cover plate with one that has just a single opening for a switch. Done.
How do I disable an outlet switch and keep the outlet on at all times?
The Electrician gave you good instructions IF the outlet is 1/2 hot and 1/2 switched. IF it is completely switched you will need to do one of the following. A) look for another (black or maybe red) wire passing through the box where the receptacle is. If so, remove and cap the existing wire (switch leg) and tap the other (constant) hot wire to feed the receptacle. B) open up both 3-way switches. Take note of which wire is on the "dark" colored screw and which 2 are on the "yellow' colored screws. Those 2 are your travelers between the switches and you DO NOT want to loose track of them. For you purposes I would suggest removing all 3 wires (after labeling them!) and putting them under a red wire nut. Then tuck them back out of harms way and reinstall the switch. Repeat at the other location. Ahh, it goes without saying Label the wires at the other switch ALSO! Mixing up the location of the wires on a 3-way will result in the switching not working correctly and you'll be back asking how to fix that problem. Much easier to label them first! Good luck.
How do i connect a wall lightswitch to a plug-in lamp?
Plug in the lamp and turn it on to make sure it lights up. Turn off the wall switch. Plug the lamp into each half of each receptacle outlet until you find one that does not light the lamp. Go turn on the wall switch and it should light up. That is the switched one.
Is it safe to use a light on/off switch to control a power outlet? I have a beverage fridge plugged in that I would like to power off at night conveniently with a switch.
I don’t know the regulations in Thailand, but fitting a light switch to control a power socket would contravene the regulations in many if not most countries. There’s just no way that you can guarantee that nobody will plug a much higher rated appliance into the socket, which would overload the switch and even cause a fire risk. So please don’t attempt it.Alternative much safer options are:Fit a switch unit between the plug and the socket. There are many remote control switches available for example. These are also very safe for anybody to fit as there’s no wiring required.Fit an inline switch of the appropriate rating into the fridge cord.Fit a switched mains outlet. A quick Google suggests that these are available for Thailand.Note that although safe after installation, the last two and especially the last one should be done by a qualified electrician if you’re not experienced in electrical work. With the last one in particular you may well be contravening regulations if you do it yourself, invalidating insurance for example.
What is the point of a switch controlled outlet?
There are two types of switch controlled outlet, one is where the switch is mounted on the wall in a position where light switches are (or might be expected to be) mounted. This is the type of outlet mentioned in the answers of Andrew Daviel and David Whelan. In America such outlets look just like any other, but are used for table lamps and standard lamps with each outlet usually being controlled by a separate switch. In the UK, where dedicated 6A lighting circuits are the norm, such arrangements are much less common, but they do exist. However they are normally 2A or 5A outlets connected to the dedicated lighting circuits (rather than the standard UK 13A outlet). The 2A socket-outlet (a smaller version of the 5A type) looks like this:The other type of switch controlled outlet is the type common in the UK where most(not all) 13A outlets have a switch for each socket mounted on the faceplate of the outlet thus:The purpose of these switches is convenience, to be able to isolate the appliance without withdrawing the plug. In the early days of electricity distribution some supplies were DC, and then switches had a much more important function (for more information on that see David Pacock's answer to Why do electrical outlets in the USA not have accompanying on/off switches?) The standard UK 13A outlet was introduced in 1947 and, as it was designed for AC use only, was originally standardized without switches, but because the British public had become used to the convenience of switched outlets popular demand caused the switch to be re-introduced, and the majority of installed outlets in the UK are now the switched type.
Light switch turns off all electric in room. Need to install ceiling light and have questions.?
Good news/bad news. It could be as simple an incorrect spice in the switch box. Or an inexperienced individual may have created a real problem in the attic (or basement) that would be impossible to explain to you. If you are renting I suggest calling the Landlord. If you own, I suggest calling a licensed contractor (support your local economy) and let them fix it. The good news there is that a splice problem in the wall box will be a "quick" fix. Most likely less than an hour. If the problem is in the ceiling box it will take a bit longer. Also the electrician will be able to connect your light to the wall switch and the fan can work off the pull chain or an additional switch on the wall. Whatever you like. Should the problem be the result of an inexperienced individual doing electric work there's no telling. I will check back latter on the chance I can be of more help. Good luck!
Is electricity wasted when you've turned on a switch, but are not using it?
Appliances That Burn Energy Even When They’re Turned OffDid you know that home appliances can lead a "secret" life and continue working even when you’ve pushed the power button?A charger without a phone© rawpixelA charger left in the socket goes on using up energy even when there’s no device connected to it. The power is minimal, though, so it doesn’t hit our wallet too much.A digital TV tuner© depositphotosTV tuners continue working after you turn them off and waste up to $22 worth of energy a year.Most of us don’t even bother switching our tuners to standby mode, thinking that turning off the TV is enough. This results in 5 times the cost.A TV© depositphotosYou did know that pushing the power button sends the TV to standby mode, not turn it off, didn’t you? This consumes about $25 worth of energy a year.PCs and laptops© depositphotosEven turned off, PCs and laptops go on working. That’s why when you unplug them, you can save up to $100 per year.Those who leave their machines in standby mode can multiply this amount by 1.5.Devices with a timer© depositphotosSuch a little-noticed detail as a working timer can tell you the device is still on. By unplugging such an appliance, you save up to $114 a year.Should you unplug them?© depositphotosSome may think the above sums are small, while others would be impressed.In any case, unplugging devices is still worth it: an unforeseen power surge may leave you penniless with a whole house of burned appliances.:P1source:5 Appliances That Burn Energy Even When They’re Turned Off