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I need to wire a new outlet for our garbage disposal we are installing. There is a current switch next to the sink that only turns on one light over the sink.
Can I disconnect this light, re-route the wires done to a new GFCI plug for the Disposal for an on off outlet under the sink? Would any other wires need to be run? Or would all the wires from the light suffice? Essentially the outlet becomes the light. I would then re-route new wiring in the attic for the light over the sink to tie into another circuit.
No don't do that. ( the reason is light wiring use a different size wire from a outlet and that size is not recommended for outlet use)
Is there a outlet below the sink? If there is that outlet should be a switched outlet. It's called a half hot in electrician speak.
Get a tester and see if the outlet is hot. If half works and half doesn't look for another switch or button somewhere.
Pull the light switch off the wall. Look and see if there is another set of wires that may be disconnected behind the switch, if there is pull the outlet see if there are wires discinbected behind there.Let me know if there are wires or a outlet
If there is no outlet.
Run another set of wires from the existing switch to the location of your disposal ( black red white green ) ask for 12/3 Romex at the hardware store. Get a cheap no touch tester too.
Buy a double wall switch that fits in a single gang box ( two switches that wil fit in the place if your old single switch.) and a outlet. A retro electrical box and some wire nuts. Make sure the outlet is 20 amp rated.
Let me know and I'll tell you how to wire it up so you have a light a working hot outlet and a switched outlet for the disposal.
Well, if you have attic above and you're running new wire just run a new 20amp circuit (12awg)for the disposal.
Is there a dishwasher? Not a reccomendation, but you used to be able to run D/W&disosal on a 20amp circuit- corded&plugged.
If there isn't a D/W but there could be one in the future, run a 3/wire 12awg. You can have two different circuits but only have to run/fish the one "wire" instead of two separate ones.
Either way, do not do as you thought you could.
Also, the NEC has this little "catch phrase" in several codes- "...follow manufacturer's instructions for installation...". So, with that in mind what does the manufacturer recommend for a recepticle/circuit?
Last edited by K'ledgeBldr; 09-12-2015 at 11:22 PM..
There is a dedicated 20 amp fuse from the box that feeds a GFCI outlet for the dishwasher. This GFCI outlet stubs up to the light switch by the sink, from which it turns the light above the sink on/off. So the only thing on the circuit is the dishwasher outlet and the light above the sink.
I do not want this light above the sink on this circuit. I would like to keep the switch however and make that my garbage disposal switch. The wiring is already nice heavy 12 AWG wire. Can I make the GFCI dishwasher outlet have one outlet running all the time for the dishwasher and one outlet on/off via the switch for the disposal?
So now that the light above the sink is off of this circuit, how do I tie it into the rest of the lights in the kitchen?
I hope this makes sense, if not I can post a picture or diagram. Let me know.
GFCI recepticles are made in such a way that you can not make one half switched.
You have line terminals and load terminals- "line" is power coming in; load would be for "additional" recepticles that you want GFCI protected.
But, in your scenario the GFCI is unwarranted. Remove the GFCI, replace it with a regular recepticle, break the tab on the "hot" side and run a switch leg to the switch box. Both wires are now "black"- if you would still want the GFCI protection change the breaker to a GFCI.
As for the light just run a 14awg from the Jbox of the light to a Jbox of another light- wht/wht, blk/blk, grd/grd.
GFCI recepticles are made in such a way that you can not make one half switched.
You have line terminals and load terminals- "line" is power coming in; load would be for "additional" recepticles that you want GFCI protected.
But, in your scenario the GFCI is unwarranted. Remove the GFCI, replace it with a regular recepticle, break the tab on the "hot" side and run a switch leg to the switch box. Both wires are now "black"- if you would still want the GFCI protection change the breaker to a GFCI.
As for the light just run a 14awg from the Jbox of the light to a Jbox of another light- wht/wht, blk/blk, grd/grd.
Thanks for the help. I will replace the GFCI. I just wired that in place because it made sense with water being so close. Before it was hard wired and linked to the switch as mentioned above. I can put a normal outlet in there and rip the tab off, I didn't think about the disposal on/off aspect until after the fact, hence why I cam on to this forum.
If anyone has anything else to add, it is welcome. Thanks again!
GFCI recepticles are made in such a way that you can not make one half switched.
You have line terminals and load terminals- "line" is power coming in; load would be for "additional" recepticles that you want GFCI protected.
But, in your scenario the GFCI is unwarranted. Remove the GFCI, replace it with a regular recepticle, break the tab on the "hot" side and run a switch leg to the switch box. Both wires are now "black"- if you would still want the GFCI protection change the breaker to a GFCI.
As for the light just run a 14awg from the Jbox of the light to a Jbox of another light- wht/wht, blk/blk, grd/grd.
Basically it's an air activated switch, so, you just plug it in, wire a normal plug to the disposal, and plug the disposal into this outlet.. Then run the air tubing up to the sink, pop the knockout out, put in the pushbutton air-switch.. No reaching to the wall.. Switch is right there beside the faucet. No additional wiring.
Not sure how it would work with GFCI, but.. I can't see any issues with it.
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