Funny household wiring issue (insulating, lights, electrical, better)

[AllTheGoodNames.AreTaken]

I have a wiring issue I was wondering if someone might be able to help out with. I got this light switch/wall plug outlet combo and the way it is right now is when you have the lights on the outlet does not work but when you switch off the lights the the outlet turns on.

I want to set this up so the outlet is constant/independent of the switch and the light still controlled on the switch.

-My plug checker only lights the middle light which means open ground.
-I have a digital multimeter to take any measurements required
-I can do the wiring but I'm no good at tracing wiring thats already there.

I think the 1st step is IDing the source wires which I'm gonna GUESS is the 2 coming from the BOTTOM of the box but the way the plug is on when the light is off is confusing me so better to ask.

Whats also confusing me is theres only 1 wire going UP. The other is capped off so where is the other wire that would be hooked up on the other wire of the light assembly in the roof. I know the UP wire from the outlet plug is for the light because I pulled it off but thats as far as I want to go with live wire until I get some input on this.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Find line, find neutral.
Wire the recepticle as usual- blk (line), wht (neutral). Jump from the recepticle to the switch (line), use (load/blk) from the light to the other terminal of the switch. Neutral from light goes to neutral in box. That's the easy part!

The hard part is figuring which one is which- AND WIRING THE BOX CORRECTLY! There's nothing worse than seeing wires coming through knockouts in a metal box without strain reliefs/ insulating bushings! THATS A FIRE HAZZARD!

[eddie1278]

Originally Posted by AllTheGoodNames.AreTaken

I have a wiring issue I was wondering if someone might be able to help out with. I got this light switch/wall plug outlet combo and the way it is right now is when you have the lights on the outlet does not work but when you switch off the lights the the outlet turns on.

I want to set this up so the outlet is constant/independent of the switch and the light still controlled on the switch.

-My plug checker only lights the middle light which means open ground.
-I have a digital multimeter to take any measurements required
-I can do the wiring but I'm no good at tracing wiring thats already there.

I think the 1st step is IDing the source wires which I'm gonna GUESS is the 2 coming from the BOTTOM of the box but the way the plug is on when the light is off is confusing me so better to ask.

Whats also confusing me is theres only 1 wire going UP. The other is capped off so where is the other wire that would be hooked up on the other wire of the light assembly in the roof. I know the UP wire from the outlet plug is for the light because I pulled it off but thats as far as I want to go with live wire until I get some input on this.

I'm an electrician and i suggest you call one. You have two things working against 1 you don't know what you are doing and 2 the last person didn't.

Electrical wiring can not be taught in a forum post.

[sj08054]

If you are not getting an electrician, the first thing I would do is shut off the power and take out the old metal box. Trace and test all the wires to get a good handle of which wire is what. There may be more splicing behind the wall.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by AllTheGoodNames.AreTaken

I got this light switch/wall plug outlet combo and the way it is right now is
when you have the lights on the outlet does not work
but when you switch off the lights the the outlet turns on.

It's a very simple fix. Or should be.

-My plug checker...

isn't needed.

Whats also confusing me is there's only 1 wire going UP....

Someone changed things.

First step is re-establishing what was there to begin with.
Most likely that was a half switched receptacle. LINKY

As others have said... electrical instruction online is bad juju.
Objective third party refererences (eg google search results) not as bad.


BE CAREFUL!!