Wiring new lights


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Old 12-23-18, 07:24 PM
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Wiring new lights

have a light switch that currently controls the top half of an outlet. I want the outlet to be hot at all times and use the light switch to control recessed lighting that I’ll be installing.
Every time I’ve seen a switched outlet there is a red wire at the light switch, and i just connect the red to the line so the outlet is always on.

Of course this light switch only has a white black and ground.

I’m fairly certain the white wire is hot.

As when the switch is off. I get no power to the black wire and the white wire reads as hot on the non contact tester.

How would I wire this so that it will now control my recessed lights. I’m using 14/2 with ground for the recessed lights.


i want the outlet to always be hot and i would like the light switch to control the new line i just fished into the outlet box (recessed lights)
 
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Old 12-23-18, 08:09 PM
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It would have been easier to run the lights into the switch so as to keep the wiring count down at the receptacle. There is only so much room to work in there comfortably.

Yes..... the white wire going to the switch is always hot. The black is the returning switched hot. That returning black hot wire now goes to the brass screw of the switched half of the receptacle. Take that black wire off the receptacle and it will connect to the black of your new lights. Replace the receptacle with one where the bridge on the brass side is not removed. Connect new ground to existing grounds.

The silver side of the receptacle is the neutral side. You'll need to attac h the white wire from your new lights to that neutral wire. You may need to make up a neutral splice so that there aren't too many white wires on the receptacle.

Remember .... no smart switches.... you don't have neutral at the switch location.
 
 

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