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05-21-2011, 10:35 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Boston
Posts: 23
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Switch leg in switch box
Hey guys
I'm adding a center light in my kids room and I'm having a brain fart! I open the switch box and I have a switch leg. The room only has switched outlets currently. So I ran a leg up to the light from the box. The white is hot in the switch box. Can I use the white as the feed. And tie in the black from my light? Then I have no neutral. Or splice the black from the original switch leg. Confused
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05-21-2011, 10:41 AM
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#2
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Heavily Armed Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Fascistchusetts
Posts: 29,537
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcDuke
Hey guys
I'm adding a center light in my kids room and I'm having a brain fart! I open the switch box and I have a switch leg. The room only has switched outlets currently. So I ran a leg up to the light from the box. The white is hot in the switch box. Can I use the white as the feed. And tie in the black from my light? Then I have no neutral. Or splice the black from the original switch leg. Confused
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How is the light going to work without the grounded conductor 
You need to run a 3wire to your light
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05-21-2011, 10:49 AM
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#3
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not a union thug
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 7,025
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You have to find the receptacle where that switch leg originates. Open that up and make some changes. If you don't know what changes to make you shouldn't be doing this. Ignore the three wire remark from Harry.
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05-21-2011, 11:49 AM
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#4
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: missouri
Posts: 7,306
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you have a hot and a switch leg return 2 wires comming from your receptacle that is controled by this switch. Find the receptacle that is switched and change the white wire going to the switch into a neutral and the black wire going to he switch into a hot .
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05-30-2011, 10:01 AM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: sicklerville,nj
Posts: 77
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it's called a dead end switch
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05-30-2011, 10:03 AM
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#6
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Wire Ninja
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Beautiful Cumberland Valley, in PA
Posts: 16,794
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcDuke
Hey guys
I'm adding a center light in my kids room and I'm having a brain fart! I open the switch box and I have a switch leg. The room only has switched outlets currently. So I ran a leg up to the light from the box. The white is hot in the switch box. Can I use the white as the feed. And tie in the black from my light? Then I have no neutral. Or splice the black from the original switch leg. Confused
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*Clears throat* You really an electrician?
Take the switched receptacle apart and convert that switch loop to hot and neutral to the switchbox, and go from there. Done all the time when adding paddle fans and such to rooms that used to have only switched receptacles.
__________________
One reason not to give DIY advice:
Catch a man a fish and you can sell it to him.
Teach a man to fish and you’ve ruined a good business opportunity.
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05-30-2011, 10:03 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Simi Valley, Ca.
Posts: 2,447
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by HARRY304E
How is the light going to work without the grounded conductor
You need to run a 3wire to your light |
Too much drinking last night? 
__________________
Amazing love, how can it be, that you, my King, would die for me?
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05-30-2011, 10:06 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Simi Valley, Ca.
Posts: 2,447
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by MDShunk
*Clears throat* You really an electrician?
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The last guy I had working for me used to tell me all the time that he's not a "helper", he's a "professional electrician" and he's worth "way more.". In reply to all three I would ask him to explain a switch loop, and then draw it. He never could.
__________________
Amazing love, how can it be, that you, my King, would die for me?
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05-30-2011, 10:13 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Alaska/Nevada
Posts: 1,351
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B W E
The last guy I had working for me used to tell me all the time that he's not a "helper", he's a "professional electrician" and he's worth "way more.". In reply to all three I would ask him to explain a switch loop, and then draw it. He never could.
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I'd be willing to bet he wasn't even a "pipetrician"  
__________________
Don't let fear be your guide!
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05-30-2011, 10:16 AM
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#10
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Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: NY State
Posts: 7,518
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MDShunk
*Clears throat* You really an electrician?
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+1
Quote:
Originally Posted by MDShunk
Take the switched receptacle apart and convert that switch loop to hot and neutral to the switchbox, and go from there. Done all the time when adding paddle fans and such to rooms that used to have only switched receptacles.
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Done this more times than I care to remember. Lots of 50's & 60's homes around me and that was SOP back then.
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05-30-2011, 10:25 AM
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#11
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Heavily Armed Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Fascistchusetts
Posts: 29,537
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Quote:
Originally Posted by electricmanscott
You have to find the receptacle where that switch leg originates. Open that up and make some changes. If you don't know what changes to make you shouldn't be doing this. Ignore the three wire remark from Harry.
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Wrong. 
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05-30-2011, 10:28 AM
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#12
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Heavily Armed Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Fascistchusetts
Posts: 29,537
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B W E
Too much drinking last night? |
I can't remember.
But that post is from 9 days ago.. 
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05-30-2011, 10:27 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: kentucky
Posts: 8,020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Rewire
you have a hot and a switch leg return 2 wires comming from your receptacle that is controled by this switch. Find the receptacle that is switched and change the white wire going to the switch into a neutral and the black wire going to he switch into a hot .
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Sounds like an Amazing Kreskin operation.
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05-30-2011, 10:45 PM
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#14
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 3,026
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcDuke
Hey guys
I'm adding a center light in my kids room and I'm having a brain fart! I open the switch box and I have a switch leg. The room only has switched outlets currently. So I ran a leg up to the light from the box. The white is hot in the switch box. Can I use the white as the feed. And tie in the black from my light? Then I have no neutral. Or splice the black from the original switch leg. Confused
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Tie the microwave into the stove circuit. The stove circuit is 240 volts. That is what you need to operate your microwave correctly. I bet that your hot dogs are taking too long to cook in the microwave, aren't they. Talk to one of the home improvement experts at your local home dpeot or Lowes. They can explain how to do this and provide you with all of the materials required to complete the project.
Problem solved, next question please!
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In Vietnam my job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition.
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05-30-2011, 11:02 PM
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#15
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Phosphate Coated as of 05
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: California
Posts: 3,815
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Why bother to pay some professional ? You can just come here and ask !
Wise up people
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05-31-2011, 02:47 AM
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#16
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Senile Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Honolulu
Posts: 7,398
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Damn it, the dirtbag wired the bedroom to the 2002 code and he painted the white wire with a blue sharpie real good. Now I know you cannot re-identify an identified wire to a white, but can you re-identify a re-identified wire to white?
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05-31-2011, 06:12 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 649
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macmikeman
Damn it, the dirtbag wired the bedroom to the 2002 code and he painted the white wire with a blue sharpie real good. Now I know you cannot re-identify an identified wire to a white, but can you re-identify a re-identified wire to white? |
You *used* to be able to, but then they stopped making liquid "Wite-Out" and the world went dark.
__________________
Mike in Canada
Makin' it up as I go along...
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05-31-2011, 07:19 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike in Canada
You *used* to be able to, but then they stopped making liquid "Wite-Out" and the world went dark.
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That wasn't even funny.
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06-01-2011, 01:03 PM
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#19
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not a union thug
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 7,025
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HARRY304E
Wrong. |
At least you can admit it. 
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06-01-2011, 01:19 PM
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#20
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Master Electrician
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Kansasville, WI
Posts: 154
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Gee wiz, I wonder what type of outlet box he's gonna use for that fan next?
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