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So I'm adding some more outlets to my room. It's an old farm house and my room has the wires run in the plastic things you can just stick to the wall. Well I just put two more outlets in on the opposite side of the room and went to wire them into the preexisting wire and came across a problem that I can't quite understand.

I have one wire coming through my wall that gives my room power they ran that to a switch outlet combo. They put the hot wire on the top left white on the top right and then ran a wire of the bottom posts to the rest of the room goes to an outlet and then to my ceiling fan.

From what I've gathered the left side is for the outlet and the right is for the switch so they have 2 blacks to each side of the outlet and then 2 whites to the switch all the power works right and the switch controls the fan but the outlets stay on. how from my thinking if I flip the switch I should lose all the power not just the fan since it cuts the neutral wire right as it comes in and then the outlet if there's a black on each side how does the rest of my room get power wouldn't the circuit have to be closed for the power to continue. Link to a diagram keep in mind I'm not the best

right side up (still doesn't make sense)

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    Since you don't fully understand the wiring and it sounds sketchy to me be very careful. Switch loops are commonly used where the white wire is hot. If the white wire is the switched hot it is supposed to be identified by marking or with tape in a color other than white/green. This step has been missed by many DIY folks and even some licensed electricians. Getting a book on wiring and a volt meter can be very helpful in figuring out how things are wired and troubleshooting things that don't work correctly. – Ed Beal Jul 29 '17 at 1:56
  • Do not trust the coloring. However, for the fan to work, you'd simply need 3 wires (and ground) going from the switch box heading towards the outlet/fan. One would be the neutral, one the hot for the outlet (fed from the central outlet), and another hot for the fan (fed from the switch). Between the side outlet and the fan you'd only have 2 wires though (and ground), a hot and a neutral. Last, you do not switch the neutral. – TFK Jul 29 '17 at 3:52
  • @TFK, answers go down there. – isherwood Dec 14 '17 at 16:14
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Splice off the hot wire before any switch if you want constant power "like a wall plug". If you splice after the switch and you will only get power with the switch on.

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