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There is a light switch that controls an overhead light, along with an outlet. So when the light switch is on, the overhead light and outlet are powered (both plugs), when the switch is off everything is unpowered. How can I make the outlet have power always, while still having the switch control the overhead light?

The light switch just has a black and white wire going in. The outlet has 2 black wires on one side (one on top screw one on bottom), and the other side has 2 white wires on the top screw and one on the bottom. This is Canadian wiring.

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  • What is your actual question? Are you asking how to go about changing the wiring so that the outlet is no longer controlled by the light switch but is instead always on?
    – Richard Chambers
    Nov 6, 2017 at 13:07
  • Yes that’s right. I want the outlet to always be active, while still having a working light switch to control the light.
    – Guest
    Nov 6, 2017 at 13:12
  • You should get a qualified electrician to look at it. Otherwise you run the risk of electrocuting yourself and/or burning the house down.
    – Dampmaskin
    Nov 6, 2017 at 13:15
  • 2
    (1) I'm having a hard time understanding how you can ask a question on 3-phase switched reluctance motors and be stumped by a single-phase light switch problem. (2) You didn't ask a question. (3) You have no location information in your post or user profile so we have no idea what your wire colours are supposed to represent. (4) You didn't provide a photo or datasheet link for the socket. (5) There is no electrical design question. Vote to close.
    – Transistor
    Nov 6, 2017 at 13:17
  • How many sets of wires (cables) come into the receptacle box? Can you include a photo/diagram of the wiring in each box?
    – Tester101
    Nov 6, 2017 at 15:06

2 Answers 2

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This sounds like you have a power outlet on the lighting circuit - I will only suggest that you remove the power outlet from that supply and connect it to a power circuit which should be correctly fused.

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schematic

simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab

  • forgive my primitive drawing of an AC duplex outlet.

This is pre-wired as a convenient remote light switch. Fixing this requires rewiring the Blk wire output to a non-switched Blk wire line source.

You have to know how the wiring layout to do this.

Are both outlets switched , or just one? If just one , the solution should be obvious.

p.s. Most homes in last 50 yrs in Canada are done this way for living room.

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  • The top and bottom plugs are both affected by the switch if that’s what you mean.
    – Guest
    Nov 6, 2017 at 13:53
  • then you must rewire it to unswitched power source
    – Tony Stewart EE75
    Nov 6, 2017 at 15:06

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