How do I fix this crossed wiring situation?

Question

I believe there is a wire set going from a single switch to an outlet. Then from the outlet to the ceiling fixture.

How I think its hooked up:

The outlet has the two black wires wire nutted together (no pig tail) and then 1 white wire is connected to the neutral side of outlet and the other white wire is connected to hot side of outlet. (I tried to switch the neutrals and they operate the same way)

Both outlets work off of switch neither are always hot.

Light fixture is always hot (light of ceiling is always on (unknown if wiring or remote controller broken).

• Does this seem correct/safe ?
• Is the outlet wiring seem safe without other considerations?

The light fixture is currently a remote controlled ceiling fan/ light combo. Light is always stuck on, currently unscrewing and screwing in light bulb to turn light on and off. (The fan control on remote works fine just doesn't control light anymore)

Not sure how to fix/ wire a new ceiling fan up?

I'm unsure if the current wiring is safe?

If this setup is not possible is the outlet wiring safe?

Basically:

Two hots tied together and the whites are connected to outlet 1 on hot and 1 on neutral side?

I tried switching neutrals to be on same neutral side but it trips breaker.

Owner tried to fix this and they are unsure if they put the two neutrals back where they were is it safe for the two neutrals to be switched in the outlet box?/ Does it matter which hot and neutral side they are on?

I suppose power needs to come in from somewhere, so maybe something more like this.

Answer 1

Some of your wire are NOT what their colors suggest. That is because wires have many functions, but they only make cable in black-white.

Things go easier if you color-code. You can get 5-packs of colored electrical tape at the home store cheap, right next to the black tape. I like

• Black = always-hot
• Red = switched-hot (e.g. to lamp)
• White = neutral

Now, your switch only has one cable. That makes it a "switch loop". By law, its white wire must be used for always-hot, so re-mark it with black tape on both ends (this should have been done before).

The other wire in a switch loop is switched-hot. That will be the black wire in the cable, but mark it red.

Whichever cable goes up to the fan-light, you want that switched. So mark the black wire in that cable with red tape since it's to be switched.

I gather you want the receptacle to be unswitched. So you want the brass screws to have black wires. And the silver screws to have white wires.

Fortunately, if you did the remarking as I suggest, there are 2 wires (remarked to) "black", 2 to "red" and 2 white wires in the box.

Get a new receptacle (The old one has its tab broken off) and put the whites on silver screws and the "black" wires on brass screws.

Then you have 2 "red" wires left, join them with a wire nut.

Learn how to do wire nuts correctly so they don't fall apart. Don't use tape! (If you depend on tape to hold it together, that is a bad connection that will arc).