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Goal: Add several waffle ceiling lights to a room.

Idea: I want to use the existing 3 way switches in that part of the house to control the lights. This makes sense in my mind since the switches are already there and the wiring is already in place.

Concern: The 3 way switches go to a an outlet. I am uncertain on the know how and safety of tying into that switch to control the lights because I would like to replace one to be a dimmer switch. Something about having an outlet on a dimmer sounds sketchy.

Question. What’s the best way to utilize those existing 3 way switches to power/ control the new lights and convert the outlet to a normal one?

Here is layout of the outlet I want to convert to always hot. It is currently always hard on the bottom and the top is the one that is switched. Is it possible from what you see? It’s the outlet labeled “A”. I made this illustration and the wires are either coming in from the right or the left based on how I observed them inside the outlet box. The outlet on the right is NOT switched. I believe it only carries power from it to the next one.- I attempted to disconnect the two travelers cables from outlet A and just cap them. Leaving the black hot and the white going but then I got some open hot/ ground error. Any thoughts or ideas. I figured this would be the first step in the bigger project – converting this outlet and freeing up the two travelers to use for the lights eventually. Any help is greatly appreciated my electrician canceled on me who was going to be my advisor on this. Thanks! enter image description here

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  • the 3 way switch Outlet will go to the light. 3 way has 3 wires. Two are called trowelers and just pass hot wire to each other depending on the switch position. The third wire is the inlet or outlet deepening which switch is it. Dimmer switch is just like regular switch, except it can regulate the outlet power level (DIM)
    – Traveler
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 1:26
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    You're right that dimmed outlets "sound sketchy" -- they're sketchy enough that the NEC forbids 'em outright (this was 406.15 in 2014, but that section got subsumed by 404.14(E)'s intent in 2017 and newer codes)
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 3:14
  • It depends on the outlet's wiring, since presumably you will also want to convert the outlet to "always-hot". If you can give us a diagram or photo, we'll put it to good use.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 23:04
  • Hi all, first diagram added! Please and thank you!
    – Hugo Manriquez
    Commented Oct 31, 2022 at 17:58

1 Answer 1

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In a nut shell, remove the three wires: switched hot, neutral and ground from the outlet and re route them to the ceiling to control your new lights. Then locate an always hot, neutral and ground from a switch box or another live outlet and route new cable from there to the outlet box. Dimmers can now replace a switch because they're not connected to the outlet, most smart dimmers need a neutral.

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  • can't dim a receptacle -- it's a 404.14(E) violation in the current NEC
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 3:14
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    I think, @ThreePhaseEel, that "Then locate an always hot, neutral and ground from a switch box or another live outlet and route new cable from there to the outlet box." is intended to bring always hot power to this outlet, removing it from switch control completely. Though it's not entirely clear and could use an edit to clean it up.
    – FreeMan
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 12:18
  • @ThreePhaseEel You're right about not dimming an outlet. I'm saying to remove the three way wiring from the outlet and route it to the lights, where he can add a dimmer. Then bring in a new always hot source to the outlet.
    – JACK
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 12:26
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    Ah, I see now -- upvoted :)
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Oct 19, 2022 at 1:47

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