So I just replaced all the outlets and switches In my new house. A three way switch controls all 4 outlets in the living room. I broke the brass tab on one of the outlets and now only the top outlet works with the switch and none of the other outlets work. I was told there was something wrong with the wiring in the house. Any ideas?
Electrical – 3 way switch controlling outlets. Top working bottom now
electricalreceptacleswitch
Related Solutions
It's possible that the switch does power an outlet, but that the installer did not remove the fin that connects the top and bottom outlets. When the fin is removed, the top and bottom outlets are isolated from one another so that they can be independently powered. If the top and bottom outlets are wired with two wires of the same phase, you would not notice a problem with day to day use.
If you have a voltage tester, test to see if you have power to both the top and bottom terminals of the switch when the switch is in the off position. If you do, it's likely the installer just forgot to take a fin off one or more of the outlets.
There is probably a way to test for this without any tools, but I am stuck at the moment. Maybe someone else will have a suggestion.
If you have reason to believe that the installer forgot to remove one or more duplex receptacle fins, you have to get in the outlet boxes to fix the problem. Take off the covers to the outlets in the room. If you're lucky, there will be both red and black wires connected to the receptacle(s) with switched power. These are the receptacles where the fin should be removed.
If there is only black wires and no red wires, your next step is to find out how the installer connected the outlets to one another another. He could have used pigtails, using wire nuts to connect the "line" (wires coming into the outlet box) to the "load" (wires going to the next outlet). Or he could have daisy chained the outlets together, meaning both the the line and the load load is connected directly to the receptacle. If you find that the installer used pigtails, you can just look for the receptacles where both the top and bottom outlets are wired. This receptacle likely has your switched outlet. If they are daisy chained, you have your work cut out for you. I can't think of any other way than to start taking apart the outlets and testing the wires one by one.
If you find a receptacle that needs the fin removed, and there is a shared neutral, only take the hot fin off. If there is a neutral for both outlets, then take both fins off.
Safety note: Don't assume that all the wires in one box are of the same circuit. Test ALL the wires in the box before you go in there with your hands.
This is the correct way to wire what you have described (grounds not shown):
You have 3-wire cable wired to your split receptacles, which means there should be 3-wire cable running to your switch in order to complete the circuit.
If there is only a 2-wire cable wired to your switch, then the power for your lights must be coming from somewhere else, and your switches should be wired like this:
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Best Answer
I do not think the wiring is bad .Do the 3 way switches operate on off at both switches and makes one or all work ? Just trying to get through switches. Now try to find first recpt. that comes after switch, will have a bit of wire in it. That will be load out from switch. Unscrew recpt. from boxes leave the wires on is fine. Should be a 3 wire going to any recpt. that can be switched. Very odd if you want to control all with switching. If you have no lights only one has to be switched or if you have more lamps to put in ect, 3 wire will have black red white bare ground. One is going to be for switching power (load out) the other will be constant power. Pick what outlets you want to switch . Must have the load out to be able to switch. I take this as all on one circuit if so take recpt no broken tabs take the whites put on the common screw . Now if you want to be able to switch recpt. must have a (load out). Lets say red is (load out) should be two reds spliced with pigtail , and two blacks spliced and pigtailed. Break off tab for hots only. Black on one red on the other. If switch ok should work. Say next recpt. you dont want to switch it. Take recpt. no tabs broken whites on common, wire nut two reds no pigtail on together,push into box. Take black splice together with pig tail tabs not broken mount to hot on recpt. Have now a constant recpt. with reds spliced through to go on to another outlet. Also all bare grounds spliced together if metal box must ground box,and recpt. Looks like switches are not grounded in pic. Hope this helpful took me long time to type,Could drive there fix and been home by now.