Electrical – How to change a switched outlet to a half-hot outlet

electricalreceptacle

I'd like to change switched outlet to a half-hot outlet. The wiring of the outlet is shown below. Is there a way to do this using existing wires?

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Update on the wiring: using two-way voltage tester, I determined the following:

  • voltage between B and C is controlled by the switch
  • always no voltage between A and B
  • always voltage between A and C

Best Answer

Yes, you can.

  • Turn off the power.
  • Add a pigtail from the twist-on wire connector to the top "hot" receptacle terminal.
  • Break the little metal tab between the "hot" terminals on the receptacle.
  • Mark the white wire going to the switch with black tape or marker, so the next person knows it's being used as a "hot".

The top outlet should be always hot, while the bottom will be switch controlled.

enter image description here

Use a multimeter to verify my assumptions are correct, before proceeding.

If the feeder is coming from the other side, then you'll want to rewire it like this.

enter image description here

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