I broke the tab off my electrical outlet connecting the two hot wires, and then realized that this was unnecessary. Is it a bad idea to solder the brass tab back and still use the outlet?
Electrical – Repairing electrical outlet fin
electricalrepair
Related Solutions
While it's possible that the receptacle is split and fed by two sources, it looks like the tab between the terminals is still in place. This means that one of the cables is likely the supply (from the panel), while the other feeds devices further along the circuit.
If the tabs between the terminals are in place, then it's not fed by two sources. You can connect the blacks to blacks, the whites to whites, and the grounds to grounds.
From there, I'd suggest installing a combination switch/receptacle. Running a cable up to where you want the new receptacle, and hooking up the new receptacle so it is controlled by the switch.
That way you don't completely lose the existing receptacle, but you still get your switch controlled lighting.
Depending on the device used, the wiring would look something like this.
NOTES:
- Since this is a countertop receptacle, it has to be GFCI protected. If it's not already protected, you'll have to install a combination switch/GFCI receptacle. In which case, the wiring will be slightly different.
Remove the tab in the center receptacle and you should be all set. Or you could just remove the red pigtail from that receptacle and also, you'd be all set.
The problem right now is that you have a redundant current path on the hot side. The red wire is spliced to the black wire, so they are from the same circuit and in the same potential (i.e. in the same phase). If they were from different circuits, this situation would be a lot worse. Eliminate the redundant path and you're good.
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Best Answer
Into the trash goes this 75 cent outlet
It was wrecked by removing the screws and soldering the tab.
Soldering like that to alter a device is not a proper wiring method and is not safe. Solder does not conduct as well as copper, and melts much sooner. Edit: Here's a link that shows solder has 9x the resistance: copper 0.0168, solder 0.145. As soldered it has no chance of carrying the required current. Keep the solder in the electronics lab.
If you hadn't also pulled the screws out, I would say just unsolder the tab (you're not allowed to modify devices like this) and put 2 pigtails on the 2 screws. You join those with a wirenut to the two wires you would have otherwise attached to those two screws.
However since you've also torn the screws out, I would say toss the receptacle in the trash. They cost 60 cents, or $3 for the really good ones.
Those screws are captive, meaning when they are most of the way out, they get really stiff. You're supposed to stop turning at that point. That is a detent designed to keep the screws attached for your installation convenience. Pulling them out damages their threads. If the receptacle has features like screw-clamp, removing the screws "loses" the clamps and ruins the receptacle.
So now you know in the future: anytime you're loosening a screw and it gets weirdly stiff most of the way out, that is a mechanism trying to keep the screw captured. Don't do a "gorilla act" on it.