I have a half switched outlet that I want to change back to a regular outlet. When I am looking at the wires, there are 2 neutral (white) wires going to the silver screws, a ground wire, and a red and black wire going to the brass screws. Is it as simple as replacing the outlet with a new one and not removing the brass tab? Would the wiring be the same? This wall switch controls many different outlets in the room, not just the one I want to change.
Electrical – Want to change a half switched outlet to constant power
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Related Solutions
This is what your circuit looks like now.
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Start by turning the power off at the breaker, and verify power is off using a non-contact voltage tester.
When you look at the side of the receptacles, you'll see a small tab between the screw terminals.
Using a pair of pliers, break the tab off of the ungrounded (hot) side of the receptacles (the brass screw terminals side).
So your circuit will now look like this.
Click for larger view
If you left it like this the top half of the first receptacle would work with the switch, but the bottom half and the second switch would never have power. Using a small bit of black wire and a twist-on wire connector, remove the red wire from the screw terminal and connect it to the black wire and the top screw terminal. So your circuit looks like this.
Click for larger view
With the circuit like this the top half of both receptacles will be controlled by the switch, but the bottom will never be powered. To make the bottom half of the receptacles work, you'll have to use a bit of black wire to connect constant power to the lower screw terminal of each receptacle. When you're done, your circuit will look like this.
Click for larger view
Finish up by remounting all devices, installing trim plates, and turning the circuit breaker back on. At this point the bottom half of the receptacles should always have power, and the top should be controlled by the switches.
If at any time during this project you feel uncomfortable, do not hesitate to contact a local licensed Electrician.
I'm just a guy on the internet, not a licensed Electrician. Assumptions may have been made on the current wiring, based on your descriptions. Without being there, there is no way to be sure these assumptions are correct. Please proceed with caution, and at your own risk.
No. It's not possible to do what you want, without running additional wires.
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Best Answer
One of the sets of hot/neutral wires are switched (probably red/white) and one is unswitched (probably black/white). You only want one set connected to your new outlet. If you connect both, you'll short them together. Best case, your whole switched circuit will become unswitched. Worst case, you'll connect together opposite legs of your 240v feed and blow breakers or start a fire!
Try connecting the black and corresponding white to the new outlet and cap the other two wires with wire nuts. If the whole outlet ends up switched, exchanged the connected wires with the capped wires.
Edit: as Michael Karas points out (thanks), check the side of the old outlet where the white wires were connected. If that tab was not broken, go ahead and connect both white wires. The outlet may have been used as a jumper to extend the neutral to other outlets/loads. You still never want to connect both the red and black wires.