Wiring receptacle(s) controlled by a switch

receptacleswitchwiring

OK, here is a problem that I need solved: To connect indoor (double) receptacle and a switch to an outdoor (porch)
single receptacle so that the switch will control when the outdoor receptacle is on or off (and possibly not have
any effect to the indoor receptacle). In other words I want the line feed of the indoor receptacle to also feed the
porch receptacle, but I want (an indoor) switch to control the outdoor receptacle. I did it wrong — see the approximate
photo and diagram (at least I think that is how I did it). When switch is down (off) it does not affect either indoor or outdoor
receptacles — they all work with no problem. When I put the switch up (to on) the breaker intervenes and shuts down
that box. So clearly, turning the switch in the "on" position connects the neutral and the hot, which I did not expect
since I thought the (s)witch comes "after" the original receptacle…

So somebody help here with a neat solution: Given are: 1) a feeder line coming to the indoor receptacle (not too much
extra wire to play with); all casing is metal which serves as the grounding (so the extra hair pig tails I add in the box
are not necessary). 2) Porch (outside) receptacle with its wires. It is set in its
position and I do not want to go through the trouble of (re)moving it. The (metal) box is also in place and I do enter image description here
not want to remove it. So how do I connect these wires so as to get everything to work: indoor receptacle (preferably
without interference by the switch) and outside receptacle to work when the indoor switch is in the "on" position. Uups, I have the diagram in the wiring diagram in the pdf format but I do not see an option of adding pdf file picture.

Here comes the diagram

enter image description here

Best Answer

If I understand the diagram correctly, you connected hot from the duplex receptacle to the switch (correct) and then from the same screw on the switch to the single receptacle (wrong). You also connected neutral to the switch (wrong). Basically, you treated the switch as if it were another receptacle, when actually it should only be in the hot wire.

  • Remove both wires going to the bottom of the switch and connect them to each other (but not to the switch) with a wire nut. These wires should both be white because they are carrying neutral.
  • Disconnect the wire going from the top of the switch to the single receptacle and connect it to the bottom of the switch. This is switched hot - when the switch is on, it carries power from the hot wire (top of the switch, coming from the duplex receptacle) to the single receptacle. This wire (and the wire to the top of the switch) should be black (or any color other than white or green).

It doesn't matter whether you have hot on top/switched hot on bottom or vice versa - with a simple switch it doesn't matter.

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