Light fixture with outlet?

The only outlet in my bathroom is in an old, porcelain light fixture (house built 1932). I'd like to replace it, but am unable to find such a fixture. Does this mean I need to replace the fixture with a sconce and have an outlet installed elsewhere? Any idea what an electrician might charge for something like this?

Reply to
istrum
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If you like the light fixture and want an outlet then thats what you should do. If you want to replace the light, find one you like and do not use a built in outlet as a decision factor. If your new light doesn't have an outlet then its no big deal to add one (Usually).

Where are you located? It could cost anywhere from $60 to $300 to do this job plus the cost of any new fixtures.

Reply to
No

Is there a light switch on the wall as you walk in (or elsewhere)? Does it control the light fixture you mentioned? If yes to both questions, you can replace it yourself with a slightly different thing that's got a switch on one side, which travels left to right instead of up & down, and an outlet right next to it. It fits into the same internal wall box, but requires a different wall plate. Probably costs about four bucks, with plate. Get a book on basic wiring from the library or one of the home centers. The wiring for such a switch isn't tricky at all, but the book will help you understand what the various wire colors do, and how to use connectors. Also buy an inexpensive test light, so you be sure the wires are really dead after you've pulled the fuse or shut off the circuit breaker. If this plan works, you can change the wall fixture to anything you want.

Pay attention to the book, make sure there's nobody pestering and distracting you, and you should be able to do this without blowing your hair off.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

There is a switch on the wall, but it only controls the ceiling fixture. The one I want to replace is on the wall, and has a chain to turn the light on. The outlet works, but the bulb socket does not.

Reply to
istrum

We're all assuming that you no longer want one of those porcelain fixtures. Is that true? If you DO want another, you can get them at home centers & hardware stores for four or five bucks, with an outlet in them. But they're so ugly.....

If this bathroom on the first floor? If yes, the wire to the wall fixture might come up from the basement, instead of down from who-knows-where. If this is the case, it's a fairly simple job to run a wire from there to the wall switch. Not VERY simple, but "less of a nightmare than some other things".

Reply to
Doug Kanter

You're right - it is SO ugly. And it's useless in terms of lighting. I think my best bet is to purchase a new fixture and have a professional install it, in addition to an outlet. I'm handy, but I don't do electricity! I'm just hoping it won't cost me a lot.

Reply to
istrum

Oh come on...be brave. I won't work inside a fuse box or breaker panel, but wiring's not such a big deal. Turn off the breaker, double check with a test light or volt meter (not expensive), and you're in business. You probably own most of the tools already, assuming you haven't been using your screwdrivers as pry tools.

No guts, no glory!

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Ugly? Hey, down Maine they say "Pretty is as pretty does." If you want to save money, they still make ones like you have now, but I don't think they do them in porcelain anymore. Try this for example:

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Your house may be so old that there isn't even a ground lead available for connection to the ground pin on that socket, so maybe better if you'd use this one:

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But in ANY case, since it's in a bathroom, you really should check and make sure that the circuit feeding it is coming from a GFI circuit breaker. If you don't happen to know what that is, Puhleeze FIND OUT, the life you save could be your own. (Where did I hear thatfirst?)

HTH,

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

This is complicated by the presence of the outlet, which may be spot welded to part of the bulb socket. But maybe it's not. If not, you may well be able to find the bulb-socket complete with chain (a short one) at a hardware store.

Usually they sell the guts separately, but if you have to buy the guts along with the brass? cover, you can just the use the guts.

If the socket and outlet are attached to each other, you might be able to use tinsnips to but off the the light socket and then solder the new socket to the old outlet. I can't quite recall how these look inside, but try to leave some overlapping metal (copper) so that you can solder or otherwise attach the old outlet to the new socket, either the way it was done in the first place, or possibly just with a couple wires. (Wires will certainly work electrically, but I'm thinking the outlet won't have anything keeping it in place unless it is stll attached to the socket, but it's been decades since I've looked at something like this.

BTW, there are junk yards for old houses. I first saw one just across the Connecticut line, just off I-95 leaving NY. In 1974. I think there are more now in many parts of the country. I would think there would be something on the web. But you probably have to take your old one off the wall, disconnect it and look inside, to see what you need to do or buy.

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Reply to
mm

I'd suggest getting the professional electrician, if only just for the GFCI issue. Lot's of the old bathroom fixtures had outlets for a shaver or a hair dryer on them. Apparently you have one of these. Problem is that if you dropped your appliance into the sink, you could electrocute yourself.

You will probably need to install a GFCI, either locally in the bathroom outlet, or in the circuit serving the bathroom.

Beachcomber

Reply to
Beachcomber

Local HD and electrical supply stores sell both porcelain and plastic versions with or without the socket.

Reply to
blueman

I think you are potentially offering misleading if not dangerous advice.

First, there is no guarantee at all that the switch has the necessary wires (hot, neutral, ground). Depending on how it is wired it may have just hot and potentially not even a ground given the age of the house. You may well need to pull up other wires from the basement.

Second, bathroom outlets need to be GFI protected and I am not sure that they make a GFI switch/socket combo (and if they do it certainly costs more than $4).

Unless you understand all the above, including code requirements, you shouldn't be playing with this. Not that it is hard, just that it is not as straightforward as this poster naively suggests.

Electricity can kill -- please do not give dumb advice that breaks code and can cause injury to others!

Reply to
blueman

Not logical. If the OP was able to post a question, the OP can read. If the OP can read, he can determine if he's about to get in over his head. If it turns out he's not able to determine his limitations, nature (or the fire department) will point this out to him. There are people in this NG who are not electricians, are able to wire most anything, but at some point in the past were as inexperienced as he OP.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

I have no issue with the OP. The problem is with the misleading and more likely false advice you gave where you: - Assumed that there are 3 wires in the switch box (unlikely see above) - Neglected to mention GFI requirement and in fact suggested a solution that is not directly compatible with GFI protection.

Reply to
blueman

You're right - I should've mentioned the GFI. As far as 3 wires, I told him to read. I understand that for some people, getting a library card is a monumental task, and reading a book is tantamount to brain surgery, but it

*is* possible to do.
Reply to
Doug Kanter

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