Strange electrical wiring situation

[Mike Dobony]

We just purchased a home and had mixed color electrical outlets (in the same room!!)and am replacing them with only 1 color. The first outlet was wired very strangely. There were 1 Romax wire sets going into the box. Both black were put together with a pigtail running to the hot one outlet. The 2 whites were run to the other outlet, one to hot and one to neutral, and the connection between the 2 hots was removed. Anyone have any idea why this would be run this way? I took off the pigtail and kept the 2 blacks together and just used the 2 whites to power the whole outlet. All the other outlets were normal. So far this is the only outlet like this. The lights are on a separate circuit.

-- Mike D.

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[zxcvbob]

The weird set of wires probably go to a wall switch somewhere and form a "switch loop" -- half of the duplex outlet was controlled by the switch.

Bob

[Joseph Meehan]

And that removed tab is very important!

[Mike Dobony]

If so, the switch is not in the same room. The light switch in the room is on a different circuit and both sides of the outlet are off with the same breaker. Unfortunately, all 3 bedrooms are on the same breaker. One room will be the computer room and right now the laser printer is quite a drain. I will have to wire in 2 more circuits for the computers.

-- Mike D.

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[TimS]

Some houses are wired with a Christmas circuit, a switch or switches controlls outlets under windows for candles.

[Mike Dobony]

On a wall opposite the window. Again, unless there is a switch hiding somewhere, . . .

[me]

Did the old outlet have a piece of metal removed between the two screws on the HOT side? If it did, it WAS hooked to a switch. Proper wiring would require that white wire be painted black (usually just a piece of black tape). Of course many electricians skip that step.

(My preference is a black permanent marker).

Go look at the original switch and tell us!!!

Maybe the switch was covered up too ????