Electrical help. (Adding outlet to light switch box)

stryped1 · 2013-03-25T12:34:48+00:00

I need to add a gfi outlet to my wifes bathroom. I want to add it to the cu rrent light switch box. This box currently has two switches, one for the fa n,light and one for the vanity light. Each switch has a white wire, a black wire, and a ground. When checking with a voltmeter, the white wire on both switches always has power. Each black wire only has power when the switch is turned on. I am assuming the white wire is the power wire. Can I take th ese white wires off the switches, connect them to the top and bottom "hot" terminal on the gfi outlet, then feed the switches from both terminals on t he other side of the gfi? When I did this messing around with the switches, everything worked properly. I just thought that the black wire was always the constant power wire.

Mar 25, 2013 62 Replies

Rate this thread:

Nate Nagel 13 years ago

quoted text -

I don't believe it is code compliant to switch the neutral, although my NEC is packed away in a very safe place.

As I said in my previous post however I'm certain that a receptacle in a bathroom by current code either needs to be on a 20A circuit that serves only that bathroom, or a 20A circuit that only feeds bathroom receptacles (that is, you can feed receps in more than one bathroom - not sure how many - but only if the circuit feeds *only* receptacles, e.g. lights, fan, etc. are on a different circuit.)

If the OP's bathroom does not have a recep then I am guessing that it does not have a dedicated 20A circuit either and likely the light and fan are on a 15A circuit that is a general lighting/recep circuit for that area of the house.

nate

Vote

Nate Nagel 13 years ago

I agree but in a professional environment a lot of times things that are nice to do but are not required are not done for cost reasons. Time = money. I personally would always mark the wires but then again I am not a professional electrician.

Either in this thread or the one where the guy was installing the motion sensors someone mentioned that marking was not always required by code. I don't know when that change occurred but having worked primarily on older houses I'm assuming that unmarked wires were allowed when those houses were built - as I've never seen the wires marked!

nate

Vote