How to Connect a Light Outlet to a Light Fixture

Control a plugged-in light fixture from a light switch with a bit of electrical wiring.

In your home, some outlets are separate from the light switches while others are connected. The connected outlets make it possible for you to control a plugged in light fixture by turning a light switch on or off. If you have an outlet you would like to control with a light switch, it is possible to make this happen on your own. Connecting an outlet to a light switch is a simple electrical task.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Red 14-gauge wire
• Wire strippers
• Pliers
• Steel fish tape

Instructions

1. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the outlet face plate to the wall. Once the face plate is removed, unscrew the two screws holding the outlet in place. Pull the outlet out of the wall so the wiring is exposed.

2. Bend the tab, located on the side between the two plug terminals, back and forth until it breaks off.

3. Cut a length of red 14-gauge wire. The wire should be long enough to reach from the outlet to the light switch. Strip both ends with a wire strippers and bend them into a U shape with a pliers.

4. Wrap one end around a loosened screw on the side of the outlet. If the screw is on the top, the top plug will be controlled by the switch. If the screw is on the bottom, the bottom plug will be controlled. Which plug you would like controlled is your own personal preference. Tighten the screw to hold the red wire in place.

5. Remove the screws holding the light switch faceplate in place. Remove the screws holding the switch in place and pull the switch out of the wall.

6. Send the end of a steel fish tape down the light switch hole and through the outlet hole. Wrap the loose end of red wire around the fish tape and pull the fish tape back up towards the switch.

7. Remove the red wire from the steel fish tape and wrap it around a loosened screw on the side of the switch. Tighten the screw. Push the switch back into the wall and re-secure it with the screws you previously removed. Replace the face plate.

8. Push the outlet into the wall and re-secure it with the screws you previously removed. Replace the face plate.

Tips & Warnings

• Test the wires you will be working with, with a circuit tester, to make sure there is no power being supplied to them.

References

• Ask-the-Electrician.com: Switch Outlet Wiring Diagrams
• VideoJoeKnows: Connecting a light switch to a duplex plug outlet