Please help!

[imported_John]

I've spent the last four hours trying to figure out why one outlet will work and the switch will not or vice versa.

Here is how it went down:

I am adding a light switch to a receptacle. I hooked the black wire from the wall into the receptacle (brass screw). I joined the black wire from the switch to the other brass screw in the receptacle. I then joined the white wire from the wall to the silver screw in the receptacle and the white wire from the switch to the silver screw in the receptacle. I also put the ground from the switch on the same screw as the ground the receptacle uses. When I turn on the power one or the other will work, but not both at the same time. When the light is on I cannot get any power in the receptacle. When the receptacle is on I cannot get any power to the light. I feel like an idiot! Please help! :shock:

I read that there is a brass "tab" that links the brass screws and I must remove it. Is this my problem? Confucious where are you?

[Wgoodrich]

Yes the metal jumper joining the two brass screws is part of your problem.

You major problem is you ran the ground through the switch to the hot brass screw. Every time you turn on the switch your are creating a dead short just like touching the hot black to the grounded white.

Remove the metal tab located between the two brass screws only. DO NOT REMOVE THE METAL TAB BETWEEN THE SILVER SCREWS !

Now remove the white wire coming from the silve screw and going to the switch. Take the black wire off the brass screw and make a 6" black piece of wire to make a pigtail. Wire nut that black pigtail you made and the black power conductor and the white wire going to the switch.

After you have removed that metal tab connecting the two brass screws together then connect the black pigtail to the brass screw that is without a wire.

You will have a silver screw unused and the metal tab connecting the two silver screws together still connected to those two silver screws.

See if the following link to a wiring schematic will help you see what I am saying;

http://www.homewiringandmore.com/switchoutlet/plughalfswitched/outlethalfout.html

Tell us how you come out.

Good Luck

Wg