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This one has me baffled.

There is an outdoor receptacle I'm replacing. The top outlet has never worked, but the bottom outlet does work. I took everything out, marked all the cables, replaced the outlet, placed the cables exactly where they were before, and now both top/bottom plugs function; BUT, now there is a nearby light switch that is stuck on the ON position. Flipping the switch inside the house does nothing, the lights stay on.

I put the old receptacle back, and everything is back to normal. I put the new outlet once again back in, with the cables exactly where they were before, and the switch won't turn off, stuck in the ON position for some reason.

I've tested every single outlet in the circuit (that I could find) and they are all 'wired correctly'.

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BMitch
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Outdated Computer Tech
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    Is the tab connected between the two hot screws? With just two hots and one neutral(not good work connecting), would think of MWBC, so the two halves of the outlet will be on two breakers. – crip659 May 19 '22 at 00:45
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    Did you ever check to see if the old top outlet worked when the light was turned on? – Mark May 19 '22 at 00:46
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    I bet you $10 that this now always-on light switch actually used to control the previously dead top outlet ... – brhans May 19 '22 at 01:01
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    I just tested this with the old receptical. And son of a bitch, Mark and Brhans are 10000% correct. That switch also controls this top outlet! Hot damn! Imagine all these F-ing years, and didn't have a clue. I think the old owners did this for Xmas lights. – Outdated Computer Tech May 19 '22 at 01:10
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    Don't forget that you owe @brhans $10 – Josh Part May 19 '22 at 15:21
  • And just to reiterate what @crip659 was saying, that neutral connection (the white wire) is not connected well. It needs to be redone, the shepherds hook needs to be smaller diameter and tightened down better to be more under the screw head. – Glen Yates May 19 '22 at 15:22
  • The connection of the neutral (white) wire to this receptacle is really dodgy. I'd strongly suggest you hook it more, and make sure it's more under the screw head and squished by it. And of course, don't forget to connected the ground wire. – Alexander May 19 '22 at 16:26
  • Are you saying that the old receptacle was not broken after all? – A. I. Breveleri May 19 '22 at 18:21
  • @glenyates, my work was getting more and more half assed the more I Was trying to figure out the problem, so I wasn't exactly trying to make the connections perfect each time. – Outdated Computer Tech May 19 '22 at 18:55

1 Answers1

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Outlet receptacles are manufactured with friable removable tabs connecting the upper and lower screws on each side.

When these tabs are left intact, the upper and lower plug points are connected together and only one screw on each side needs to be attached. When these tabs are removed, the upper and lower plug points can be powered separately, so the outlet can be half switched and half constant.

The most likely cause for the phenomenon you describe is that the original receptacle had the tab on the hot side removed and the replacement still has the tab in place.

Now, to restore the original functionality with half the outlet controlled by the switch, just break the corresponding tab off the new receptacle. Grab it with pliers and bend it back and forth until it snaps at the scored line.

If you want both outlets to be always on, you should leave the tabs in place, and disconnect the switched hot from the outlet and cap it off with a wire nut.

A. I. Breveleri
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    And this is why I came here. Brilliant stuff guys. Now how the hell do I break this tab, lol – Outdated Computer Tech May 19 '22 at 01:13
  • Yep, just confirmed the tab is broken on the old receptacle. – Outdated Computer Tech May 19 '22 at 01:15
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    Well, you could always just remove and cap off the yellow wire instead, which would make the outlet full hot. Of course, now that you know that socket is switch-controlled, I bet you just dreamed up some uses for it, eh? (Harper's rule: the last guy had a reason.) – Harper - Reinstate Monica May 19 '22 at 01:18
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    @harper-reinstateukraine After thinking about this a moment. I think that's the plan. We don't put in Xmas lights. And there are much better methods of controlling external lighting then this old ass method of controlling an outlet. Such as an outdoor power timer or something. So Capping the Yellow plug is correct answer here. Thanks man. – Outdated Computer Tech May 19 '22 at 01:21
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    @Harper-ReinstateUkraine The worst is when you move into a new place and you've got light switches that don't appear to do anything. I've got several of these in my house, and I have checked every outlet within a reasonable distance of them. Unless the switches are controlling an outlet on the other side of the house for some reason, I'm completely stumped. (And yes, I did check for half-switched outlets - it's not that.) – Darrel Hoffman May 19 '22 at 13:44
  • @DarrelHoffman https://youtu.be/iiD9qn5q4RY – Didier L May 19 '22 at 14:57
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    @DarrelHoffman, when we moved into our house, we had a lighting fixture that we absolutely, positively could *not* find a switch for. it was two years of periodically getting annoyed enough to search for the switch *again* before I realized we'd never tried... ...replacing the bulb. – Theo Brinkman May 19 '22 at 15:41
  • @OutdatedComputerTech You might want to consider putting a timer on the light switch as opposed to an outdoor timer. More convenient and there are plenty available that adjust the on/off times based on the date. – JimmyJames May 19 '22 at 16:16
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    Note that most building codes require that almost every entrance to a habitable space have, within a certain distance, a means of either controlling a hard-wired luminary or power to a receptacle. If a switched receptacle was the only device operated by any kind of switch within reach of a door, making both halves be "always on" may violate building code. – supercat May 19 '22 at 23:12
  • @DarrelHoffman Could they be for a ceiling fan that isn't installed? When we moved in, we had a couple switches that didn't do anything. Turned out the light fixtures were wired for a separate fan switch, but no fan was installed, so the switch didn't do anything. – PGnome May 20 '22 at 16:17
  • @PGnome Nope, there is indeed a ceiling fan with a light in the room, (as in every room in this house - almost a requirement in Florida) but the switch does not affect it. – Darrel Hoffman May 20 '22 at 21:01