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Electrical Wiring

Kitchen switch wiring question

11 years ago

Hi everyone.

Glad I found this place!

I've researched for 2 hours about this issue and I'm still not 100% sure of what I need to do.

I hope this can not only help me but other people who found themselves in the same situation.

Now

First, what the layout shows:
I have a GFCI that's being fed power from the main power source, the breaker box.
I want to put a switch next to it.
I have a double plug receptacle 5 feet away hidden inside the sink cabinet.

What I want to do is have the switch next to the GFCI control one of the outlets on the plug receptacle and the other outlet be supplied power permanently.

I have already removed the metal tabs on both sides of the double plug receptacle to individualize each outlet.

Where I'm stuck at is on what type of switch I need to get. The layout I made shows a "three way plug". I don't know if this is necessary or a regular(two way plug?) would do just fine.
And I also would like to know how would the switch be wired from the GFCI and to the hidden receptacle.

I made the layout as simple as possible but if I'm mistaken advise me how to correct it.

The layout shows abbreviated terms for any of the specialists to explain the correct wiring configuration.
Just punch in the configuration and I will modify the image as we go along.
The final product should be of reference for people who are found in the same situation.

If you need any other information just ask away!

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Comments (5)

Ron Natalie
11 years ago
You want a regular switch not a 3-way (though you can treat the three way as a regular one by just ignoring one of what you've labeled as the white terminals.

You need to run white from the LD side of the GFCI to both white terminals on the receptacle (you really didn't need to remove that tab, but if you did, just connect both screws to the same white wire). You need to run the black from the LD side of the GFCI to the top black on the receptacle as well as one of the screws on the switch. The other screw on the switch goes to the black on the bottom of the receptacle.

This means you must run a ground (usually bare, sometimes green), the neutral (white), and two other wires (any color but white/gray/green). You can buy 12-3 wire that has a black and red typically.
Ron Natalie
11 years ago
You want a regular switch not a 3-way (though you can treat the three way as a regular one by just ignoring one of what you've labeled as the white terminals.

You need to run white from the LD side of the GFCI to both white terminals on the receptacle (you really didn't need to remove that tab, but if you did, just connect both screws to the same white wire). You need to run the black from the LD side of the GFCI to the top black on the receptacle as well as one of the screws on the switch. The other screw on the switch goes to the black on the bottom of the receptacle.

This means you must run a ground (usually bare, sometimes green), the neutral (white), and two other wires (any color but white/gray/green). You can buy 12-3 wire that has a black and red typically.
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greg_2010
11 years ago
Here's a quick and dirty sketch of what ronnatalie described.

And I just noticed that I said 14/3 on the sketch, but if the circuit is 20 amp (which I guess in new kitchens it would be) then you should use 12/3.

Note: I didn't bother showing the ground wire, but it should be there.
brickeyee
11 years ago
the receptacle under the sink cannot be on the same branch circuit as the kitchen counter receptacles.
btharmy
11 years ago
Is all of the wiring existing? If so, the wire between the switch and the "hidden receptacle" needs to be replaced with 12-3 cable.

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