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Lighting Bedroom

Bedrooms with a switched outlet or not?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

We are adding on some bedrooms and also involves reconfiguring current bedrooms. The electrician will be starting soon and mentioned most of the time he doesn’t put a switched outlet in bedrooms anymore. And he even gets called out to remove them. Our existing bedrooms all had a switched outlet. We are planning on putting in ceiling fans with lights but my daughter’s bedroom won’t have one installed because she has a canopy bed. From reading briefly it seems light code doesn’t require a switched outlet if there is a switch overhead light.

Given the choice, would you still have a switched outlet in each room? since my daughter’s room can’t have a ceiling fan yet, she’d need a switched outlet. Would it be weird for her room to have one and the others not? Our master has a ceiling fan light but it is not bright enough to light up the whole room so I’m glad we still have a switched outlet in there.

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Comments (4)

PRO
RL Relocation LLC
3 years ago
no you dont need a switched outlet. Assuming she is still going to have a flush or semi-flush light, the reason for the switched outlet as most of the time the homes from those era's didn't have overhead lighting. For me switched outlets are a nightmare especially in the age of electronics, nothing will charge if the outlet is turned off.

If she is not having a fan she should still have an overhead light. Someday the canopy bed may not be there.
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wdccruise
3 years ago
I like having a switched outlets. The problem in my bedroom is that the switched outlet is in the wrong place; I wish it had been placed next to the bed. To avoid the problem RL mentions, have the electrician wire a duplex outlet with one switched and one unswitched outlet. (I think this is the standard; all my switched outlets were wired this way.)

P.S. I installed a Leviton P07-T5632 duplex outlet with USB next to the bed so could charge my phone without needing a charger.
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Thank you very much for your help. Yes, you are right. It does sound like that he wired the fan to the master bedroom circuit and now moved the whole mess to the load side of GFI. I don't think he'll come back and redo the work. I waited him for more than 15 days before he came back and wired the fan switch to the load side of GFI. His expression told me he was very unhappy to come back and do the work. Although I paid him $1000 just for the labor of installing one fan and replacing another fan, material fees are separate. And no drywall repairment at all. I'll spend another $1400 for repairment of the drywall cut by the HVAC contractor for the fan installation and replacement. The circuit on the main panel that controls master bathroom also controls master bedroom, hallway, hallway bathroom, and another bedroom. So I think instead of putting a GFCI breaker on the main panel, it's better to wire the fan switch to the load side of GFI. But I did not expect it also affects the electricity in the master bedroom. I may have another electrician to fix it in the future after the drywall is repaired. Is it a big electric job? Thank you veru much for your recommendation of a good book. I'll buy and read it.
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Hi Anthony, I have built a few homes and do some interior decorating and have always centered fans in the room, not over the bed. And I really do not like the combination light and fan! As whether to even have a fan, I would only do it if you need it for extra ventilation, which it sounds like you may not. Some people just love the feeling of sleeping with a fan. I personally do not, but my son loves it and could not live without one, winter and summer! Since you haven't missed one, I wouldn't bother. Maybe just an interesting flush mount or short pendant for interest. With your style, check out rejuvenation and/or schoolhouse electric. Good luck!!
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User
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Edit: I see you're definitely doing one in the kid's bedroom. as for the other rooms, I say why not? you might find a switched outlet convenient for other reasons. I like to hook them up to swag lamps -- I prefer light that's off to the side rather in the middle of the ceiling.

note: you can do a hybrid outlet where one half is always operated by a switch, and the other is always hot:
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erinsean
3 years ago
Our bedroom has touch lamps by the bed...We purchased the equipment to make our !amps touch. We do have a switched outlet in our family room but prefer using remote outlets there. Check your big box stores for ideas.
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