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Handyman Repairs Half Hot Outlet

  
  
  

half hotA repeat customer called this handyman to ask for help in troubleshooting his half hot outlet. These are outlets that have power in the bottom plug all the time, while the top half of the plug receives power only when a wall switch is turned on. These are perfect for controlling a table lamp or floor lamp.

Both of the plugs on this particular outlet had power to it all the time. The homeowner was upgrading all of his outlets and switches to a more modern style for the appearance. He swore that her replaced each wire exactly where it had been on the old outlet. And he had.

He forgot a simple step when wiring a half hot outlet. He forgot to break out the tab that connects the top hot side to the bottom hot side. Without doing this, both halves receive power all the time. When you remove the tab, the top will only receive power when the switch is turned on. You can use needle nose pliers, or regular pliers for this. Grab the tab and give it a few back-and-forth moves and it will break free. You will want to turn the power off before you touch the outlet though. After you break out the tab, screw the outlet to the junction box, install the cover plate, and turn the power back on. The light should illuminate only when switched on.

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