electrical wiring question

[dabuddha]

Cliffs:

Have an existing outlet in the garage
Added a light fixture.
Want to add a switch between the electric socket and the light fixture to control the light

crappy drawing attached

All the wiring is 14 (maybe 12) /2
The ground is obvious to me but the black vs red isn't (my red is really white but white wouldn't show up lol)

TIA!

 

[grrl]

Are we to assume there is no wiring to the light yet?

 

[PottedMeat]

so you just want to tap off the outlet's power to switch a light on and off?

google images has lots of pics under 'adding light switch circuit'

 

[sdifox]

so, the sockets are getting power now and you want to add a light with a switch.

Plug a lamp with a switch into the socket :biggrin:

If that is too ghetto, you need to splice another 2 lines out to the switch. Same with ground. Black is hot, white is neutral, green or bare is ground.

 

[olds]

Red is white.
On your own for the ground.

 

[dabuddha]

Sorry got pulled into a meeting. The socket is already there in the garage. I want to add the switch and the light fixture (fixture goes outside the garage). I already mounted the light fixture and ran some 12/2 into the garage from the fixture. Just need to add the switch adn figure out the wiring .

In my existing outlet that's there, I have the white wire coming to the top left screw. The black wire is coming into the top right screw.

 

[dabuddha]

Thanks for the pic olds! Does the side of the wiring matter? Meaning in my existing outlet, the red/white wire is on the left screw and the black wire is on the top right screw. Or is the only thing that's important is black wires stay on one side and red/white on the other

 

[olds]

Thanks for the pic olds! Does the side of the wiring matter? Meaning in my existing outlet, the red/white wire is on the left screw and the black wire is on the top right screw. Or is the only thing that's important is black wires stay on one side and red/white on the other

Yes, keep them matched up.

 

[nickbits]

I'm pretty sure it is against code to have outlets and lights on the same circuit.

 

[edro]

I'm pretty sure it is against code to have outlets and lights on the same circuit.

Wrong.

 

[Vette73]

Red is white.
On your own for the ground.

Ground will also follow to the switch and then the fixture.
You can also have the white wire go to the switch and the power straight to the fixture. For a simple fixture I would just do power to the switch as Olds drew.

 

[dabuddha]

Thanks for the info guys! I'll probably wire it up tomorrow (raining heavily here today).

 

[feralkid]

You can also have the white wire go to the switch and the power straight to the fixture.

Not a good idea.

 

[olds]

Not a good idea.

But it will be funny when a bulb breaks off in the socket and someone digs it out with needle nose pliers...

 

[Vette73]

Not a good idea.

In this case I agree, as I said above. But it is allowed by code in some cases depending how the wiring is done.

 

[sdifox]

I'm pretty sure it is against code to have outlets and lights on the same circuit.

err, pretty much all the houses in NA are wired that way.