Easy light switch power question. But I’m dumb....

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Ok, thank you for that. I’m more of a visual person, so I drew this up. Does it look correct?2D263F32-75C0-4BB2-A581-3FFCF85E1820.jpeg
 
Cursorily, it appears correct, however, follow the specific directions offered for the method you chose to employ.
 
Now that you mention it, it does look pretty pitiful...
 
Just teasing, circuit drawing was ok.

It also looks like a Picasso version of a bald guy passed out on a table.
 
I don't think the comments on what the drawing looks like are needed.
The OP did the best he could to illustrate the layout.

We are here to assist the DIYer. We are "professionals" in our trade.
 
I was not criticizing it or his drawing style at all.

Just making a harmless observation, plenty of room on here to have fun and say goofy things.
 
I do not see the proper connections in your drawing. The hot black has to go to the switch and then back up to the ceiling receptacle using the white wire. The hot black also goes to the wall outlet. The white original wire goes to the wall outlet and a pigtail to the ceiling receptacle.
 
”I don't think the comments on what the drawing looks like are needed.
The OP did the best he could to illustrate the layout.“

I appreciate it but I didn’t take it the wrong way at all.... I drew it 4 times trying to make it the easiest to understand, and that was the best I could come up with! I should have had my 9 year old draw it.

Mabloodhound- I’ll sit down and go through the description again, and redraw it for myself. Seeing it in a schematic is easier for me to understand than reading it.

I do appreciate everyone’s advice.
 
So after all the confusion on my part, I thought of an easier way to do this. Maybe...

What if I tie the source wires into the wires coming from the wall outlet. If I do this in the ceiling box, then run another wire up from the wall outlet to the ceiling outlet, I could then treat it as wiring an outlet on a switch with the source at the outlet.
Does that make sense, or is that not going to work?
 
Nope, does not make sense. Your 'source' wires are already in the ceiling box. All you need to do is run both the black and white (and grnd) down to the outlet box. If you want the black hot wire to come off the wall outlet and up to the switch, you can do that and then you need another wire from the other switch terminal to go back up to the ceiling outlet (brass screw). You still need the white pigtail in the ceiling box unless you're going to pull the white wire from the wall outlet and run that all the way up to the ceiling.
 
dborns said:
So after all the confusion on my part, I thought of an easier way to do this. Maybe...

What if I tie the source wires into the wires coming from the wall outlet. If I do this in the ceiling box, then run another wire up from the wall outlet to the ceiling outlet, I could then treat it as wiring an outlet on a switch with the source at the outlet.
Does that make sense, or is that not going to work?
Click to expand...


This is what I suggested in post 15 and I suggested making the wall outlet a GFCI that has a ready connection clamp point for Line and Load. In doing this everything in the basement room would be GFCI protected including the ceiling outlet and switch. Per code.
 
I’m not being lazy, but again I understand better from pics other than reading. If someone has time to draw a schematic, that would clear things up for me I’m sure.
 
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dborns said:
I’m not being lazy, but again I understand better from pics other than reading. If someone has time to draw a schematic, that would clear things up for me I’m sure.
Click to expand...

You described in post 30 it pretty well without a drawing. The only reason I suggested that method is because you described the area as a porch / extension of a basement. In those type of areas you are supposed to provide GFCI protection. Assuming you had a round or octagon Jbox in the ceiling and wanted to still hang a light from it I suggested placing the GFCI at a location easy to access for testing and resetting. If you have an outlet for a corded light fixture or a ceiling light it makes no difference as I don’t think most people would want a GFCI outlet on the ceiling and a regular outlet takes up less room thus providing easier wire fill without needing a larger ceiling box. You could even break out the jumpers on that outlet and have half switched and half always hot if you wanted.


If you don’t care about GFCI just follow the other plan as @mabloodhound suggested.
 
Understood. I picked up a few more items I needed and will draw out what you suggested.
Thanks
 
CEB3B665-BA5F-4D1D-A4B9-ECA5772421E6.jpeg Ok, I’ll try another piece of artwork... Again, thank you to all of you for helping. I like to learn how to do stuff myself and not pay someone, so I’m learning. Snoonyb, you mentioned a GFCI. It’s a basement under the front steps, completely dry, so I will skip that.
Attached is the better drawing of what I’m thinking. Please advise if I’m still totally off.
Run source B/W to wall outlet
Run hot off wall outlet to ceiling outlet
Run white off wall outlet to ceiling box and tie in to switch white
Run hot from switch to other terminal on ceiling outlet
Run white from switch to the tie in at the ceiling box from the wall outlet
 
I would be more inclined to run one pair (W/B) to the switch. At the switch, interrupt the hot (B) with the switch, and run the resulting (W/B) pair the to the light.
 
No! The hot black must go to the switch and then from the other switch terminal, to the ceiling outlet brass terminal. The white goes to the other silver terminal on the outlet.
 
I agree with @mabloodhound the way it is sketched would work but the switch is on the common/neutral leg so the outlet in the ceiling will go off and on but it will also always have a hot leg attached even with the switch off. People normally will flip a switch to change a bulb but seldom open the breaker. I know in your case you can pull the plug on the ceiling light for service. It is always better to switch the hot leg then with the switch off there is no power to the light or in this case outlet.


As to the wall outlet it is not best practice to use the second set of screws to continue the circuit. It is much better to use wire nuts and a pigtail to the outlet. The one exception would be if you used the GFCI outlet I recommended as they are made with one termination side labeled line where the hot pair connects and the other side labeled load where everything down stream is protected for GFCI. They also have a very secure wire clamp so all you have to do is strip the wires.
 
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