Been awhile since I have been logged on here, but still reading the great info here.
I have a single light with a single plug in ON the light fixture in the bathroom.  Older house doesn't have any ground wire on it.  I really need a regular plug-in socket.  Can I jump from the light fixture and install a plug in?

The receptacle on the fixture is live at all times I suppose.

In that case you can tap off the black that is powered all the time, plus the white neutral. The new receptacle will not provide the safety advances possible with a ground wire, but then the rest of the house probably doesn't either.


I have no idea what the local regs might require if you were to do this through a hired electrician, but you should be able to get away with it yourself. Just turn the power off, and test, before handling anything there.

The house does have a breaker box.  So I can turn off the bath and a bedroom.  However, the breaker box does not have a main turn off for the entire house.  We had this house inspected before we bought it in June.  Inspector said part of the house was grounded and part wasn't  but everything was OK. 
I am still unclear.   So I can put in a new light fixture and run a separate wire from it and install a plug-in?

Quote from: teacher2 on October 06, 2010, 06:49:56 PM... I am still unclear.   So I can put in a new light fixture and run a separate wire from it and install a plug-in? 

Most jurisdictions require Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs), a safety device to prevent shocks/electrocution, on receptacles in bathrooms for new construction and electrical updates.  You may want to consider this device.

Are you calling a receptacle a "plug-in" ?

As Don said, depending on how the existing light is wired, you may be able to add a receptacle that is always "live", or you may have a light/receptacle combination where the receptacle is only "live" when you turn the light "on".

What is your plan on running the wires?  Inside the wall?  surface mounted?

Please provide some more details, then your questions will be easier to answer.

Sorry, yes I need a receptacle.  I would like it run inside the wall about 18 in from the light fixture.  It would be about 4 1/2 ft from the tub and not directly over the sink.  I don't mind it not being live unless the bathroom light is on.  It is an interior hall bath so if someone is in there the light has to be on. 

Quote from: teacher2 on October 06, 2010, 09:20:30 PM
Sorry, yes I need a receptacle.  I would like it run inside the wall about 18 in from the light fixture.  It would be about 4 1/2 ft from the tub and not directly over the sink.  I don't mind it not being live unless the bathroom light is on.  It is an interior hall bath so if someone is in there the light has to be on.  

What you describe sounds workable, as long as you can fish the cable from the existing box (that holds the light) to the new box (with a duplex receptacle). I would use a GFCI receptacle, and a plastic electrical box for "old construction" which is easier to attach to a stud inside the wall.  

You may also want to check whether 12 or 14 gauge cable was run to the light.  High amp devices (hair dryers, etc.) may overload 14 gauge, depending on the wattage rating.

While what you are asking about is pretty simple, I would suggest getting a basic electrical book that shows how to correctly attach each wire, and other basics about electricity.  This book will be a handy reference for future work too!

Good Luck.

One of the breakers should cut power to the bathroom. Leave the light on in there and turn off breakers till you find the one that interrupts the power to the light fixture. That should also kill power to the receptacle built into the fixture if everything is done normally. That's a CMA (cover my ass sort of thing).

Does the receptacle on the fixture stay live if the light is off? Plug in something and turn the light off. The device plugged in will MTL stay on. At least our old older house back home had a fixture as you describe and that receptacle did stay live.

If you pull the fixture itself, remove the screws/nuts that secures it to the wall, you should be able to find which wire is always hot (maybe black), the wire that is switched (maybe red) and the neutral (should be white). If there is no third wire, the bare ground wire, you can not install a GFCI receptacle. Those require a ground. That is you could install one but it would not work right and could give someone a false sense of security.

What do you want to run off the receptacle? How much power draw? Along with that what other rooms/equipment is already on that circuit. There could be a number of things in other rooms; no telling with an older house. You might want to turn on everything in the house once you find that circuit and see what loads you would be sharing.

Quote from: MountainDon on October 06, 2010, 09:37:16 PM... If there is no third wire, the bare ground wire, you can not install a GFCI receptacle. Those require a ground. That is you could install one but it would not work right and could give someone a false sense of security.  ...

Don,
A "GFCI" device will detect variations of current, and will open the circuit, even without a ground.  However, when installed without a ground, the receptacle must be marked "NO EQUIPMENT GROUND" (sometimes a label comes with the GFCI).

PA is absolutely right. A GFCI has circuitry inside it that works without the ground. So it would be smart to use one in a bathroom. Got myself confused