Hi, I have a house built in 1952. Our bathroom had two light fixtures (one on either side of the medicine cabinet) wired together and connected to a switch. I wanted to replace the first light (from the switch) with an outlet. The only wires connected to it are one black and one white. I can add a ground to it as the box is grounded. My questions are:
1. Can I do this, and is it as simple as just connecting white and black to silver and gold screws on the outlet?
2. I would really like to add a GFCI outlet, but I am unsure of the wiring for this.
That vanity light probably receives switch controlled power only.
Unless there are more than the two white/black pairs into and out of the box,
this is a certainty.
If you don’t mind your outlet being controlled by the light switch, go ahead.
You can also install a GFI. The connections are the same.
White to silver, black to brass. ground to the metallic box.
You cannot do this, otherwise the outlet will be controlled by the light switch. Leave both of your lights as they are, and cut a double-gang box size hole where your single light switch is. First locate the stud that your switch box is attached to. It’s probably the kind that mounts with 2 brackets about 1" away from one of the sides of the box. First, buy a 2-gang old-work plastic box ($2.16 at Home Depot). Cut a hole with a drywall saw from that side over to the stud, and stop when you reach the stud. Position the double box right along the stud where the cut line stopped, and make sure the box is in the same position vertically with respect to the existing box. Draw a pencil line all the way around the box. Cut the rest of the wall out until you have a hole that the new box would fit into. Use a reciprocating saw to cut the metal brackets in order to remove the old box. Disconnect the existing wires. Now, while you have a clear hole in the wall, install new wire for your outlet. Being that your house is built in 1952, your wiring is probably not grounded. I would recommend running a new separate 20-amp circuit from your breaker panel in your basement up to the hole in the bathroom wall. This will power your outlet only. Insert this 12-2 yellow-sheathed cable into the blue box opening, and then insert the existing lighting wires. Fasten the box with the built-in clamps. Reconnect the 14-2 lighting wires in the same manner as they were when you disconnected them from the old box. Connect the 12-2 wires to the LINE side of the GFCI receptacle.