100% true. He made it so clear and easy to understand. Everyone else had a bunch of wires and a bunch of pigtails. But I do have a question, why are there two neutrals? I only have one neutral coming into my box.
@Perpetual_Prince There are two neutrals because one comes IN with the line and the other goes OUT to the load. If you only have one white wire, was it connected to the switch? If so, it IS NOT a neutral.
@@handydadtv hi! Yes it was connected to the switch, it’s an older home. Only have 2 black wires, and one white.. it has a switch combo outlet in there, and the outlet works when the light switch is turned on. But since it’s in the bathroom I wanted to install the GFCI combo.
Very clear instructions, thank you, thank you, thank you... I would have gone nuts trying to figure this thing out. The instructions on the sheet manual is just too confusing what is what. Also, I had done some pig tail for the neutrals, but when I saw you pushing these into the slots, that did the trick for me. Genius! You are the only one, not even Levinton has a video on this model. I quite like this switch/ plug, it is more stylish than the old style knobs. Keep on GOING, HandyDad!
Very helpful! Thank you so much. The diagram that came with the thing contradicted itself, so I'm glad to see someone wired this correctly and showed it working!!
Just bought my first house that was built in the 40s, managed to replace everything but a switch outlet combo in the bathroom. I spent hours trying to understand the wiring diagram and even put out a quote request for electricians, all of which were 200+ for one outlet. Thanks to this video we got it installed and working, you saved me money and the health cost of all that stress, thank you!
Hey, so it looks like the light isn't on the GFCI if it will work regardless of it being tripped. Can u show how to wire it so I can get both the light and the outlet to work on gfci?
That’s unnecessary and not recommended. Permanent fixtures do not need shock protection. Only outlets do. You wouldn’t want to be left in the dark if something trips the GFCI.
@@handydadtv I'm trying to fix another issue. Button on the jacuzzi tub stopped working, but is in the 'on' position. Want to use this as an alternative for tear out and replacement of the entire tub. Motor currently runs on a gfci.
@tool46372 So, currently you have a 20 amp breaker to an outdoor GFCI outlet where the jacuzzi is plugged in. But the jacuzzi switch is broken so you want to add a switch to the outlet instead so the jacuzzi will turn on when the switch is on. Is that correct? Don’t jacuzzis need to run every day to filter the water? When would you ever leave the switch off?
Fantastic and easy to follow video. Watches about 3 or 4 and this was the best. Just installed the exact same outlet/switch combo by Leviton. Feels so good when you DIY and you don’t get electrocuted 😂
Thanks, so much. I had been struggling with a GFCI paddle switch/outlet combo. After looking at diagrams and failing, your video got me through safe and effective wiring. Cheers!
Perfect video for me, thank you sir. I got that exact model after another store ran out of stock on a different one. When I saw the two black wires out the back I was all messed up lol. I love that this model lets me plug in both of the white wires instead of just having a terminal where I have to add a third one and connect it to the other two. The old switch I was replacing had no ground (old house with just a light switch in the 1/2 bathroom) so I did a search and found out it is safe to wire this to a box with no ground wire in it. The GFCI still works and actually makes the outlet safer. Of course I blocked the third prong hole to remind people not to plug in a three prong electrical cord.
I just found your GFCI video. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. In other videos I have watched, some steps were left out. You covered everything a person needs to know to install a GFCI Receptacle. Many thanks, again.
You made this install a breeze! Since I only had 2 wires and neutral, the original instructions were overly complicated and difficult to interpret. Thank you so much.
I've done most of my electrical work for years but never put one of these in so I liked this video because it made it so much easier to know I was doing it right. I had to replace the old wall sconces that had outlets because they were old and falling apart and also not GFCI. Now it's all safe and looks much better. Thank you so much for this video.
Thank you so much. The instructions said to put the switch wire down to the load hot side and that kept flipping the gfci. I suspected that I could put it on the line side and you confirmed that for me... Perfect now. 🎉 Edit For the record I know that the light is not gfci protected now, which would be a plus... But I'd rather have it that way than no gfci at all. I'll rewire the neutral side of the light later.
You can wire it so the switch is also in the protection mode. You would connect the incoming power from the panel to the LINE as normal (hot wire to the brass screw and neutral wire to the silver screw).Then the neutral wire from the light would go to the silver screw on the LOAD side. One of the switch wires would go to the brass screw also on the LOAD side. The other switch wire would connect to the hot wire from the light (wire nut or wago), and you're done. I believe that would do it.
Great post! I used one of these in my Mother's home built in 1955, but it had no ground wire. I used the appropriate stickers which brought it to code for Michigan. Thank you for the very informative videos!
Awesome video, I was tired of the switch-less light that had a drawstring to turn on like a basement in my bathroom. Now I can install a new light fixture too!
Very concise video. Question: If the power source into the GFCI/Switch is old 2-wire with no ground and the rest of the circuit is 2-wire ROMEX with ground, what do you do with the ground wire in that box? Do you pigtail it to the ground screw of the GFCI/Switch, or do you just cap the ground wire?
This is such a clear video! We are trying to change a single switch with the Leviton GFSW1 gfci combo but there are three wires in the box since it's in the middle of the circuit run. We followed the instructions of Leviton for the three wire case, but now the original light doesn't work and the switch on the combo is controlling all the downstream outlets/switches, which we don't want. We want the switch to only control the original lighting fixture. Do you have suggestions of what we might have wired wrong? Will you make a video for the scenario that there are downstream outlets in the circuit? Thanks!
as others noted, the instructions and diagrams from Leviton don't work. 7:16 in solved my issue, putting a switch black line into the upper Line screw. Works! I am already a subscriber - huge thanks for having the solition.🎉🎉
I have a switch box that is for the garbage disposal under the kitchen sink. There are a total of 3 sets of wires; white, black, and ground. Power in, line from switch to disposal;, and an outlet that is on the outside of the kitchen island. I need to change the switch to a GFCI combo switch/ outlet, because I am putting in an RO system that requires an outlet. My question is how to combine all of these to work. It seems that I could use the Wagos on the 3 grounds plus the pigtail to the combo switch. Wago connect the 3 neutrals with a pigtail to the one side of the combo switch/ outlet. What i am not certain of are the 3 blacks plus the 2 coming out of the combo switch? Please advise.
I just replaced mine exactly the one you have in this video. I got the green light, but it wasn’t working then I watched this video and I did hook it up correctly but my test switch is not snapping like yours. It’s a brand new outlet is it defective?
Awesome video. I only have line, neutral, and ground (1 line into my box) does the second black (switch) wire connect to line side of my gfci, you said the first one connects to the load side.???? 🤔💙
I'm trying to install this exact new switch to an existing very old wiring. My question is, do I connect the wire that was originally for the switch to the gold screw with the back black wire that's attached? Or do I connect the wire that was used for the outlet to the gold screw?
I need to replace a regular duplex outlet with a gfci. I have one in stock with the switch that I will use, even though I don't need the switch. I ASSUME I'm safe to just get those two wires that are on it out of the way, which I'll do by twisting them together and putting a wire nut on them (to keep them from going some place they don't belong and shorting something out. They'll just be stuffed in the box unused. I won't just cut them off, as someone might later repurpose the device and want/need those wires. Am I good?
I tried converting a secondary rocker light switch down the stairs in my garage to a full GFCI outlet. I think I capped off too many wires as the other main light switch that turns the garage lights on is not working. There were 4 wires on the rocker light switch; 2 black, one red and a copper ground. Only one of the black wires was hot so I capped off the other black and capped off the red which was not hot. The two white wires were wire nutted together in the box so I tool white wire coming out of the hot cable wire and attached it to the GFCI. I capped the other white neutral wire off. The GFCI outlet is working but I can't turn on or off the garage ceiling lights. Which other wires should I have connected to the GFCI? thanks, Steve H.
Hard to say. You need to figure out which wires are upstream vs downstream. Upstream (from the panel) brings power IN and it’s also called the LINE. Downstream sends power to other devices on the circuit. Also called the LOAD.
Great video - very helpful. However, I'm having one issue: when I push the GFCI test button, the light doesn't go off (the outlet does). Any thoughts? Thanks!
So we can't protect the switch on the receptacle with the gfci on it? For example, couldn't I just connect the power wire to the line and then connect the switch wire to the load ? I ask because I need a gfci protection for my bath light fan for my bath light fan to be able to be wet rated but I was gonna get this particular combo receptacle to protect the bath light fan and also be able to turn the bath light fan on and off. Or will this not work? I was going to call leviton to double check until I saw your video...
Hey, so I'm going to hook this switch outlet up and the switch part will be powering a bathroom vent over my tub. So I think I should have that switch cut off when the outlet is cut off also for safety 🤔 basically will the switch cut out also when over loaded because I will need that. As un the video the light switch still worked when trip
@handydadtv yup I just watched your other video thanks. I just have to protect the switch because the vent is over my shower and your video was straight to the point. I'm a new follower now 👍
Thanks for this very clear and informative video. As luck would have it, I'm trying to install the switch/GFCI outlet combo in a box that has just an existing switch, and there's no neutral wire in there - just 2 blacks and ground. Any suggestions or is this not possible?
Hi, amazing video. Made it easy to install. How do I wire a GFI outlet to this. The GFI switch/outlet will be middle of the run, the gfi outlet that I want to add would then be end of the run.
This helped me get one hooked up, except it’s replacing an ollllld non gfci one and there is another set that of can lights and a light switch downstream that won’t work with it hooked up. Is there something special you have to change for downstream stuff to work? My understanding was the downstream was connected where the lines in the box are pigged and the pigs go to this. But now the downstream is getting nothing regardless of switch position.
@@handydadtv that’s what we ended up doing. Chased the wire all the way back to the issue which was the previous DIY person who owned this place years ago using a neutral colored white wire as the load wire. Was such a dumb thing to find out, marked both ends with black electrical tape since we can’t rip out all the drywall to replace it. It literally just wasn’t getting power because I saw neutral wire color and assumed it needed to be wired as a neutral, so no power was going down stream 😅
I need help with the gfci switch/outlet. My ground wire from the basement is too short to reach the connector. Can I run a copper wire from the basement and connect it to the other ground wires? The trip isn’t resetting on the outlet.
Does the outlet only have power when the switch is on? I wired as you showed and the outlet turns off when the switch is off. I like having a nightlight which works best when there is no light on in the first place
Your video was very helpful, but also told me what I was trying to do was not going to work. I only have a wiring that is two wires. No neutral or ground. How do I go about changing that so I can put in a switch and outlet?
I was wondering if I could use the swith to control the bottom receptacle? My string lights plug into the receptacle and want the switch to control it. 🤔
Question: I have the loop situation where you described around the 3 minute mark. Are there alternatives to this? Perhaps another configuration? Really want that outlet for a bidet. Thanks in advance!
The alternative is to find another power source. But if you have a high end bidet with a heated seat and heated water, then you definitely don’t want to wire it on a lighting circuit. It will absolutely cause your lights to flicker like a disco! Trust me, it happened to me. Have an electrician run a new circuit for you. I had to do that in my new house. It cost me $300 cash but it was money well spent.
I am changing a combo outlet to a gfci combo outlet. Once I Opened up the outlet it had a blue wire and a pig tailed black and white wire connected in the original outlet. Watching your video I have everything figured out but what to do with the blue wire and where to connect it
I show how to wire the switch so it controls the outlet in this video: ruclips.net/video/i_Dwokzgs8w/видео.html. It’s not a GFCI outlet, but the concept is the same.
Thanks for the video! Great info. Just a question, though... at 8:30, you say the light will work if the outlet trips. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of the receptacle? I just bought this gfci switch combo for a crawlspace because code says the lights need to be gfci protected.. but it seems that the light is not gfci protected with this receptacle if the outlet can trip but the switch can still work. Can you provide clarification on this? Thanks
For the switched light to be protected you need to wire neutral(white) that comes from the light and one of the black that comes out of the switch to the load screws(the ones taped yellow).
Thank you! One small issue on mine - I wired it up correctly and the light turns on, but the outlet won't reset and power on. Is the problem likely with the receptacle?
I have an issue with mine. In my box there are two hot and two neutrals. Each on different breakers. The way the old GFCI/Switch combo was wired was the switch wires coming out of the back of the outlet were just hooked into the hot/neutral from one breaker with wire nuts, these turn on my bathroom light. Then the hot/neutral from the other breaker were hooked into the screws on each side of the outlet and these powered the GFCI on the unit. Would you suggest hooking it up the same way it was previously hooked up? The way it was previously set up, when the GFCI failed, the light switch still worked.
It’s a bad practice to have two different circuits feeding the same box, but maybe your house has separate lighting circuits. When in doubt, replace it exactly.
@@handydadtv It's a much older house from the early 1930's. The Circuit the lights are on are older wires. The circuit the GFCI attached have newer wires.
Thank you for helping/showing me how to hook up a GFC combo. I Got a 20amp lt- swtch/gfc and was at a loss for clear direction in hooking up the light switch/ gfc on btm added back wires: on a orange hot , yellow neutral and red to lt/ switch /power. The other wire to share w line in/hot . Question?? I used a Wago 221 on the one red its #14 aluminum stranded to # 12 awg copper, tapped levers down and solid in box, should I use that anti corrosive-paste in the Wago?? The led light is low watt and all other connections are Tessa taped (good stuff). inside wall no humidity/dry. Or should I redo with a yellow good nut cap.. Thx in advance Lynn😉
This is such a common question that I guess I didn’t explain clearly enough in the video. You need a constant hot *and neutral* to power an outlet. If both of your wires are connected to the switch, you *do not* have a neutral so you can’t put an outlet there unless you run a new wire.
Is there a way to wire the switch outlet combo so the switch powers the outlet, plugging a water pump outside for my rain barrels, system would like to plug it in to the bottom outlet and be able to turn it on with the switch, I would get my power source from a existing outlet in the house on a exterior wall, please help, thank you
I installed one of these recently but in my wiring diagram the light came off the load side of outlet, light goes off when outlet tripped. Thoughts on which is correct?
There’s nothing wrong with that configuration, but GFCI protection is not required for hardwired fixtures. I prefer the light stays on if the outlet trips.
Great video on wiring the combo. Is there a way I can wire the combo so the switch portion powers on and off the receptacle portion? My intent is to plug in a tankless water heater and have the switch as a method of disconnect.
You can connect the hot to the switch and then the switch to the GFCI, but why spend the money on this combo device when you can just unplug the tankless water heater to disconnect it?
HandyDad, I have a yard with a porch light and switch. But no outlet to plug in my mower/tools. If properly covered, can this concept be used in an outdoor setting?
@@handydadtv Hey Great video! For the question above. Will wiring it this way still provide GFCI protection for what is plugged into the outlet? Also, I am looking for the switch to control only the outlet and for the outlets down the line to still work no matter what position the switch is in. Is this possible?
@user-sf7io1ok6m This outlet will always be protected. The downstream outlets will only be protected if wired from the LOAD terminals. But if you switch the LINE, the LOAD is also switched.
Hi…. Great video on the switch /gfi combo, but my problem is the wiring in the box I want to install it has a black, red, and white, all hot. I was able to get the switch working, but not the gfi. I tried every configuration to no avail. Any suggestions? Thank You."…
@@handydadtv Thanks for your reply. I was mistaken. I made a pig tail, and wired nutted that and one of the switch wires to the lead, and connected that to the brass screw on the gfi. Then I wired the other switch wire to the load and connected that to the brass screw on the switch. I connected the neutral to the silver screw on the other side of the switch. Connected the ground and success was achieved.
Great video but I have a question I’m working on a project where I need a gfci outlet for protection because it involves water but I’m also going to need a switch to turn the device on and off can I wire that outlet and switch together and if it trips just hit the reset button and the outlet and switch will be back to normal ?
This video is fantastic. Easy to follow and to the point. Thank you. Please forgive my ignorance if this is a dumb question. I have a non gfci version of this (switch for overhead light and outlet combo). It seems it is split wired with separate circuit for each. Its over a sink so Im trying to convert to the gfci version. Can I wire one circuits hot to one of the switch wires (to power the switch) and the other circuit hot to the outlet? If so, what do I do about the neutrals in this scenario?
First determine which circuit breakers control those two hots. Then turn them off so you can work safely. You can definitely use two separate hots with the GFCI combo switch since they are separated by default. Keep the neutrals same way they were (should be separate). One will go to the outlet. Not sure what the other one does.
I have a double switch I want to do this to. Can I bypass the one switch to keep my outlet hot all the time, then also wire this in as an extra outlet, and the top switch controlling an existing closet light? How would you wire something like this?
I have two wires coming into the box. Both of them have power when i test them. Not sure how to proceed. Trying to install this same combo for a bathroom light.
Thank you!! Great teacher!!! I also want to install crawspace lights. If i by string LED lights, can I cut the plug off and wire them directly to a switch? Is that okay as long as they are in a box and all the rest?
You need a voltage tester to verify, but you can usually derive the function of the wires by looking at the wiring of the previous switch. The whites are probably neutrals. The blacks are probably hots. And the red is probably a switch leg to the light or fan. But you need to VERIFY. I can’t possibly know for sure.
My son has a light switch just outside the bathroom. It is confusing especially when guest walk in and can't find the switch. I want to put the switch inside however the bathroom is small and where it needs to go is right in front of the shower stall. So if someone opens the shower door they could accidently touch the switch. My question is; Is the light switch GFI protected ? To me it appears not since you tested/tripped it and the light switch stays on.
I have no neutrals in my house. Hot and load and no ground. I have an old house. Can I just wire up the wires I do have to this same GFCI outlet using the provided instructions? Any special precautions needed since I have no neutral. I'm installing a GFCI since I have no ground.
You always have a neutral or you couldn’t complete a circuit. Ground wires only became code in 1971 so you probably have no ground. GFCI outlets will work without a ground but must have a neutral.
Hello, I have a 3-wire cable from the power source and a 2-wire cable coming from the light fixture. How would I hook up that scenario? Where would the red wire go on the GFCI-protected outlet?
I can’t answer exactly because I don’t know what your red wire is connected to. You need to use a voltage tester to determine the hot and neutral. You may not need the red wire at all.
Can the switch for the GFCI combo outlet be used to power the outlet? In other words, can the switch be used to turn on and off the bottom outlet? I have a pump for an outdoor fountain that is powered by an outdoor GFCI outlet. I would like to use the switch to turn the fountain pump on and off. Thanks!
Yes, you can wire the hot to one wire on the switch and the other wire to the LINE of the outlet. If it were me, I would use home automation to have the pump run automatically.
Can you come to Puerto Rico like now? 😂. This house came with a non working switch outlet gfi outlet. The switch part worked, but not the outlet. Inside the box are a neutral, ground, black, and red wires. I removed the old one before I found your video. Now I'm stuck. I need to determine which hot wire goes to load and which one goes to line and what to do with the switch leads.
If you have more than 2 neutral wires in the switch box, how do you know which 2 go to the light in question? In my scenario, I have bathroom where the toilet and tub are separated from the sink by a wall. There is 2 gang light switch next to the sink where 1 switch controls the sink light and the other switch controls the light where the toilet and tub are. I want to move the toilet/tub light switch to the other side of the wall so you can use the light when on the toilet/tub side. I want to use a GFCI light/outlet combo on the toilet/tub side of the wall, and convert the sink side to a single gang light switch that only controls the sink light. So my question is, how do I determine which neutrals go to which light. I know if I remove one and the light goes out, I know which ones GO to each light, but how do I determine the RETURN neutrals for each light?
Hypothetically, could this work to replace a normal outlet to have an outlet that also powers a light? My situation is I have a garage that doesn’t have an outside light, the closest power source is a outlet on the ceiling that only has a garage door opener plugged in and the other half the outlet I never use since it’s up on the ceiling.
@@handydadtv thank you so much. Turned out great! I was annoyed having an outlet that was only being used for a garage door opener, using this GFCI combo switch helped make the outlet to code and gave the outlet more of a purpose. I can’t tell you enough how much your videos have helped me; I bought a 1960s house a year ago so it’s needed a lot of work inside the house and the garage and your videos have been a life saver. You’re the best
I watched 3 videos about installing a combo outlet / switch, and yours was the only one that made sense to me. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
I agree
100% true. He made it so clear and easy to understand. Everyone else had a bunch of wires and a bunch of pigtails. But I do have a question, why are there two neutrals? I only have one neutral coming into my box.
@Perpetual_Prince There are two neutrals because one comes IN with the line and the other goes OUT to the load. If you only have one white wire, was it connected to the switch? If so, it IS NOT a neutral.
@@handydadtv hi! Yes it was connected to the switch, it’s an older home. Only have 2 black wires, and one white.. it has a switch combo outlet in there, and the outlet works when the light switch is turned on. But since it’s in the bathroom I wanted to install the GFCI combo.
Very clear instructions, thank you, thank you, thank you... I would have gone nuts trying to figure this thing out.
The instructions on the sheet manual is just too confusing what is what.
Also, I had done some pig tail for the neutrals, but when I saw you pushing these into the slots, that did the trick for me.
Genius!
You are the only one, not even Levinton has a video on this model. I quite like this switch/ plug, it is more stylish than the old style knobs.
Keep on GOING, HandyDad!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Seriously. I just ran myself out of swear words and had to call it a night. I think I can actually get this working tomorrow now.
@@decepi 😆
Thank you so much! You saved my bathroom! Your video was perfect for the wiring in my 1966 house.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Very helpful! Thank you so much. The diagram that came with the thing contradicted itself, so I'm glad to see someone wired this correctly and showed it working!!
Those diagrams can be hard to interpret.
This video was a complete lifesaver for me. Your explanations were excellent and so was your video presentation. Everything was clear.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Ty so much, My head almost exploded when I read the instructions that came with my switch outlet combo, you made it crystal clear
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Just bought my first house that was built in the 40s, managed to replace everything but a switch outlet combo in the bathroom. I spent hours trying to understand the wiring diagram and even put out a quote request for electricians, all of which were 200+ for one outlet. Thanks to this video we got it installed and working, you saved me money and the health cost of all that stress, thank you!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Hey, so it looks like the light isn't on the GFCI if it will work regardless of it being tripped. Can u show how to wire it so I can get both the light and the outlet to work on gfci?
That’s unnecessary and not recommended. Permanent fixtures do not need shock protection. Only outlets do. You wouldn’t want to be left in the dark if something trips the GFCI.
@@handydadtv I'm trying to fix another issue. Button on the jacuzzi tub stopped working, but is in the 'on' position. Want to use this as an alternative for tear out and replacement of the entire tub. Motor currently runs on a gfci.
@tool46372 So, currently you have a 20 amp breaker to an outdoor GFCI outlet where the jacuzzi is plugged in. But the jacuzzi switch is broken so you want to add a switch to the outlet instead so the jacuzzi will turn on when the switch is on. Is that correct?
Don’t jacuzzis need to run every day to filter the water? When would you ever leave the switch off?
Fantastic and easy to follow video. Watches about 3 or 4 and this was the best. Just installed the exact same outlet/switch combo by Leviton. Feels so good when you DIY and you don’t get electrocuted 😂
Cheers to that! 🍻
Your video is clear, concise and accurate. I got it done today because of your video. Thank You for your time
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thanks, so much. I had been struggling with a GFCI paddle switch/outlet combo. After looking at diagrams and failing, your video got me through safe and effective wiring. Cheers!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Perfect video for me, thank you sir. I got that exact model after another store ran out of stock on a different one. When I saw the two black wires out the back I was all messed up lol. I love that this model lets me plug in both of the white wires instead of just having a terminal where I have to add a third one and connect it to the other two. The old switch I was replacing had no ground (old house with just a light switch in the 1/2 bathroom) so I did a search and found out it is safe to wire this to a box with no ground wire in it. The GFCI still works and actually makes the outlet safer. Of course I blocked the third prong hole to remind people not to plug in a three prong electrical cord.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
I just found your GFCI video. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. In other videos I have watched, some steps were left out. You covered everything a person needs to know to install a GFCI Receptacle. Many thanks, again.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
You made this install a breeze! Since I only had 2 wires and neutral, the original instructions were overly complicated and difficult to interpret. Thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
I've done most of my electrical work for years but never put one of these in so I liked this video because it made it so much easier to know I was doing it right.
I had to replace the old wall sconces that had outlets because they were old and falling apart and also not GFCI. Now it's all safe and looks much better. Thank you so much for this video.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you so much. The instructions said to put the switch wire down to the load hot side and that kept flipping the gfci. I suspected that I could put it on the line side and you confirmed that for me... Perfect now. 🎉
Edit
For the record I know that the light is not gfci protected now, which would be a plus... But I'd rather have it that way than no gfci at all. I'll rewire the neutral side of the light later.
Glad it worked out for you. 👍🏻
Thanks for the video. Helped a lot. Had the same question about Leviton instructions saying to connect switch wire to load terminal.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thanks for the help! This was awesome. A mixture of your guide and some observation and intuition helped me figure out my situation. Thanks, dad!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
You can wire it so the switch is also in the protection mode. You would connect the incoming power from the panel to the LINE as normal (hot wire to the brass screw and neutral wire to the silver screw).Then the neutral wire from the light would go to the silver screw on the LOAD side. One of the switch wires would go to the brass screw also on the LOAD side. The other switch wire would connect to the hot wire from the light (wire nut or wago), and you're done. I believe that would do it.
Yes 👍🏻
Great video with Clear instructions. Appreciate the time and effort you make to educate.
My pleasure!
Great post! I used one of these in my Mother's home built in 1955, but it had no ground wire. I used the appropriate stickers which brought it to code for Michigan. Thank you for the very informative videos!
Thanks so much 😊
can a GFI switch plug be installed in a 3 way
I don’t think so.
Awesome video, I was tired of the switch-less light that had a drawstring to turn on like a basement in my bathroom. Now I can install a new light fixture too!
Yes you can! 🙌🏻
Thank you so much for giving us the best electric wiring outlet. Thank you again.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thank you. Very helpful and easy to follow!
Very much appreciated!
My pleasure!
You explained this so well and taught me how to find out which black cable went to the light
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
This is just what I needed and made this so easy for me. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Very concise video. Question: If the power source into the GFCI/Switch is old 2-wire with no ground and the rest of the circuit is 2-wire ROMEX with ground, what do you do with the ground wire in that box? Do you pigtail it to the ground screw of the GFCI/Switch, or do you just cap the ground wire?
Thank you for this video. You're a great teacher!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Thanks for this video. Good pace to the video and it made installation a breeze.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Perfect! Thank you so much, 1951 half bath remodel just about done!!
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Could you put a GFCI breaker in the panel for the switch and outlet?
Yes
This is such a clear video! We are trying to change a single switch with the Leviton GFSW1 gfci combo but there are three wires in the box since it's in the middle of the circuit run. We followed the instructions of Leviton for the three wire case, but now the original light doesn't work and the switch on the combo is controlling all the downstream outlets/switches, which we don't want. We want the switch to only control the original lighting fixture. Do you have suggestions of what we might have wired wrong? Will you make a video for the scenario that there are downstream outlets in the circuit? Thanks!
Sounds like you switched the LINE before it goes to the outlet.
@@handydadtv yes that's what happened! Thank you so much!
as others noted, the instructions and diagrams from Leviton don't work. 7:16 in solved my issue, putting a switch black line into the upper Line screw. Works! I am already a subscriber - huge thanks for having the solition.🎉🎉
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Need to do one with three way and switch and outlet
I’ll put it in the queue.
@@handydadtv❤
I have a switch box that is for the garbage disposal under the kitchen sink. There are a total of 3 sets of wires; white, black, and ground. Power in, line from switch to disposal;, and an outlet that is on the outside of the kitchen island. I need to change the switch to a GFCI combo switch/ outlet, because I am putting in an RO system that requires an outlet. My question is how to combine all of these to work. It seems that I could use the Wagos on the 3 grounds plus the pigtail to the combo switch. Wago connect the 3 neutrals with a pigtail to the one side of the combo switch/ outlet. What i am not certain of are the 3 blacks plus the 2 coming out of the combo switch? Please advise.
I got your email and replied with options.
Great video instruction. You are clear and direct in conveying information. Thanks!
Thanks so much 😊
I just replaced mine exactly the one you have in this video. I got the green light, but it wasn’t working then I watched this video and I did hook it up correctly but my test switch is not snapping like yours. It’s a brand new outlet is it defective?
You probably reversed the LINE and LOAD.
Awesome video. I only have line, neutral, and ground (1 line into my box) does the second black (switch) wire connect to line side of my gfci, you said the first one connects to the load side.???? 🤔💙
If you want the switched device to be protected, connect the switch lead to the LOAD screw. Otherwise, it can be connected to the LINE.
I'm trying to install this exact new switch to an existing very old wiring. My question is, do I connect the wire that was originally for the switch to the gold screw with the back black wire that's attached? Or do I connect the wire that was used for the outlet to the gold screw?
Never mind I got it
Glad you figured it out! Good job 👍🏻
I need to replace a regular duplex outlet with a gfci. I have one in stock with the switch that I will use, even though I don't need the switch. I ASSUME I'm safe to just get those two wires that are on it out of the way, which I'll do by twisting them together and putting a wire nut on them (to keep them from going some place they don't belong and shorting something out. They'll just be stuffed in the box unused. I won't just cut them off, as someone might later repurpose the device and want/need those wires. Am I good?
Why use the wrong device for a job? Return the combo and get a duplex GFCI, which is much cheaper btw.
I tried converting a secondary rocker light switch down the stairs in my garage to a full GFCI outlet. I think I capped off too many wires as the other main light switch that turns the garage lights on is not working. There were 4 wires on the rocker light switch; 2 black, one red and a copper ground. Only one of the black wires was hot so I capped off the other black and capped off the red which was not hot. The two white wires were wire nutted together in the box so I tool white wire coming out of the hot cable wire and attached it to the GFCI. I capped the other white neutral wire off. The GFCI outlet is working but I can't turn on or off the garage ceiling lights. Which other wires should I have connected to the GFCI? thanks, Steve H.
Hard to say. You need to figure out which wires are upstream vs downstream. Upstream (from the panel) brings power IN and it’s also called the LINE. Downstream sends power to other devices on the circuit. Also called the LOAD.
Can you install this GFCI combo if you still have Knob & Tube wiring in the Bathroom which has no ground?
Yes, but I couldn’t sleep at night if my house had knob and tube. Seriously… start rewiring one circuit at a time.
Great video - very helpful. However, I'm having one issue: when I push the GFCI test button, the light doesn't go off (the outlet does). Any thoughts? Thanks!
Probably reversed LINE and LOAD.
Excellent video. Worked perfect. Saw a similar video that led me in wrong direction. Looking forward to checking out more.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
I never comment but had to thank you for the video. Helped me out immensely.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
And glad I was your first comment. 🫶
So we can't protect the switch on the receptacle with the gfci on it? For example, couldn't I just connect the power wire to the line and then connect the switch wire to the load ? I ask because I need a gfci protection for my bath light fan for my bath light fan to be able to be wet rated but I was gonna get this particular combo receptacle to protect the bath light fan and also be able to turn the bath light fan on and off. Or will this not work? I was going to call leviton to double check until I saw your video...
Sure you can wire the switch off the LOAD terminal and your device will be protected.
Hey, so I'm going to hook this switch outlet up and the switch part will be powering a bathroom vent over my tub. So I think I should have that switch cut off when the outlet is cut off also for safety 🤔 basically will the switch cut out also when over loaded because I will need that. As un the video the light switch still worked when trip
You can do that.
@handydadtv yup I just watched your other video thanks. I just have to protect the switch because the vent is over my shower and your video was straight to the point. I'm a new follower now 👍
@fu1543 Thanks for subscribing! Welcome to the family!
Thanks for this very clear and informative video. As luck would have it, I'm trying to install the switch/GFCI outlet combo in a box that has just an existing switch, and there's no neutral wire in there - just 2 blacks and ground. Any suggestions or is this not possible?
Not possible without running a neutral. Unless you want to use a smart switch and smart bulb.
Hi, amazing video. Made it easy to install. How do I wire a GFI outlet to this. The GFI switch/outlet will be middle of the run, the gfi outlet that I want to add would then be end of the run.
This combo has LOAD terminals that you can connect additional outlets to and they’ll all be protected. No need for another GFCI.
@@handydadtv thank you but they are for the kitchen sink area.
@robertmastrodicasa5062 it doesn't matter where it ends up. If you wire it to the load side it becomes protected and is up to code.
@mand0c0mmand0 thank you.
This helped me get one hooked up, except it’s replacing an ollllld non gfci one and there is another set that of can lights and a light switch downstream that won’t work with it hooked up. Is there something special you have to change for downstream stuff to work? My understanding was the downstream was connected where the lines in the box are pigged and the pigs go to this. But now the downstream is getting nothing regardless of switch position.
It’s not something that can be diagnosed remotely. Unfortunately you’ll need a voltage tester and figure it out.
@@handydadtv that’s what we ended up doing. Chased the wire all the way back to the issue which was the previous DIY person who owned this place years ago using a neutral colored white wire as the load wire. Was such a dumb thing to find out, marked both ends with black electrical tape since we can’t rip out all the drywall to replace it. It literally just wasn’t getting power because I saw neutral wire color and assumed it needed to be wired as a neutral, so no power was going down stream 😅
Question. What are the bottom screws used for that has tape on them?
GFCI Outlet Wiring
ruclips.net/video/inpvNt6591E/видео.html
Why do the included instructions indicate to put that stranded wire on the wrong terminal?
I’m not sure what you mean. You can choose to power the switch from the line or load.
I need help with the gfci switch/outlet. My ground wire from the basement is too short to reach the connector. Can I run a copper wire from the basement and connect it to the other ground wires? The trip isn’t resetting on the outlet.
Try extending the short wire with a straight Wago connector.
Use a pigtail on the stranded black wire for a better connection at the line side of the GFCI?
If the wire needed to wrap around the screw, I would agree with you. But it’s perfectly safe because of the back-wire clamps on the screws.
Does the outlet only have power when the switch is on? I wired as you showed and the outlet turns off when the switch is off. I like having a nightlight which works best when there is no light on in the first place
Figured it out! I just had my black wires swapped.
Good job 👍🏻
Your video was very helpful, but also told me what I was trying to do was not going to work. I only have a wiring that is two wires. No neutral or ground. How do I go about changing that so I can put in a switch and outlet?
You need another power source.
I was wondering if I could use the swith to control the bottom receptacle? My string lights plug into the receptacle and want the switch to control it. 🤔
Yes you can do that. I show that method in this video: ruclips.net/video/i_Dwokzgs8w/видео.html
What do you suggest if the box only has 2 wires? One line one neutral?
If those wires are connected to the existing switch, the white wire IS NOT a neutral.
My switch has the "loop" wiring. Do I need to install a new box and run a new line from the panel just for it?
It doesn’t necessarily need a new circuit. Perhaps just another wire from the light.
Question: I have the loop situation where you described around the 3 minute mark. Are there alternatives to this? Perhaps another configuration? Really want that outlet for a bidet. Thanks in advance!
The alternative is to find another power source.
But if you have a high end bidet with a heated seat and heated water, then you definitely don’t want to wire it on a lighting circuit. It will absolutely cause your lights to flicker like a disco! Trust me, it happened to me. Have an electrician run a new circuit for you. I had to do that in my new house. It cost me $300 cash but it was money well spent.
I am changing a combo outlet to a gfci combo outlet. Once I Opened up the outlet it had a blue wire and a pig tailed black and white wire connected in the original outlet. Watching your video I have everything figured out but what to do with the blue wire and where to connect it
Blue is non-standard. You can try to figure it out or just re-connect it the same way it was.
With this combo switch, is the light attached to the switch now gfci protected as well? I’m looking to install a fan/light combo above my shower.
You can wire the switch to get power from the load screw. Then the light will be protected.
I want a switch to control the gfci outlet…ie the outlet is off when the switch is off. Would I just wire it like your example to the light?
I show how to wire the switch so it controls the outlet in this video: ruclips.net/video/i_Dwokzgs8w/видео.html. It’s not a GFCI outlet, but the concept is the same.
@@handydadtv perfect, thanks!
Is there a way to connect a GFCI combination switch and receptacle with a switch loop (only 2 wires)?
No, you need a neutral.
Thanks for the video! Great info. Just a question, though... at 8:30, you say the light will work if the outlet trips. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of the receptacle? I just bought this gfci switch combo for a crawlspace because code says the lights need to be gfci protected.. but it seems that the light is not gfci protected with this receptacle if the outlet can trip but the switch can still work. Can you provide clarification on this? Thanks
You can wire it either way.
For the switched light to be protected you need to wire neutral(white) that comes from the light and one of the black that comes out of the switch to the load screws(the ones taped yellow).
Thank you! One small issue on mine - I wired it up correctly and the light turns on, but the outlet won't reset and power on. Is the problem likely with the receptacle?
If it’s a brand new device, I highly doubt it’s defective. Make sure you have hot and neutral connected to the LINE screws.
@@handydadtv That did the trick, neutral was initially connected to LOAD
I have an issue with mine. In my box there are two hot and two neutrals. Each on different breakers. The way the old GFCI/Switch combo was wired was the switch wires coming out of the back of the outlet were just hooked into the hot/neutral from one breaker with wire nuts, these turn on my bathroom light. Then the hot/neutral from the other breaker were hooked into the screws on each side of the outlet and these powered the GFCI on the unit. Would you suggest hooking it up the same way it was previously hooked up? The way it was previously set up, when the GFCI failed, the light switch still worked.
It’s a bad practice to have two different circuits feeding the same box, but maybe your house has separate lighting circuits. When in doubt, replace it exactly.
@@handydadtv It's a much older house from the early 1930's. The Circuit the lights are on are older wires. The circuit the GFCI attached have newer wires.
@526colin Ah that makes sense. I would wire it the exact same way unless you want more work.
Thank you for helping/showing me how to hook up a GFC combo. I Got a 20amp lt- swtch/gfc and was at a loss for clear direction in hooking up the light switch/ gfc on btm added back wires: on a orange hot , yellow neutral and red to lt/ switch /power. The other wire to share w line in/hot . Question?? I used a Wago 221 on the one red its #14 aluminum stranded to # 12 awg copper, tapped levers down and solid in box, should I use that anti corrosive-paste in the Wago?? The led light is low watt and all other connections are Tessa taped (good stuff). inside wall no humidity/dry. Or should I redo with a yellow good nut cap.. Thx in advance Lynn😉
No need to add any anti-corrosive. Wagos are designed for different kinds of wire. All good.
You rock! Thx@@handydadtv
what if two black wires on fan switch are both hot when checked with proximity tester, seperated by 12"?
That doesn’t sound right.
I have a two wire coming out of the wall that was hooked to a light can I hook up to a gfci outlet with switch on a two wire line
This is such a common question that I guess I didn’t explain clearly enough in the video.
You need a constant hot *and neutral* to power an outlet. If both of your wires are connected to the switch, you *do not* have a neutral so you can’t put an outlet there unless you run a new wire.
my bathroom doesn't have outlet just a switch that turn on light and fan, do I need to replace cables? or just buy a switch combo and install ?
Watch this video again. I explain that you need a neutral wire to add an outlet.
Is there a way to wire the switch outlet combo so the switch powers the outlet, plugging a water pump outside for my rain barrels, system would like to plug it in to the bottom outlet and be able to turn it on with the switch, I would get my power source from a existing outlet in the house on a exterior wall, please help, thank you
Yes. Watch this.
ruclips.net/video/i_Dwokzgs8w/видео.html
my home is old like 100 year. The switch on/off light has 2 black wires. Can I do add another outlet or another switch?
You can’t.
My neutral has 3 wires, what do I do with the 3rd wire? I put a wire nut on it and turned the breaker on but it said open neutral on my outlet tester
You need to connect all the neutrals to the silver screw on the outlet using a short scrap of white wire (called a pigtail).
@ thank you
I installed one of these recently but in my wiring diagram the light came off the load side of outlet, light goes off when outlet tripped. Thoughts on which is correct?
There’s nothing wrong with that configuration, but GFCI protection is not required for hardwired fixtures. I prefer the light stays on if the outlet trips.
@@handydadtvthank you so much!
Great video on wiring the combo. Is there a way I can wire the combo so the switch portion powers on and off the receptacle portion? My intent is to plug in a tankless water heater and have the switch as a method of disconnect.
You can connect the hot to the switch and then the switch to the GFCI, but why spend the money on this combo device when you can just unplug the tankless water heater to disconnect it?
Embarrassed to admit my error😮
@jp3047 That’s what dad’s do best. Happy New Year!
@@handydadtv Thank you. Happy New Year!
HandyDad, I have a yard with a porch light and switch. But no outlet to plug in my mower/tools. If properly covered, can this concept be used in an outdoor setting?
This is intended to be an indoor switch so I’m not sure how long it would last outside, even if covered.
Just installed one of these. Question is, wouldn't I be able to put the light neutral and light hot on the load side?
You can if you think the light is a shock hazard.
Very informative video. How would you install this device so the switch controls the outlet?
Connect the hot wire to one switch lead and the other switch lead to the LINE screw.
@@handydadtv Hey Great video! For the question above. Will wiring it this way still provide GFCI protection for what is plugged into the outlet? Also, I am looking for the switch to control only the outlet and for the outlets down the line to still work no matter what position the switch is in. Is this possible?
@user-sf7io1ok6m This outlet will always be protected. The downstream outlets will only be protected if wired from the LOAD terminals. But if you switch the LINE, the LOAD is also switched.
Hi…. Great video on the switch /gfi combo, but my problem is the wiring in the box I want to install it has a black, red, and white, all hot. I was able to get the switch working, but not the gfi. I tried every configuration to no avail. Any suggestions? Thank You."…
Call a professional. They shouldn’t all be hot.
@@handydadtv Thanks for your reply. I was mistaken. I made a pig tail, and wired nutted that and one of the switch wires to the lead, and connected that to the brass screw on the gfi. Then I wired the other switch wire to the load and connected that to the brass screw on the switch. I connected the neutral to the silver screw on the other side of the switch. Connected the ground and success was achieved.
Great video but I have a question I’m working on a project where I need a gfci outlet for protection because it involves water but I’m also going to need a switch to turn the device on and off can I wire that outlet and switch together and if it trips just hit the reset button and the outlet and switch will be back to normal ?
Yes. Connect the hot to one of the switch wires and the other wire to the LINE on the outlet.
Ok I will do that and thank you for taking some of your time to answer our questions and teaching us I truly appreciate it
This video is fantastic. Easy to follow and to the point. Thank you. Please forgive my ignorance if this is a dumb question. I have a non gfci version of this (switch for overhead light and outlet combo). It seems it is split wired with separate circuit for each. Its over a sink so Im trying to convert to the gfci version. Can I wire one circuits hot to one of the switch wires (to power the switch) and the other circuit hot to the outlet? If so, what do I do about the neutrals in this scenario?
First determine which circuit breakers control those two hots. Then turn them off so you can work safely.
You can definitely use two separate hots with the GFCI combo switch since they are separated by default. Keep the neutrals same way they were (should be separate). One will go to the outlet. Not sure what the other one does.
I have a double switch I want to do this to. Can I bypass the one switch to keep my outlet hot all the time, then also wire this in as an extra outlet, and the top switch controlling an existing closet light? How would you wire something like this?
You need hot and neutral.
I have two wires coming into the box. Both of them have power when i test them. Not sure how to proceed. Trying to install this same combo for a bathroom light.
If you disconnect them and they both have power, call an electrician.
@@handydadtv Thanks for the reply. I think I might install a GFCI circuit breaker on that line instead.
@krislemmon6649 That’s a option, but you should still figure out why both lines are hot.
Thank you!! Great teacher!!! I also want to install crawspace lights. If i by string LED lights, can I cut the plug off and wire them directly to a switch? Is that okay as long as they are in a box and all the rest?
No that’s not appropriate. Just wire an outlet from the switch and plug them in.
Hello! I have one red wire, a set of black and white and a ground. Home built in 1964. Can you give a suggestion on how to wire this?
You need a voltage tester to verify, but you can usually derive the function of the wires by looking at the wiring of the previous switch. The whites are probably neutrals. The blacks are probably hots. And the red is probably a switch leg to the light or fan. But you need to VERIFY. I can’t possibly know for sure.
Wait a minute, is that GFCI outlet switched and controlled by the switch as well? or is the outlet always live/hot?
You can wire it either way.
My son has a light switch just outside the bathroom. It is confusing especially when guest walk in and can't find the switch. I want to put the switch inside however the bathroom is small and where it needs to go is right in front of the shower stall. So if someone opens the shower door they could accidently touch the switch. My question is; Is the light switch GFI protected ? To me it appears not since you tested/tripped it and the light switch stays on.
Lights do not need to be GFCI protected. Your switch just needs to be grounded to ensure nobody can get shocked by touching a screw.
That said, you can choose to wire the switch so it gets power from the load terminal on the GFCI. Then it will be protected.
I have no neutrals in my house. Hot and load and no ground. I have an old house. Can I just wire up the wires I do have to this same GFCI outlet using the provided instructions? Any special precautions needed since I have no neutral. I'm installing a GFCI since I have no ground.
You always have a neutral or you couldn’t complete a circuit. Ground wires only became code in 1971 so you probably have no ground.
GFCI outlets will work without a ground but must have a neutral.
Hello, I have a 3-wire cable from the power source and a 2-wire cable coming from the light fixture. How would I hook up that scenario? Where would the red wire go on the GFCI-protected outlet?
I can’t answer exactly because I don’t know what your red wire is connected to. You need to use a voltage tester to determine the hot and neutral. You may not need the red wire at all.
Just swapped out the GFCI outlets in the kitchen with GFCI with USB outlets included wife happy, life good 😅😅
Livin’ large! 😎
Can the switch for the GFCI combo outlet be used to power the outlet? In other words, can the switch be used to turn on and off the bottom outlet? I have a pump for an outdoor fountain that is powered by an outdoor GFCI outlet. I would like to use the switch to turn the fountain pump on and off. Thanks!
Yes, you can wire the hot to one wire on the switch and the other wire to the LINE of the outlet.
If it were me, I would use home automation to have the pump run automatically.
Can you come to Puerto Rico like now? 😂. This house came with a non working switch outlet gfi outlet. The switch part worked, but not the outlet. Inside the box are a neutral, ground, black, and red wires. I removed the old one before I found your video. Now I'm stuck. I need to determine which hot wire goes to load and which one goes to line and what to do with the switch leads.
Get a voltage tester. You’ll figure it out.
If you have more than 2 neutral wires in the switch box, how do you know which 2 go to the light in question? In my scenario, I have bathroom where the toilet and tub are separated from the sink by a wall. There is 2 gang light switch next to the sink where 1 switch controls the sink light and the other switch controls the light where the toilet and tub are. I want to move the toilet/tub light switch to the other side of the wall so you can use the light when on the toilet/tub side. I want to use a GFCI light/outlet combo on the toilet/tub side of the wall, and convert the sink side to a single gang light switch that only controls the sink light. So my question is, how do I determine which neutrals go to which light. I know if I remove one and the light goes out, I know which ones GO to each light, but how do I determine the RETURN neutrals for each light?
You need to figure it out with a voltage tester.
Can I use my old (1943) metal existing light switch electrical box for the Leviton GFCI switch/outlet combo?
Age doesn’t matter, but you need hot, neutral, and (ideally) ground. It will still work without a ground, but not as safe.
Hypothetically, could this work to replace a normal outlet to have an outlet that also powers a light?
My situation is I have a garage that doesn’t have an outside light, the closest power source is a outlet on the ceiling that only has a garage door opener plugged in and the other half the outlet I never use since it’s up on the ceiling.
Yes
@@handydadtv thank you so much. Turned out great! I was annoyed having an outlet that was only being used for a garage door opener, using this GFCI combo switch helped make the outlet to code and gave the outlet more of a purpose. I can’t tell you enough how much your videos have helped me; I bought a 1960s house a year ago so it’s needed a lot of work inside the house and the garage and your videos have been a life saver. You’re the best
Thanks so much 😊
I don't have a ground wire in the bathroom switch that I want to install this unit. Does that make a difference. House was built in NY 1985
If it’s a metal box, that’s probably your ground.
@@handydadtvif the box is grounded, will that ground the light fixture too?
Thanks, great explanation. Thank you again.
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Well that helped that I had the exact same outlet to install. Thanks for the instructional here
Glad it was helpful 👍🏻
Can that switch control the outlet itself?
Yes