Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet

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Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet

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Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet
Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet
2022-09-03 19:20:53
Model: HS200  
Hardware Version: V5
Firmware Version:

I'm attempting to replace a switch that controls the light over my kitchen sink with a Kasa smart switch. The existing switch is in an electrical box with an electrical outlet.  There's a black wire that connects to the outlet and another short black wire that runs from the outlet to the switch.  I'm assuming that the switch is drawing power from the outlet.  The issue I have is that there is no white wire connected to the switch. Rather, the white wire is connected to the outlet. Since there's no white wire connected to the switch does it mean that I won't be able to install the smart switch?

 

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Re:Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet
2022-09-09 16:07:01 - last edited 2022-09-09 16:16:00

  @SDBG Well, there is never white wire (Neutral) connected to a conventional switch. 
However in your picture, see the black wire on your lower terminal - if you follow that back to you will see that it goes into a Romex, along with a Neutral wire that goes to your Outlet. This pair is most likely your Load Wire. The Neutral for the Load (light) is essentially using the Outlet as a connector block to couple it through. 

And similarly for your Line Wire - Following the Black wire from the Top terminal of your switch, it couples into the Outlet in similar fashion, picking up the Line Wire via the Outlet that is fed directly from the Input Romex

The short answer is YES, you can connect your Smart Switch here, connecting to those white wires on the Outlet. (It is probably cleaner to connect all the whites with a wire nut) 

 

p.s. that is a 20A outlet being used on what appears to be a 15A circuit! (14AWG wiring) 

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Re:Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet
2022-09-09 16:42:37

  @DEcosse Thanks so much for responding. Yes, I can confirm everything you said, although I just want to make sure I understand what you said about connecting the neutral wires together. So, I would detach the two neutral wires from the outlet and connect them together with the neutral wire from the smart switch with a wire nut (three white wires connected together)?  Therefore, there would be no white wires connected to the outlet at all, correct? Thank you!

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Re:Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet
2022-09-09 16:49:50 - last edited 2022-09-09 17:00:59

  @SDBG Almost - you also need to connect a short white pigtail from the wire nut to the Outlet. 

So you have 4 wires in the wire nut - the two from the Romex (currently in the Outlet), the Smart Switch Neutral and a new short pigtail to the Outlet. 

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Re:Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet
2022-09-09 16:56:38

  @DEcosse Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks for all your help! I'm toed up today but will try connecting everything tomorrow morning. 

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Re:Installing Kasa Switch Powered From an Electrical Outlet
2022-09-09 17:01:19
Good Luck!
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