To wire a combination outlet where the switch controls a separate light and the receptacle stays always-hot, you must break the brass connecting fin on the hot side, land the line black wire on the bottom brass screw, the switched black wire on the top brass screw, the white neutral on the silver screw, and the bare ground on the green screw. For a standard residential lighting and receptacle circuit, use a 15A rated device (like the Leviton 5243) with 14 AWG copper wire on a 15A breaker, or a 20A rated device (like the Leviton 5643) with 12 AWG copper wire on a 20A breaker.

Mains Safety & Tool Requirements

WARNING: LETHAL VOLTAGE PRESENT. Working inside an electrical box exposes you to 120V AC mains voltage, which can cause fatal electrocution or arc flash burns. You must de-energize the circuit at the main service panel, apply a lockout/tagout device to the breaker, and verify the wires are dead with a known-working non-contact voltage tester and a multimeter before touching any conductors. NEC-style guidance requires proper grounding and bonding; your local AHJ has final authority on code compliance.

A combination outlet (often called a combo device) packs a single-pole toggle switch and a standard duplex receptacle into a single-gang footprint. Because you are terminating both a permanent hot feed and a switched load, your box must contain a line (hot), a neutral, a ground, and a switched leg. This typically requires either two 14/2 NM-B cables entering the box (one for power in, one for the light out) or a single 14/3 NM-B cable if wired as a switch loop.

  • Device: Leviton 5243 (15A) or Eaton 47222 (15A) combination switch/receptacle.
  • Wire: 14 AWG solid copper THHN or 14/2 NM-B (for 15A circuits); 12 AWG for 20A circuits.
  • Breaker: 15A (for 14 AWG) or 20A (for 12 AWG) single-pole breaker.
  • Strippers: Klein Tools 11055 (10-18 AWG) to strip exactly 3/4" of insulation.
  • Meter: Fluke 117 or equivalent CAT III True-RMS multimeter.
  • Connectors: Ideal 33-104 In-Sure push-in connectors or standard wire nuts for 14 AWG pigtails.
  • Screwdriver: #2 Robertson (square) and #1 Phillips for terminal screws.
  • Needlenose Pliers: For bending wire hooks and snapping the brass break-off fin.

Combination Outlet Terminal Mapping

The most critical physical feature of a combination outlet is the metal break-off fin (or tab) located between the two brass hot terminals. On a standard duplex receptacle, this fin allows a single hot wire to feed both the top and bottom plugs. On a combo device, this fin bridges the switch's input and the receptacle's hot input. Understanding how to manipulate this fin dictates whether the switch controls the light, the outlet, or both.

The table below maps the exact terminal destinations for the most common and useful configuration: The switch controls a separate overhead light, while the receptacle remains always-hot (ideal for bathrooms, garages, and workshops).

Terminal Function Screw Color & Location Wire Color (14/2 NM-B) Fin Status (Always-Hot Outlet) Torque Spec (Approx)
Line / Hot Feed Brass (Bottom) Black (Pigtail from Line) Intact (Feeds receptacle half) 14 in-lbs
Switched Load Brass (Top) Black (to Light Fixture) Broken (Isolates switch) 14 in-lbs
Neutral Return Silver (Side) White (Pigtail from Neutrals) N/A (No fin on neutral) 14 in-lbs
Equipment Ground Green (Bottom/Back) Bare Copper / Green N/A 10 in-lbs

Note: If your goal is for the switch to control the receptacle itself (e.g., a half-hot switched lamp plug), you leave the brass fin intact, land the line black on the bottom brass screw, and cap off the top brass switch terminal. The silver and green terminals remain identical.

Step-by-Step Wiring: Switch Controls Light, Outlet Always Hot

Follow these steps precisely. Do not skip the pigtailing phase; attempting to daisy-chain wires directly through the device's single terminal screws violates NEC box fill and terminal connection limits.

  1. De-energize and Verify Dead: Turn off the 15A or 20A breaker at the panel. Insert your Fluke 117 probes into the existing outlet (or touch to the bare wires) to confirm 0.0V AC. Test the non-contact voltage tester on a known live circuit first to ensure its battery is good, then test the target wires.
  2. Prepare the Pigtails: Cut three 6-inch lengths of 14 AWG solid copper wire (one black, one white, one bare). Strip exactly 3/4" of insulation from both ends of the black and white pigtails using your Klein strippers. Do not nick the copper conductor.
  3. Pigtail the Neutrals: Gather all white neutral wires in the box (the line neutral and the light fixture neutral). Add your white pigtail. Twist them clockwise and secure with a wire nut or push-in connector. Never land more than one wire under the silver terminal screw.
  4. Pigtail the Grounds: Gather all bare/green ground wires, including the metal box ground (if applicable) and your bare pigtail. Secure with a wire nut. Leave the pigtail end straight for the green screw.
  5. Break the Brass Fin: Look at the hot (brass) side of the Leviton 5243. You will see a small metal tab connecting the top and bottom brass screws. Grip this tab firmly with your needlenose pliers and bend it back and forth until it snaps off completely. Discard the metal shard. This isolates the switch circuit from the receptacle circuit.
  6. Terminate the Ground: Bend a small J-hook in the bare ground pigtail. Loop it clockwise around the green ground screw. Tighten until the wire is seated flush and the screw is snug (approx. 10 in-lbs). Push the bare wire neatly into the back of the box.
  7. Terminate the Neutral: Bend a J-hook in the white neutral pigtail. Loop it clockwise around the silver screw. Tighten firmly. Ensure no bare copper is exposed outside the terminal saddle.
  8. Terminate the Line Hot (Always-Hot): Identify the black wire bringing constant power into the box. Connect it to your black pigtail using a wire nut. Bend a J-hook in the black pigtail and land it on the bottom brass screw. This feeds constant power to the receptacle half of the device.
  9. Terminate the Switched Leg: Identify the black wire leading up to the light fixture. Strip 3/4" if not already prepped. Bend a J-hook and land it on the top brass screw. This wire will only carry 120V when the toggle switch is flipped ON.
  10. Secure the Device: Carefully fold the wires into the back of the single-gang box. Neutrals and grounds go deep in the back; hots fold over the top. Drive the top and bottom mounting screws into the box ears. Use a torpedo level to ensure the strap is perfectly plumb before tightening.

Verification and Meter Testing

Do not simply flip the breaker and plug in a phone charger. Professional verification ensures the ground fault path is intact and the switch logic is correct.

Pro-Tip: If you are using a GFCI combination device (like the Leviton 7299), you must press the "TEST" and "RESET" buttons after energizing to verify the internal ground-fault logic is active. Standard combo devices do not have this feature.
  1. Energize: Remove lockout/tagout and flip the breaker to ON.
  2. Receptacle Voltage Test: Set your multimeter to V AC. Insert the black probe into the hot (short) slot of the receptacle and the white probe into the neutral (long) slot. Expected Reading: 120V (acceptable range: 114V - 126V). If you read 0V, your bottom brass screw connection is loose or the breaker is tripped.
  3. Ground Reference Test: Move the white probe from the neutral slot to the round ground hole. Expected Reading: 120V. If you read 0V here but 120V on the neutral test, your equipment ground is floating—a severe shock hazard. De-energize and check the green screw and box bonding.
  4. Switch Continuity/Load Test: Plug a receptacle tester or a small lamp into the outlet to confirm it stays on regardless of the switch position. Flip the toggle switch ON. The overhead light should illuminate. Flip it OFF; the light should die, but the receptacle must remain powered.

The Most Common Wiring Botch (and How to Fix It)

The Botch: Forgetting to snap off the brass connecting fin between the two hot terminals.

The Symptom: You turn on the overhead light switch, and the light works. However, when you turn the switch OFF to leave the room, the receptacle also loses power. If you have a freezer, sump pump, or critical tool plugged into that combination outlet, it just lost power because it was accidentally wired in series with the lighting circuit. Furthermore, because the fin bridges the line and the load, turning the switch ON backfeeds 120V into the light fixture's hot wire from two different paths, which can cause flickering or premature ballast/driver failure in LED fixtures.

The Fix: De-energize the circuit at the breaker and verify dead. Pull the device out of the box. Locate the brass side. If the metal tab between the top and bottom brass screws is still present, grip it with needlenose pliers and snap it off. Ensure the break is clean and no sharp metal burrs are protruding that could short against the metal box or ground wire. Push the device back in, re-energize, and re-test.

For comprehensive safety standards regarding receptacle wiring and grounding, refer to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) NEC guidelines. For specific torque and terminal mapping data, always cross-reference the manufacturer's spec sheet, such as the Leviton 5243-W product documentation. For lockout/tagout and electrical safety procedures on the jobsite, consult OSHA's electrical safety standards.