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J Burns

On 9/8/10 4:16 PM, wrote:
I live in an old house and the light in the bedroom has a pull string
and not a switch. I wanted a switch so I found the outlet nearest the
door and I removed the outlet and replaced it with a switch. Its kind
of low to the floor for a switch (about 18 inches), but thats better
than no switch at all. There were 2 wires in there, one black one
kind of a gray color. I put one wire on each screw on the switch.
Then I bought a switch cover because the outlet cover would not fit on
the switch. Whenever I turn on the switch, the fuse blows. I have
bought 3 boxes of fuses this week alone and that's getting expensive.
I even tried a larger fuse after the hardware store guy told me to try
a 30 instead of a 15. He said I'd get twice as much power. Them
fuses blows too when I turn on the switch. I then tried reversing the
wires on the switch screws, but it still blows the fuses.

Is the problem because the switch is too low to the floor?
What should I do?

Thank You.
Mark Lesko

You have a short circuit. I've had a short circuit with an outlet four
feet from the floor. You can make the circuit longer by using an outlet
farther from the door, not the floor.