I live in a 1954 vintage house. I want to replace a wall switch in a hallway with a receptacle. I removed the cover plate on the switch and I saw a red coated wire and a black coated wire connected to the switch. The white wire was capped off. I assume that both the black and red wires are "hot" and I should connect one or both to the hot side of the receptacle (brass screws). I should un-cap a white coated wire and connect it to the neutral side of the receptacle. If I use only one hot wire, i.e. the black one then should I cap the red wire? The house is wired with copper and most of the receptacles are not grounded so this particular one won't be either. I had rather not remove the box and re-wire the thing. If I have to do that, I might as well get an electrician out here.

 

depends on how the house is wired.

from your description, it sounds like you would have to rewire in the light box too. more than likely, in the light box, you will find a connection of black to black, white to the light and a red to the other side of the light.

UNLESS this is a light switch that is a three way, then life gets complicated

 

If you have a meter, turn switch to off position. identify the hot by touching meter leads from a ground wire (green) or bare wire to one of the wires on switch, ounce identified uncap white wire put meter leads between the hot wire on switch an white wire if you have 120 volts your done. if not take light fixture down connect white wire to white wire and check again.

 

Use a meter to be sure.......my parents house was old and wired strangely.

 

As others have said, USE A METER.

I remodeled a house close to your vintage and ended up ripping every strand of wire out and replacing it. They used whatever they had laying around, and it made no sense at all, for instance, on one switch, the red was neutral, the next one it was the hot.

 

Rewiring also...back then they seemed to just use whatever was lying around and fit the need at the time. I even found a flex radiator hose in place of a plumbing under the sink "p" trap. When in doubt use a meter and shut the breaker off....if there is one.

 

You can get a switch that has a plug along with it. uses a plug cover plate. Kill the power, move one wire over at a time and you should still be able to use the light and have a plug. The white may or may ne be connected. That's the nuetral. not needed with a switch. The switch is basically breaking the hot wire going to the bulb.

Your main thing is you need to know if you have a good nuetral or not.

Example is http://64.239.63.88/catalog/ then look in the index for switches, then comercial combination devices, on page E13 it looks like.

this is cooper wiring devices btw.