How to bypass a wall switch for constant power
Standard wall switches cut power to fixtures, which prevents ceiling fans or outlets from receiving the continuous electricity they need. Homeowners bypass this by permanently connecting the hot wires inside the box so the switch is effectively eliminated while the wall plate remains in place.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using a Shabbat switch cover to physically block the switch
- 2Splicing wires together behind the switch with a wire nut to maintain constant power
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“This 15-amp receptacle was connected to a light switch, and I want it to have constant power instead of relying on the light switch for power. I want the light switch to control a light fixture instead.”source ↗
“Basically I want to eliminate the switches all together, I want to leave them on the wall just to look like something is there but I do not want them to operate, in other words if somebody comes inside and tries to turn off the fans switching the wall switch it will not turn off.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to figure out what an unswitched wall light is connected to
- 2Why does turning off the light switch turn off the outlet?
- 3Is it safe to cap and abandon a neutral wire for a standard switch?
- 6How to swap the order of wall light switches
- 4Why does my electrical outlet only work sometimes?
- 2Why isn't my new timer switch working after wiring it up?