outdoor socket/outlet?

Sure, they exist. Though by necessity they are only two-pronged, so aren't "safe" for outside applications (or in, for that matter).

You'll have better luck just going to the good sized home improvement store and checking out the lighting and/or electrical section. You'll find them.

You can also find little gizmos that have an outlet on the side, and further up still have a light socket.

As far as safety, it depends. As far as proper code-compliant expert-electrician-opinions go, it's certainly not safe. There's no ground, no possibility for a GFCI to operate, likelihood of a wall-wart type transformer falling out and hitting somebody if the socket is facing down, and no protection against moisture. Oh, and you won't have a light, so somebody could trip and break something important.

In the real world, it should be just fine, as long as it's reasonably protected from moisture and weather, it's properly secured so nothing falls out, and everything is kept away from small, curious hands. Of course, if the transformer has a polarized plug (one prong bigger than the other), you are probably out of luck. I've yet to see an adapter that had a polarized socket. Doesn't mean they don't exist, and (licensed electricians please look away) you can always file down the bigger prong with ill effects extremely unlikely for this setup.

Check out these sites:

Still, you might want to consider getting a good electrician to install an outlet somewhere around that area, and keep your porch light as a porch light. An honest electrician won't charge much, and you'll have a handy outlet for Christmas lights or whatever.

CS

A GFCI would operate but they're not usually found on lighting circuits. You *could* still have a light (if the whole mess still fits) if you get one of the ones with another socket on the end. Otherwise I agree, it's a pretty crude setup.

Depends on your idea of "not much" and the chances of finding an "honest electrician". ;-)

>

I've had four 'electricians' who worked on my house in the past 5 years.

First one only had one, simple job to do. It was a rush job to remove wiring for an electric stove that looked like it was installed by a blind monkey. I was too chicken out to mess with it. He did the job, and I can't say he overcharged. Large corporate company.

Two others were hopefully not the licensed, experienced type. The 'work' they did was likely, at best, to start a fire. Scary stuff. These jobs were part of other work, such as remodeling bathrooms and kitchen, and installing new wiring and equipment for the pool.

The last, and only electrician who will ever work on the wiring in my house again, is both honest and highly competent. He does charge a tad more than others, but since this means my house doesn't burn down or folks don't die horribly from electrocution, I consider this a bargain.

I learned the hard way to make sure contractors actually work in the field I'm hiring them for. In hindsight, having the same guy hang drywall, lay tile, and fuss around with 70 year old wiring was probably not the brightest decision I've ever made.

CS

>>

The reason I do such work myself. If the walls are down electrical work is easy. If they're not an electrician is going to cost enough that they should be.

Why don't you DIY?

I have the same guy do all that too. Me.

> >>

I'll do it myself if:

I know what the hell I'm doing, and; I don't have to crawl under the house or inside the attic.

I rewired my pool equipment, garage, and a few other odds and ends. However, if something funky is going on, such as when the metal frame of the porch light somehow got connected to the hot line even though it was wired properly, I call in the expert. With the porch light, it was another light on the circuit that was miswired. Not sure what all happened, but once the faulty light was unplugged, the problem was solved. Such is life in a 70 year old house.

I love doing my own work on the house, but I know my limits.

I suck at hanging drywall, tile, and a few other tasks I'd rather not devote much time to learning, so if it's one of those, or if it requires expensive tools, it just makes sense to hire somebody to do it.

CS

If I don't know what I'm doing, I will before I'm done. ;-)

Ok, you got me there. I have an unfinished basement in my current house and the there is no access to the attic.

I hear you, but I'd still try hard to find it myself, long before an electrician would/could show up.

Limits? ;-) I don't do roofing; too much like work and it involves climbing on the roof. ;-) Other than that I've done just about everything and what I didn't I should have.

Hanging it is easy. Taping is a little harder. I suck at taping. It takes forever to get it right. It's not easy to find someone to do small jobs though.

Tile is hard work, but not particularly difficult, particularly floors (gravity is on your side ;). Any specialized tools are paid by my labor on the first job. I've done three bathrooms, a laundry (including walls), and two closets in my current house and a tub surround for a friend. The wet saw was paid for on the first job. The other tools are incidental and used for other projects.

OTOH, I was a salaried employee so my time outside work wasn't worth anything. I retired last year, so my time was worth even less. I recently unretired to do contract/consulting so my time is much more valuable these days. I wouldn't do any major projects at home given what I'm being paid to work (nothing to do with the fact I'm working

600+ miles from home;).