What if I have 2 black wires
The two black wires connecting to the black leading to the switch are supplying power to the switch/dimmer. The blue wire from the switch connected to the other black wire is the switched-hot going to the light. The green wire is the ground.
Why are there 2 wires to my light switch
A standard 2-wire lighting circuit is shown in Figure 1. The brown wire is Live (also know as permanent live), this brings the live supply to the switch. The blue wire is known as the Switched Live and takes power to the light. Switched Live is only live when the switch is on (this is where it gets its name from).
Which wire is hot if both are black
The red wire is positive. The black wire is negative. The white wire (if present) is ground (sometimes called neutral in DC). If both wires are black but one has a white stripe, the striped wire is negative, while the plain black wire is positive.
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Why are both black wires hot
The black wire is the "hot" wire, it carries the electricity from the breaker panel into the switch or light source. The white wire is the "neutral" wire, it takes any unused electricity and current and sends it back to the breaker panel.
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How do you wire a light with two black wires
To wire a light fixture with two black wires, you have to connect the two black wires from the electrical box after wiring the two white wires. Twisting an orange wire nut onto all three wires will be helpful here. The color coding differs in different nations due to varying electrical standards.
Can you wire nut two black wires together
Line up the two black hot wires from the electrical box with the black wire from the NM cable so that the ends are even. Twist them together with a wire nut. Do the same for the white neutral wires. The ground wire does not need a pigtail, as it can be connected directly to the new receptacle.
What happens if you connect the wrong wires in a light switch
But here's the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work, but the polarity will be backward. When this happens, a lamp, for example, will have its bulb socket sleeve energized rather than the little tab inside the socket.
How do you wire a light fixture with two black wires
To wire a light fixture with two black wires, you have to connect the two black wires from the electrical box after wiring the two white wires. Twisting an orange wire nut onto all three wires will be helpful here. The color coding differs in different nations due to varying electrical standards.
Does it matter which wire goes where on a light switch
What color wire goes where on a light switch Because the switch terminals are interchangeable, it doesn't matter which wire you put on each.
Why are both my wires hot
If you test the wire to see if voltage is present with a voltage probe, both wires will show hot when the switch is on and a bulb is screwed into the socket. This is because there is voltage on the neutral (white) wire being fed across the load of the bulb.
What happens if you connect the wrong wires on a light fixture
But here's the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work, but the polarity will be backward. When this happens, a lamp, for example, will have its bulb socket sleeve energized rather than the little tab inside the socket.
Will a light switch work if wired wrong
If a light switch is wired up wrongly, a short circuit may takes place if you give phase and neutral to the switch terminals. Always connect neutral wire to the one terminal of the light and phase to the one terminal of the switch and off wire to the other terminal of the switch to the light other terminal.
What are the 2 black wires in light wiring
Two black wires are what you'd expect to see with a switch leg. That is what its called when the black wire up at the light fixture is interrupted and a pair of wires called a Switch Leg goes down to a wall switch. One wire goes in the top of the switch, the other into the bottom.
Why do I have 2 black wires and 1 white wire
One wire is the power to the switch and the other wire goes to the light.
Can wiring a light switch wrong cause a fire
The good news is there are fairly clear warning signs of a failing light switch, letting you know when you'll need to replace it. And, it's important to be able to recognize these signs, as a faulty light switch poses a fire hazard in addition to being frustrating to use!
How do I know if my light switch is wired wrong
Signs It's Time To Replace Your SwitchYour lights don't turn on, take a minute to turn on, or flicker, and putting a new bulb in doesn't fix it. It's common that some bulbs, like the incandescent tube lights, take a minute to turn on.The switch makes noise.Sparks.It's warm to the touch.
What happens if you mix up hot and neutral wires on light fixture
What happens if you mix up the hot and neutral wires If you mix up the hot and neutral wires, your circuit will not work. The appliance or light will not turn on, and you may even trip a circuit breaker.
What happens if light fixture is wired wrong
But here's the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work, but the polarity will be backward. When this happens, a lamp, for example, will have its bulb socket sleeve energized rather than the little tab inside the socket.
Does it matter if you wire a light switch backwards
If you wire a single-pole switch wrong, the light won't come on at all. If you wire a 3-way switch wrong, you may be able to turn the light on from one switch, but not the other. It's important to review how to wire a switch before attempting this project.
What happens if you wire a switch wrong
But here's the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work, but the polarity will be backward. When this happens, a lamp, for example, will have its bulb socket sleeve energized rather than the little tab inside the socket.
What is a secondary hot wire
Red wires are also hot wires and in a 240-volt installation, are sometimes used as secondary hot wires. These are used to interconnect smoke detectors, so that if one alarm goes off, all the others do as well.
What happens if you connect 2 hot wires
Two hots of same circuit – nothing should happen.
What happens if you reverse hot and neutral wires on a light switch
For example, the metal socket of a lamp connects to the neutral wire and should not give you a shock with proper wiring. With reverse polarity, the hot wire feeds electricity into the socket and you'll get zapped if you touch it. Inexpensive circuit analyzers will let you know whether an outlet is wired correctly.
Can I connect 2 black wires with a red wire
You can if you are using the red wire to extend the length of the black wire or are branching off the black wire. The wires must be the same gauge. And of course the splicing must take place in a junction box. However the wires must be connected to the same breaker.
What happens if you wire black and white backwards
Watch out: Reversed polarity on an electrical outlet is dangerous. If you accidentally reverse these wires the device you plug in to the receptacle may "work" but it is unsafe and risks a short circuit, shock, or fire.
