Table of Contents
Does it matter where the hot wire goes on a switch?
If your switch has a “LINE” marking, the always hot wire goes to this. The other connection will be “LOAD” where the load (ie light fixture) is wired. The load wire may have red electrical tape on it to differentiate.
Does it matter which wire goes to which screw on a light switch?
The white (neutral) wire connects to the silver screw, or you place it in the back wire hole on the same side of the device as the silver screw. The black (hot) wire goes to the brass screw or into the hole in the back of the device on the same side as the brass screw.
Does it matter how you wire a single pole switch?
In the case of a single-pole switch, these wires are interchangeable—it doesn’t make any difference which wire is attached to which screw terminal. Usually, it’s a simple matter of pigtailing the switch’s grounding screw to the circuit grounding wires.
What happens if you leave the neutral wire in a circuit?
The neutral wire is connected to ground at the breaker box, which is connected to physical ground nearby. If you switch the hot line and leave the neutral, then the whole device will be at neutral potential. That’s OK. If you switch the neutral, then the whole device will be at hot potential.
What is the difference between the hot and neutral wire?
The hot carries the electricity into the light while the neutral carries it out. In light fixtures, the electricity should flow into the fixture from the base of the lamp socket and out through the metal threads where the light bulb screws in. A light fixture’s hot wire carries electricity into the fixture.
What does a yellow wire mean on a light switch?
Yellow wires are used as switch legs to ceiling fans, structural lights, and outlets paired with light switches, while blue wires are usually used as travelers for three-or-four-way switches. The colors white and gray indicate a neutral wire. That means it connects to an electrical panel’s neutral bus bar.
What color should the neutral wire be on LED light fixtures?
Light fixtures manufactured in the United States must follow the color-coding rules established by the NEC. However, the NEC has only one requirement, and that is that the neutral wire must be white or gray. Most North American manufacturers make the hot wire black and the ground wire green, but they don’t have to.