Usually this is because one wire is supplying the power and the other wire is tied into it in order to take the power on to be used elsewhere. Another way this is accomplished is that the two wires, plus a third “a pig tail” are all tied together with a wire nut and the pig tail goes to the switch.
Why does my light switch have 2 load wires?
It does not have “two load wires”, it has one for the incoming “live” (aka “line” or “hot”) and the other is the switched “load” wire, that delivers switched power to the device being controlled… The reason it says “Live/Load” is because it does not matter which is used for either purpose.
Why does my switch have 2 black wires?
STEP 3: Identify the terminal and ground wires.
Observe the layout of the wires. You should see two black wires, each connecting to a different screw on the side of the switch. These are called terminal screws. You will also see two white (neutral) wires that connect to one another in the box.
Why does my light switch have 2 black wires and 1 red?
This appears to be a conventional switch configuration. The white wire carries the neutral on to the outlet that is switched. One of the black wires is the hot. The other is an extension of the hot to some other fixture or to one half of the switched outlet.
What is 2 on a light switch?
Standard 2 Way Switch Wiring
The L1 terminals of both the switches are connected to line (or phase or live) of the AC Supply. The L2 terminals of both the switches are connected to one terminal of the light bulb, while the other terminal of the light bulb is connected to the neutral of the AC power supply.
Why do I have 2 line wires?
There are 2 sets of wires because you (someone) is just using the GFCI outlet as a tie point to provide un-proteced power down stream to another outlet, switch, light, etc.
Why do I have 2 hot wires?
The reason for multiple hot/neutral wires for one outlet is that the outlets are daisy-chained together. This means hot/neutral is only coming from one of the wires and it is being sent to the other wire.
Which wire is hot if both are black?
Here’s a rundown of electrical wires: 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.
Why does my light switch have two black wires and two white wires?
So, why are there two black and two white wires in your outlet box? There are two black and two white wires in an outlet box because the outlet is in the middle of a series circuit, accepting power from another source and sending it on. Two cables are hot wires, bringing the power in and carrying it onward to the next.
How do you wire a switch with two white and two black wires?
Take your always hot black and put it on your light switch, than take the other black in that box and put it on the light switch. Take your white that is in the same cable as your always hot black and wire nut it with your other white. Now go up to your light box.
Why does my ceiling light have two black wires?
If you end up with a fixture with two black wires, you can examine the texture first. Some fixtures with black wires have one smooth wire and one that has a ribbed texture. If this is the case, the ribbed wire is neutral and connects to the white wire in the ceiling.
What do you do with a neutral wire in a light switch?
The neutral wire allows the completion of the circuit and the switch to have power even when it’s turned to the off position when you want the lights off. Without this neutral wire in place, the circuit is broken any time the switch is now in the off position. It remains has power when the switch is in the On Mode.
Why would a black and white wire be together?
Why are black and white wires connected together in the switch outlet? If you see both sides connected together, it means it’s a switch loop. The white wire that’s connected to the black wire carries power to the switch. And the black wire that’s in the same cable carries back that switched power to the outlet.
What happens if you wire light 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 do you do with the white wire on a light switch?
The white or neutral wire bypasses the switch and goes straight to your lights. This wire is needed to complete the circuit. The ground wire (sometimes in a green jacket) should be connected to your switch and to your lights.
Which wire is hot when both are same color?
In most modern fixtures the neutral wire will be white and the hot wire is red or black. In some types of fixtures, both wires will be the same color. In this case, the neutral wire is always identified by some means. In some cases, there will be small writing on the wiring case.
What happens if you mix up the hot and neutral wires?
This happens when the hot and neutral wires get flipped around at an outlet, or upstream from an outlet. Reversed polarity creates a potential shock hazard, but it’s usually an easy repair. Any $5 electrical tester will alert you to this condition, assuming you have a properly grounded three-prong outlet.
How do you know which wire is hot on a light switch?
Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Your black probe to ground. And put your red onto the hot. And so there you can see 120 volts.
