Why do I have 2 live wires on my light switch?

If there are two wires in the box then it can only be the Line (Live) voltage ‘IN’ which is then switched by the switch to the Switched Live (S/L) which passes the supply to the bulb with the bulb getting its ‘Neutral’ from the Junction Box and or the light rose.

Can there be two hot wires?





There are multiple wires because that is how wires are connected to gather to get from the distribution box to the farthest outlet on the circuit. Where there are not enough screws, you attach the outlets together with a connector with an additional short “pigtail” that goes to the device.

What happens if you connect 2 hot wires?

Two hots of same circuit – nothing should happen.

Why are both white and 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.

What is a secondary hot wire?

Red wires are usually used as secondary hot wires. Red wires are also hot and should be clearly marked to avoid the dangers of electrocution. Red wires are commonly used when installing ceiling fans, where the light switch maybe.

How do you wire a light with two live wires?





Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: We therefore take the live wire and divert this into the common terminal or switch one we run another wire from the common terminal or switch to and connect this to the lamp.

Why does my light switch have 4 hot wires?

Since the switch cuts the power on and off, there will be a black wire coming into the switch and a black wire leaving. The whites are normally just connected together with a wire nut and the coppers are connected together with a wire nut or grounded to a metal junction box. So the new switch has four wires.

Why is there two black wires in light switch?

Black means hot, white signifies neutral, and green indicates ground. However, if you need to rewire a light switch or a plug socket, you may occasionally come across two black wires. It’s essential that you determine which black wire is hot before proceeding.

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 would the white wire be hot?



White Wire Labeled as Hot



Sometimes a white wire is used as a hot wire—not a neutral—in a switch leg, or switch loop, between a switch and a light fixture. In one common scenario, a switch is added to a fixture that is wired without a wall switch (as might be the case with a pull-chain fixture).

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 black and white wires touch?

A short circuit happens when a “hot” wire (black) touches another hot wire or touches a “neutral” wire (white) in one of your outlets. When these two wires touch, a large amount of current flows, creating more heat than the circuit can handle, so it shuts off.

What do you do with the extra hot wire?



The live wire may have been installed for a future closet light. Safe Keeping for Spare Electrical Wires and Cables You may also reroute the wire into another electrical box and just cap off the wires. The other alternative is to trace the wire back to its origin and totally remove it.

Can 2 hot wires share a neutral?

What is a multiwire branch circuit? A multiwire branch circuit is a branch circuit with a shared neutral. This means there are two or more ungrounded (hot) phase or system conductors with a voltage between them and a shared neutral.

What happens if you reverse the wires on a light switch?

When an outlet is wired in reverse, the hot wire is now on the supposed neutral side. So, if you were to plug in the same lamp as noted above, the lamp socket would have power even if the switch was off since the switch is only on the hot side.

Can a light switch be wired wrong?

Even the humble electrical outlet or light switch can have numerous things that can go wrong, most of them resulting from faulty installation. Here, then, is a list of wiring problems you might encounter by simply peering into an outlet or switch box with a flashlight.

Can wiring a light switch wrong cause a fire?



Usually, a broken or failing light switch isn’t a fire hazard itself, but it can overheat if the contacts or the switch wear down. Sometimes a bad light switch can cause other components on the circuit, such as a bulb, to become a fire hazard by causing an intermittent current.

How do you fix hot neutral reverse?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: I say that your hot and neutral wires are reversed. What we're talking about is the black and the white wires. And what they do is quite simply the white wire might have been screwed into this side.

Why do I have a hot neutral wire?

The power wire that is grounded is called the “neutral” wire because it is not dangerous with respect to exposed metal parts or plumbing. The “hot” wire gets its name because it is dangerous. The grounding of the neutral wire is not related to the operation of electrical equipment but is required for reasons of safety.

Is it bad if hot and neutral are reversed?

One common issue with electrical outlets is reverse polarity, also known as “hot-neutral reversed.” In this condition, the outlet has been wired incorrectly, altering the flow of electricity. While the outlet will still be able to provide power to your electrical items, it is also present a greater shock hazard.