How do you wire up a basement light?


Quote from Youtube video: And when the switch is in the off position that stops right there but when you turn the switch on. It's gonna travel out through the black wire. Come right back up here.

What kind of wire do you use for basement lights?





14/2 Wire. The 14/2 wire is used only for the lighting circuits in your basement. The 14/2 wire outer plastic casing is yellow color coded. This is the wire that is going between all of your light fixtures and light switches and then back to your panel box throughout your basement project.

How do you wire a new light fixture?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Box the second wire comes from the switch back down it's going to go over the light fixture we need to tie these onto the fish tape.

What color wires go together for a light?

One of the black and white wires goes to the light fixture. The other black and white wires are the electrical circuit for the switch. If the light can be turned on or off from switches at each side of the room, you’ll see a blue wire that connects the electrical circuits for three-way switches.

Can I wire my basement myself?

YES! You can legally wire your own basement. If you weren’t sure…now you know YOU CAN. You don’t have to have an electrician’s license, or need to be certified in electric or anything like that to wire your basement.

How do you install an unfinished basement light?





Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So they're all going to be in line so all these lights are going to be in line. And this row over here all of these lights are in line. Another way to do it it's kind of staggered the lights.

Can I use Romex in my basement?

Romex is fine when it is inside a wall/ceiling/floor because it is protected from puncture/cuts/etc. but if it is just running along the exposed walls of a basement that is not up to code.

Should I use 12 or 14-gauge wire?

12-gauge wire is the minimum requirement for outlets on a 20-amp circuit. 12-gauge wire can be used for outlets on both 15 and 20-amp circuits. 14-gauge wire is unsafe to use for outlets on a 20-amp circuit. 14-gauge wire can only be used for outlets on a 15-amp circuit.

How many lights can you put on 14-gauge wire?

Using the basic electrical formula “Watts = Volts x Amps,” the wire presents the equation Watts = 120 x 20 with a result of Watts = 2,400. You can load 2,400 watts onto your 14-gauge wiring for a 120-volt circuit.

What are the 3 wires in a light fixture?



A standard box for a light fixture will have three wires, a white (neutral), black (current), and copper (ground.)

What do I do with the red wire when installing a light?

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.

Which color wires go together?

The protective ground is green or green with yellow stripe. The neutral is white, the hot (live or active) single phase wires are black , and red in the case of a second active.



US AC power circuit wiring color codes.

Function Line, 3-phase
label L3
Color, common blue
Color, alternative yellow

Which wire is hot if both are black?



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.

Do red and black wires go together?

These wires are typically used for switch wiring as well as the interconnection between smoke detectors hard-wired into the power system. You can link two red wires together, or you can link a red wire to a black wire. Since red wires conduct current, they are considered hot.

What are the wire color codes?

3-Phase Wire Color Codes

  • Phase 1 – Black wire.
  • Phase 2 – Red wire.
  • Phase 3 – Blue wire.
  • Neutral – White wire.
  • Ground – Green, Green with a Yellow Stripe, or Bare Wire.


How do you know which wire is positive and negative on a light fixture?



When you’re hanging a chandelier or any other ceiling light, first find the 3 wires coming out of the hole in the ceiling where the light will go. Recognize that the black wire is the positive one, the white wire is the negative one, and the green wire is the ground.

Do red and white wires go together?

In the US, the answer would be no, even though I am reluctant to answer this. White is not aggressive. White is neutral, black is 120, green is ground, and red is the other phase of the mains into your house.

What happens if I Connect the black wire to the white wire?

What happens if black and white wires touch? First of all, nothing will happen, if the two wires aren’t connected to any power source. Therefore, you won’t have much to worry about. Even if you just let the bare wires touch each other, you’ll encounter a short circuit.

Does white wire go to red or black?

The white wire is always neutral, and when the cable has only two conductors, as most 120-volt cables do, the hot wire is black. The ground wire is usually left bare, but in some cases, the ground wire color is green. In a three-conductor cable, the extra wire is red, and it’s almost always used as a hot wire.