Why are there 4 wires in my ceiling light?

In order for the light to be controlled by its own switch, the wiring between the switch and the fan unit needs a fourth wire, a red wire, to carry power to the light kit.

Can you add extra wire to a chandelier?





In the body of the chandelier is a splice that connects to the wires that run up the chain. You need to replace the entire length of wire from inside the body to the length of the chain, plus some extra to make a connection in the ceiling box.

How do you hook up a 5 wire light switch?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: The ground wire coming from the adorne bracket to the ground wire in your electrical box connect them using the wire nut it comes with the packaging push.

What are the 4 wires in my light switch?

The A wire (black) connects to the hot (black) wire from the power source. The B wire (blue) connects to the other wire from the load. The C wire (red) is not used and is capped with a wire nut. The D wire (green) connects to the ground.

How do you rewire a chandelier?

Time to bring your chandelier back to life.

  1. Thread new lamp wire. …
  2. Screw in lamp sockets and prep wire. …
  3. Wire the chandelier socket. …
  4. Wiring the top of the chandelier. …
  5. Split and strip wires. …
  6. Wire the chandelier. …
  7. Cap off the wires. …
  8. Rehang Chandelier.





What kind of wire do you use for a chandelier?

Chandeliers usually use 18g for the arms (thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20267510_20599803,00. html) and (at least the ones from HD) use in the ceiling. 14g is rated for 15 amps, and no chandelier Ive ever seen comes anywhere near that.

Can you splice in a chandelier?

All splices need to be made inside a junction box or fixture. In this case, what Ed Beal is suggesting is to simply clip your current wire as close to the fixture as possible, and make the splice inside the body of the new fixture.

Why are there 4 black wires on my light switch?

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.

How do you wire a 4 wire light fixture?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Up back to the last three-way switch the black and red wire coming out of this three wire cable are gonna hook to the brass screws on this switch.

What are the red black white and green wires?

US AC power circuit wiring color codes



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.

Can I connect green and white wires together?

You cannot connect the green wire to the white wire. The green wire is the grounding wire. It provides a path that electricity can follow to the earth.

What do the different colors of electrical wire mean?



Black wires are hot wires that run to the electrical outlet from the switch. Red wires are hot wires common in a 240-volt outlet or when a wall switch controls the outlet. Blue and yellow wires are hot wires for ceiling fans and three- or four-way switches. White or gray electrical wires are neutral wires.

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 reverse hot and neutral wires?

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.

How do I know if I have a hot or neutral wire?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: And touch this wire. And I get a little bit not much then we'll touch the other wire. There we go 115 volts and that's how you tell your hot wire it's just that easy.

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.

What happens if you mix up the white and black wires?

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.

Which wire is hot when 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.