In the course of replacing this light receptacle i came across two white wires. Its essential that you determine which black wire is hot before proceeding.
![2 Wire No Ground Electrical Outlet Installation Wiring](https://inspectapedia.com/electric/0588s.jpg)
2 Wire No Ground Electrical Outlet Installation Wiring
Both black and white wires are hot. The neutral wire can also be gray. Power flows from the box to the outlet through the black wire and back to the box through the white one. The black wire is hot. In the most basic 110 volt electrical setup youll find two wires. Black means hot white signifies neutral and green indicates ground. The hot wire in a 120 volt residential ac circuit usually is coated with black insulation while the return or neutral wire is white.
When you open an outlet it can be useful to figure out the position of the outlet or switch in the circuit as well as the function of each wire. When i first test the home run cable. The easiest and safest way is to use a multimeter to test for current. If you cant find the source of a problem. Neutral common or return. Electrical ac dc both black and white wires hot like the title says both wires black and white get or turn hot.
This knowledge can help you pinpoint problems and connect wires to the correct terminals when making repairs. When the switch is off the black is still hot and the white is de energized. Why would my white and black wires both be hotthey are going into my lightswitch box in my garage which operates my outside lighttrying to hook up new light fixture but ran into that issue and conventional wiring of the new fixture and and light switch isnt workingi dont know if im running into a switch leg wiring issue which i have read about and dont understandi just want to get the. If the switch is off and both are energized then there is a back feed on the white in the same circuit if it was a. The white wire goes by many names that all mean the same thing. However if you need to rewire a light switch or a plug socket you may occasionally come across two black wires.
How do you find out which wire is hot or the black wire. A single pole single throw switch such as a light switch.