The white wire goes by many names that all mean the same thing. In the most basic 110 volt electrical setup youll find two wires.
Switch With 2 Black 2 White 2 Ground And 1 Red Wire
I have 2 black wires and 2 white wires. Its essential that you determine which black wire is hot before proceeding. They should both be of the same wire gauge. Power flows from the box to the outlet through the black wire and back to the box through the white one. Neutral common or return. Youll have two cables in the switch box a live one with a black and white wire and the one going to the outlet which has a red black and white wire. One of the black wires receives power from the service panel.
The neutral wire can also be gray. The other sends it on to other loads on the circuit. Switches are never connected between a black wire and a neutral wire. The white wires allow current passing through the outlet and the other loads on the circuit to return to the panel. You should see a black and white wire and a ground wire. However if you need to rewire a light switch or a plug socket you may occasionally come across two black wires.
The easiest and safest way is to use a multimeter to test for current. Just connect it back up like the outlet you are removing is connected. The black wire is hot. Black means hot white signifies neutral and green indicates ground. 12 awg for 20 amp circuits and 14 awg for 10 and 15 amp circuits. Two cables entering an outlet box indicate that the outlet is not the last fixture on a circuit.
The two black wires one is power input the other is switched power output is used to control a light fixture or outlet.
Gallery of I Have 2 Black Wires And 2 White Wires
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