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They are probably both hot. It probably is a 220v feed, like a dryer, or electric stove; and not a 110v appliance, like a lamp. In order to run an appliance the net charge must be zero. In a 110v appliance one leg is 110 (alternating between positive and negative about 60/sec), and the neutral wire removes the charge (back to the grounded busbar in your service panel) to get to zero. In a 220v system each wire is hooked up to opposite charged buses in your service panel; one is +110, one is -110 (alternating 60/sec) so again the net is zero. The ground wire in a 220 (usually green) is for safety purposes to give the electricity an easy path to ground in case something goes wrong; else YOU could become the path to ground. If you only have two wires, a red and black, most likely the ground is through the metal conduit (hopefully with no breaks in the path back to the service panel).
With that said, be very careful. People do weird things when they wire stuff. If you do not have the equipment and know-how to determine what is what, CALL A PROFESSIONAL.
Additional InformationAll that being said... you didn't indicate whether this was house, business or some OTHER wiring.In DC circuitry, Red is positive, Black is negative.
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How do you wire a light switch with only black and red wires?
Connect the black wire to the incoming hot wire and the red wire to the out going load.
Which is the Hot wire and which is the Neutral wire if the wires you see are a Black a Red and a Yellow wire?
Black red and yellow is three-phase. there is no neutral.
If there are a red wire a black wire and a bare wire in a 120 volt supply wire which is the hot wire?
Where there is a red wire involved that usually indicates some type of special switching arrangement or more likely a 240 Volt circuit. In this case there will be 240 volts across the red and black and they will both be hot. Normally for 120 Volts the black is hot, the white is common and the bare wire is ground.
Which is the hot wire if there are both black and red wires?
both
When wiring a house do you have to use the black wire as the hot wire?
No, there are different occasions when the red of a three wire cable gets used as a hot wire. There also times when the white wire gets used as a hot but has to be re identified as a hot with marking tape. When wiring baseboard heaters the cable used is red and black with no white wire in the set.
How do you wire a light switch with only black and red wires?
Connect the black wire to the incoming hot wire and the red wire to the out going load.
Which is the Hot wire and which is the Neutral wire if the wires you see are a Black a Red and a Yellow wire?
Black red and yellow is three-phase. there is no neutral.
What color is a hot wire?
It should be RED. If not then black.
Which of the two wires is hot which is neutral?
If this is a home wiring question and the wires are black and white then black is Hot and white is Neutral. If you also have a red wire, it is the other hot wire, and either the black or the red wire to the white one would be 120 volts, and red to black would be 240 volts.
If there are a red wire a black wire and a bare wire in a 120 volt supply wire which is the hot wire?
Where there is a red wire involved that usually indicates some type of special switching arrangement or more likely a 240 Volt circuit. In this case there will be 240 volts across the red and black and they will both be hot. Normally for 120 Volts the black is hot, the white is common and the bare wire is ground.
Which is the hot wire if there are both black and red wires?
both
When wiring a house do you have to use the black wire as the hot wire?
No, there are different occasions when the red of a three wire cable gets used as a hot wire. There also times when the white wire gets used as a hot but has to be re identified as a hot with marking tape. When wiring baseboard heaters the cable used is red and black with no white wire in the set.
My Windshield wiper motor stop working for my 1995 cutlass supreme. Can you tell me which wire is the hot wire and the ground wire?
Red is hot, black is not.
Light switch has 4 wire colors red and white and green and black which is the hot wire?
You have a 3 way switch. Your black wire is the hot wire. Your green wire is the ground wire. Your red and white wires go to the light and other switch. You should have gotten a wiring diagram with your switch.
How do you remove 240 volt light sensor and return to switch operation?
Remove the light sensor and place a switch between the red and black wires. The black wire is one leg of the "hot" pair and the load is connected to the red wire. This will now switch the black hot through the red wire that goes to the load.
In electrical terms what is the active or hot wire?
In household wiring the black or red is active, live, or hot.
Your new stereo has a red wire why must it be connected?
Usually the red wire is the hot wire, black ground, a couple for speakers (maybe 40 & 1 for antennae.
