The wire is normally run above the box height.
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The wire should run above the outlet boxes. This is to ensure that the wire is easily accessible for future maintenance and repairs without having to dismantle the outlet boxes.
a shorted out outlet can cause a backfeed on the white wire, an open circuit on the white wire with and electrical appliance plugged in to an outlet can cause the same type of backfeed
The fan is probably a 115 VAC single phase fan and the outlet is probably a 230 VAC "two phase" outlet. The fan would then have the following wires: hot (black), neutral (white), and ground (green). The outlet would then have the following wires: hot #1 (black), hot #2 (red), neutral (white), and ground (green). Pick either of the two hot wires on the outlet and connect the hot wire of the fan to that (ignore the other hot wire on the outlet) and connect the neutral to neutral and ground to ground. If the wire colors are not as I described above you may have something else (e.g. 3-phase) and that would be wired differently, but those systems are usually used only in industrial settings not the home.
To wire two outlets together and continue the run to another outlet, you can connect the incoming hot wire to the brass-colored terminal on the first outlet, then connect a short jumper wire from the first outlet's silver-colored terminal to the brass-colored terminal on the second outlet. Finally, connect the incoming neutral wire to the silver-colored terminal on the first outlet and repeat the process for subsequent outlets in the circuit.
Yes, you can wire a switch downstream from an outlet by connecting the switch to the hot wire (black) from the outlet. The hot wire would then be interrupted by the switch before continuing to the outlet, allowing you to control the power to the outlet with the switch. Always ensure to turn off the power before working on any electrical components.
No, it is not safe to have a wire hanging out of an outlet. If you have a four-wire connection but only a three-prong outlet, this could pose a safety hazard. You should have a qualified electrician properly install a matching outlet to avoid any risk of electrical shock or fire.