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Black electrical wire is used for power in all circuits. Any circuit's black wire should be considered hot or live. Black wire is never used for a ground or neutral wire and should be used as the power feed for a switch or an outlet. A black wire is often used in a circuit as a switch leg, the connection that runs from the switch to the electrical load.

Red electrical wire indicates the secondary live wires in a 220-volt circuit, used in some types of switch legs and in the interconnection between smoke detectors that are hard-wired into the power system. You can connect a red wire to another red wire or to a black wire.

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9y ago
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3mo ago

White wires are typically used as neutral wires, providing a return path for electrical current. Green wires are used as ground wires to safely carry excess electrical current to the ground. Black wires are commonly used as hot wires to carry electrical current from the power source to the load.

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14y ago
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hertz supply service.The colour of wires identifies what the wires are used for. A black colour wire can be used as a hot conductor along with other wire colours. A white colour wire will only be used as a grounded conductor wire in a 120/240 volt system and a green coloured wire will only be used as a ground wire and nothing else.
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13y ago

In most cases, no. red is usually the hot wire and black the ground, but follow them to be sure as it may have been rewired and insulation not relevant to function. red and black coding are generally used to distinguish the two.

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11y ago

On an AC circuit for electric heating where no neutral wire is used, red jacketed red and black 2 wire is used.

On a DC circuit red and black wires are used to differentiate between the positive and negative polarities.

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9y ago

When the colours red and black are used together it usually refers to DC wiring. The red conductor terminates on the positive of the power supply and the black conductor terminates on the negative of the power supply.

In North America the use of red and black conductors in AC systems can be used as any current carrying conductors. The only identified specific colours used in AC systems are white and green. White for neutral and green for ground.

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12y ago

Both red and black wires carry current.

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Q: What are white green and black wires typically for?
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What are black with green and black with white wires mean?

Black wires are typically used for power supply, while green wires are commonly used for grounding. White wires are usually neutral wires in electrical systems. It is important to follow proper wiring color codes to ensure correct connections and safe operation of electrical devices.


You have two white wires and two black wires which one is the ground?

black wire is hot wire .And the white is the common or white is ground. Depends on what your talking about in an outlet or car battery. In a outlet the ground wire is green or bare copper. neutral is red and hot is black (I remember it by hot can kill you so black is death) if I am not mistaken. As for a car battery i think it's the opposite red is hot and black is neutral.


Have a red white black wires for a dryer plug what wires are hot ones?

In a typical dryer plug, the two hot wires are usually the red and black wires. The white wire is typically the neutral wire and the green or bare wire is the ground wire. Always consult the manufacturer's instructions to be sure.


What are old black green red wires now?

Old black, green, and red wires are typically used for electrical wiring and connections in buildings. Black wires are commonly used for power feeds, green wires for grounding, and red wires for specific applications such as three-way switches or lighting circuits. It's important to check the local electrical codes and guidelines when working with these wires.


If there are two black and one white wire in ceiling light do I need to use both black for the switch to work?

If there are two black wires, it's possible that it was wired for a ceiling fan and that one of the wires is for the fan part while the other is for the light part. If so, one of the black wires may be switched while the other is always "on." Normally black is "hot" and white is "neutral" (NOT ground... ground is usually green).

Related questions

What are black with green and black with white wires mean?

Black wires are typically used for power supply, while green wires are commonly used for grounding. White wires are usually neutral wires in electrical systems. It is important to follow proper wiring color codes to ensure correct connections and safe operation of electrical devices.


You have two white wires and two black wires which one is the ground?

black wire is hot wire .And the white is the common or white is ground. Depends on what your talking about in an outlet or car battery. In a outlet the ground wire is green or bare copper. neutral is red and hot is black (I remember it by hot can kill you so black is death) if I am not mistaken. As for a car battery i think it's the opposite red is hot and black is neutral.


If you have an air solenoid valve DC and the wires are Green Black and White. Which one is positive and negative?

Green= Ground Black = live White = Neutral


Have a red white black wires for a dryer plug what wires are hot ones?

In a typical dryer plug, the two hot wires are usually the red and black wires. The white wire is typically the neutral wire and the green or bare wire is the ground wire. Always consult the manufacturer's instructions to be sure.


What color is the hot wire in a power window in a 2004 Chrysler sebring?

The wires for the left front window are red/black for up and green/black for white. For the right front window, the wires for up are red/white and the wires for down are green.


What are old black green red wires now?

Old black, green, and red wires are typically used for electrical wiring and connections in buildings. Black wires are commonly used for power feeds, green wires for grounding, and red wires for specific applications such as three-way switches or lighting circuits. It's important to check the local electrical codes and guidelines when working with these wires.


Why are your ground wires black in the panel box of your home?

Ground wires are typically bare wire or green covered. Common wires are white and hot wires are black. If you have black wires that are grounds or commons you should contact an electrician to ensure you don't have a problem on your hands. Sounds like someone who didn't know what they were doing has been mucking around in your panel.


What's the different between white and green wires?

white wires are neutral. green wires are ground wires.


If there are two black and one white wire in ceiling light do I need to use both black for the switch to work?

If there are two black wires, it's possible that it was wired for a ceiling fan and that one of the wires is for the fan part while the other is for the light part. If so, one of the black wires may be switched while the other is always "on." Normally black is "hot" and white is "neutral" (NOT ground... ground is usually green).


Which colors are hot on a 4 prong dryer cord?

Typically, the colors used in a 4-prong dryer cord are black, red, white, and green. Black and red wires are the hot wires, white is the neutral wire, and green is the ground wire. Remember to follow safety guidelines and consult a professional if you are unsure about electrical work.


How do you wire 220V with 2 black 1 white wire?

Your black wires are your hot wires. The white is your neutral or common. It would be best to run an equipment ground (green wire) too.


How do you hook up new black white and green wires to 2 old white wires and 2 old black wires?

More information is needed as to what device you are connecting to what power supply. The only two identifiable wires are the white and green. In North America the white colour is used for the circuit's neutral and the green is used for grounding of devices.