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In a circuit, a bunch of wires that have live current/electricity passing through it is known as hot wires. These wires are used to feed a switch or outlet and are often used as switch legs. In a situation in which a wire is renamed as “hot”, it is marked with a bit of black electrical tape. In simple words, an electrically charged, conductive wire that provides power to the load is known as hot wire and is usually covered with black insulation. The article below has answers to some of the frequently raised questions on hot wires. Read on to know more. Should I connect the neutral and hot wire to a 20 amp double pole breaker to power an air-conditioner?
Yes, you can do that. But, don’t forget to mark the white wire as hot wire using a black tape or marker. This would help you when there is a problem and you have to make the right connection again. What should be the order of taking the wires out while working on anything which is electrical?
The most important thing under such a situation is to be on the safe side by turning off the power or by disconnecting the power supply. If at all, you need to keep the power on, then you got to first disconnect the hot wire and cap it off to prevent it from coming into contact with any other wires. The next step is to take out the neutral and ground wires and reinstall them in reverse mode. Then to trip the breaker, you need to have two touching points, a hot (live end) and a neutral point. Use a fiberglass ladder and ensure your safety first while working on something like this. How do I use my old radio shack volt meter which is set to 200 v and has red and black leads to identify the hot wire when both the wires in the ceiling box are black?
In this case, most probably, both the black wires in the switch are hot legs without a neutral. One is the hot feed and the other one is connected to the hot wire of the device. In this situation to recognize the hot wire, you got to locate a neutral reference point first. Bring one lead of the volt meter into contact with the ground and the other point to one of the black wires. The black wire which measures at 120v is the hot wire you have been looking for. However, if you don’t have a ground in the box, you can run an extension cord from one of the receptacles at home and both the receptacle and plug end should posses a larger slot and smaller slot. Consider the wider end as neutral to use the same as neutral/ground reference. Now, insert one lead into the neutral slot and the other one to one of the black wires. The one that gives you 120v is the hot wire. Hot wires can be dangerous and there are several things you need to keep in mind while handling them. First, recognize the wire through which current is flowing. Do not work on the circuit with the power on. Turn the power off and label the circuit so others know that you are working on it. Identify all the cables, like which cable goes where and all. Stay away from water while doing electrical works as it might lead to electrocution. If you are not comfortable enough to solve any issue, please ask an electrician to help you in fixing the problem.
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