Receiving Helpdesk

black wire with white line

by Mrs. Wava Fay Sr. Published 4 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Wires that are in black and white often have a symbol that indicates which wire is positive and which wire is negative. There are some exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, black wire is positive and white wire is negative. If you’re not sure whether a wire is positive or negative, it’s best to consult a professional.

If both wires are black but one has a white stripe, the striped wire is negative, while the plain black wire is positive.

Full Answer

What does the white line on a black wire mean?

  • Hot or live circuits can be colored black or red, but sometimes blue and yellow.
  • A neutral wire might be either white or gray.
  • The ground wire might be green, green with a yellow stripe, or a bare copper wire.

How can I tell which wire is black or white?

  • Switch off power source (isolate)
  • Strip ends of wires a short distance ¼”
  • connect each into a dual chocolate-block connector so that they don't short anywhere.
  • Switch power on
  • Use a neon voltage tester probed into each connector until the “hot" live lights the tester

What if there are two black wires and no white?

The question posted said there was NO white wire yet some responses missed that most important point. Some UL approved fixtures in CURRENT lamps have 2 black wires, no white, or in this case 2 gold wires. The person who solved the problem noted a difference even if both wires are the same color.

Do you connect the white wire to the Black Wire?

Typically, a black wire is used as the feed and the white wire is the neutral in an A.C. circuit. But as my father used to say:”electricity is colorblind. It doesn't know, not does it care what color the wire is. So it's up to the technician to connect the wires correctly.

What is a black wire with white stripes?

The solid/dashed lines on wires like the ones pictured in your question are used to indicate polarity e.g. for the "wall wart" power supplies. Usually* the wire with the white stripe or the dashed lines carries the "positive" (+) end, while the other, unmarked wire carries the "negative" (-) end.

Is black or white wire line?

What do the Different Color Wires Mean? Here's a rundown of electrical wires: The black wire is the "hot" wire, it carries the electricity from the breaker panel into the switch or light source. The white wire is the "neutral" wire, it takes any unused electricity and current and sends it back to the breaker panel.

What is the black wire with white stripe on a ceiling fan?

The black wire is the hot wire that leads to the switch. The white wire is neutral and completes the electrical circuit. Copper or green wire is the ground wire and keeps the fan from experience power surges.

Is white line and black neutral?

US AC power circuit wiring color codes See Table below. The protective ground is green or green with yellow stripe. The neutral is white, the hot (live or active) single phase wires are black , and red in the case of a second active. Three-phase lines are red, black, and blue.

Which wire is load and line?

With the first device, the line is the wire running from the service panel to the device, and the load is the wire running from the first device to the second device downstream on the circuit.

Does black and white wire matter?

Which wire is hot, black or white? By convention, the white wire is neutral, the black wire is hot, and a green or bare wire is ground. But the first rule is there are no rules. So if you see lots of different colors in an electrical box, you probably need to call an electrician.

Is black wire with white stripe positive?

If both wires are black but one has a white stripe, the striped wire is negative, while the plain black wire is positive.

How do I wire a ceiling fan with black and white wires?

0:351:38How to wire a ceiling fan with a black and white wire coming ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo when you have one black wire coming out of the ceiling. You have to use your switches. Now so weMoreSo when you have one black wire coming out of the ceiling. You have to use your switches. Now so we have our ceiling fan switch. And our light switch.

Is the striped wire hot or neutral?

The wire with the ribbing or stripe is the neutral wire, and the other one is hot. If you don't see any markings on the wires, and the plug has two prongs of equal size, the cord is not polarized.

Is black wire negative?

The coloring is as follows: The positive current must be red. The negative current must be black. The ground wire, if present, must be white or grey.

Does black go negative?

One is marked positive (+), the other negative (-). There are also positive and negative cables in the jumper cable set. The red one is positive (+), the black one is negative (-). Never connect the red cable to the negative battery terminal or a vehicle with a dead battery.

Which side of the wire is hot?

When wiring a grounded power cord to an appliance: The SMOOTH (right) side is hot = connect to BLACK. The GROOVED (left) side is neutral = connect to WHITE.

What Are Electrical Black and White Wires?

The white wire is connected to the hot wire termination of the fixture. Another one may be the hot wire lead and the switch’s other screw terminal. It acts as the switch loop’s second hot wire.

Which One Is Positive between Black and White Wires?

Plastic insulation is used to wrap two of the conductors in the NMB cable. The hot wire, which offers a 120 VAC current source, is black. It’s referred to as positive wire.

Black Wire

Black electrical wires are used in all sorts of circuits. Transferring energy from the power source to the outlet is accomplished via a transformer.

White Wire

The color white identifies a neutral wire. It connects to the neutral bus bar of an electrical panel.

How to Identify Wires in Typical Situations?

When it comes to identifying electrical wiring, color is the most common method. Inside, every wiring is identical, although the outside coatings vary in a diversity of colors.

4 Things to Follow While Wiring

There’s a chance you’ll want to undertake the task yourself now. But let me tell you something!

FAQs

Question: If both wires are black in color, how do identify positive or which is positive ones?

What is the black wire?

Question: What are electrical black and white wires?#N#Answer: Well, the black one is the wire that’s actually termed as the hot wire. It carries electricity to your light source or switches from your breaker panel. Then the white is one is known as the common or neutral wire. This wire sends back unused electricity to that same breaker panel.

Why are black and white wires connected together in a switch?

Why are black and white wires connected together in the switch outlet? If you see both sides connected together, it means it’s a switch loop. The white wire that’s connected to the black wire carries power to the switch. And the black wire that’s in the same cable carries back that switched power to the outlet.

What happens if two wires aren't connected?

First of all, nothing will happen, if the two wires aren’t connected to any power source. Therefore, you won’t have much to worry about. You’re mainly wanting to connect an active hot wire to a neutral wire. So, in this case-. Even if you just let the bare wires touch each other, you’ll encounter a short circuit.

How to know if a wire is hot?

To be aware of the white being a hot wire, wrap the white wire with black tape. Or you can even mark it black.

What to wear when touching wires?

Always wear gloves that can protect you when touching the wires. Because no one wants to get electric shock!!

What does it mean when you see wires tied together?

If you see them tied together, it signals that you’ve got a wired switch loop .

Is the black wire the hot wire?

The black wire is known as the hot wire. Thus, it’s the positive wire. On the other hand, the white wire is the neutral wire. So, it’s the negative one. Therefore, they’re completely different and can’t be connected together. If you see them tied together, it signals that you’ve got a wired switch loop . Now, not all white wires are neutral.

JimL

Right. My fan had a blue wire and a black wire. My blue is same as your black/white wire.

Carl

So, the black wire with the white stripe is connected to the solid black wire?

Uncle Monster

Don't know if he was gay, he fathered a lot of children. He raised a herd of gerbils for food you silly thing. What, are you some kind of weirdo? o_O

What is black wire?

Black Electrical Wires. Black electrical wires carry the current from the power source to the outlet and used for power in all types of circuits. Make sure you use extra caution when dealing with these - when you see a black wire, you know it is hot. Any circuit’s black wire should be considered live at all times.

What does it mean when a wire is white?

If you see a white wire marked with black or red (or a piece of black or red electrical tape at its ends), that means it’s acting as a hot wire and is no longer neutral. Green wires connect to the grounding terminal in an outlet box and run to the ground bus bar in an electrical panel.

What is the purpose of black wires?

These wires are often used as a switch leg that transfers power to switches and outlets in all circuits. Black wires are never used for a ground or neutral wire and are meant to be used as the power feed for a switch or an outlet. They are most commonly found in residential buildings. Red Electrical Wires.

What color wires are used in electrical wiring?

These are the most common colors used in electrical wiring. Other color combinations, such as striped wires, may be used for other applications. Remember, black and red wires are always hot, meaning they are source wires that carry power from the electric service panel to a destination, such as an outlet or a light.

What is the difference between blue and yellow wires?

Yellow wires are used as switch legs to ceiling fans, structural lights, and outlets paired with light switches, while blue wires are usually used as travelers for three-or-four-way switches.

Where are red wires found?

They are most commonly found in residential buildings. Red Electrical Wires. Red electrical wires are the secondary live wires in 220-volt circuits and are commonly found in a sheathed, multi-conductor cable.

Can you link two red wires together?

You can link two red wires together, or you can link a red wire to a black wire. Since red wires conduct current, they are considered hot. Blue and Yellow Electrical Wires. Blue and yellow wires are most commonly found in commercial buildings and are used as the live wires pulled through a conduit.

What is the difference between a black wire and a white wire?

Recognize that the black wire is the positive one, the white wire is the negative one, and the green wire is the ground. You may see a copper wire instead of a green wire for the ground.

What does the dashed line on a wire mean?

The solid/dashed lines on wires like the ones pictured in your question are used to indicate polarity e.g. for the "wall wart" power supplies. Usually* the wire with the white stripe or the dashed lines carries the "positive" (+) end, while the other, unmarked wire carries the "negative" (-) end.

How to tell speaker wires apart?

Every speaker wire will have an indicator to tell them apart, such as color. In some high-end speaker wires, the insulation is transparent, or see-through, enough to see the bare wires. When this is the case, usually the silver wire will be the positive polarity and the copper wire will be negative. Additionally, is the black wire ...

Can you reverse speaker wires?

Accidental reversal of speaker wires can happen when the wires are not properly labeled for polarity. Although this is not dangerous to a speaker or amplifier, proper power delivery and speaker response is not possible with reversed speaker wires. Reversing speaker wire polarity is a common audio error.

What color is a wire?

Hot or live circuits can be colored black or red, but sometimes blue and yellow. A neutral wire might be either white or gray. The ground wire might be green, green with a yellow stripe, or a bare copper wire. Because these colors can vary, learning the ropes can be a bit confusing at first.

What color wires are used for plug ins?

Yellow and blue electrical wires are also used to carry power but are not for wiring the outlets for common plug-in electrical devices. These colors are used for the live wire pulled through conduit.

What does a red wire mean on an outlet?

You will usually only see a red wire when an outlet is a 240-volt outlet or when a wall switch controls the outlet. In this case, when the switch is "on," the red wire will supply power to the outlet instead of the black wire. Like black electrical wires, red wires are also hot or live wires.

What does green wire mean?

Green indicates the grounding of an electric circuit. A green wire can connect only to another green wire and should never connect to any other color wire. Green wires connect to the grounding terminal in an outlet box and run from the outlet box to the ground bus bar within an electric panel.

Why are wires colored?

If you’ve ever wondered why they’re colored that way, well, there’s a good reason for it. Electrical wires are wrapped in colored insulating casings to indicate each wire’s purpose. Today, every electrical and electronic device made uses color-coding to quickly and unmistakably identify each wire:

What is the color code for electrical wires?

All home electrical wires made in the U.S. follow standard color codes—NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC) —set up by the National National Fire Protection Association. Each color identifies a wire’s function in a circuit. Before you try to repair a faulty switch or change an overhead light fixture, learn about the colorful—and incredibly ...

How to make sure your electrical system is grounded?

Just take a look at your outlets. Grounded outlets have two slots and a D-shaped slot. These are connected to a ground wire.

What colors of wire do electricians use?

Before pre-made cables were the norm, though, electricians would run empty tubing between the main panel and the wall and ceiling boxes and filled the tubing with a variety of different wire colors like blue, red, orange, yellow, brown, and violet —a setup still seen in older homes today.

What is the color of the 220 volt wire?

You’ll find black and red or orange wires connected to 220-volt appliances like electric water heaters, well pumps, and older electric ranges. However, those same 220-volt appliances can be wired with a black and white wire, where the white wire had been marked with black or red tape at both the appliance and in the main panel to indicate ...

What is the red wire used for?

Red can also be used as a “signal” or “trigger” wire in three-wire interconnected smoke detector applications. The trigger wire is used to activate all the interconnected smoke detectors the instant one detector senses smoke or fire. In that wiring setup, the smoke detectors get power and neutral from the black and white wires, ...

What is the purpose of red or orange wires?

Red or orange wires are often used to provide the secondary phase voltage in a 220-volt application. Always assume that a red or orange wire (in addition to the black wire, which provides the primary phase voltage) is live. You’ll find black and red or orange wires connected to 220-volt appliances like electric water heaters, well pumps, ...

What is a 2 wire cable used for?

However, when sized appropriately for the load, two-wire armored cables can also be used to provide power to 220-volt appliances like a water heater or well pump , which is where things get tricky.

What is the difference between a neutral and a hot conductor?

The hot or “live” conductor sheathed in black typically carries power to a 110-volt light or receptacle, while a neutral conductor would carry energy away and a bare copper ground wire can conduct any excess energy that might otherwise be a shock or fire hazard.

What is the white sheathing on a water heater?

A: You’re right, white sheathing does generally indicate a neutral wire, but it’s not always so simple to decipher. In this case, your water heater is probably wired with two-wire flexible armor-clad “BX” or “MC” cable—that’s a factory-made cable with a metal jacket protecting a black, white, and bare copper wire.

What color wires are used in UK AC circuits?

US, AC: The US National Electrical Code only mandates white (or grey) for the neutral power conductor and bare copper, green, or green with yellow stripe for the protective ground. In principle any other colors except these may be used for the power conductors.

What color is the neutral power conductor?

US, AC: The US National Electrical Code only mandates white (or grey) for the neutral power conductor and bare copper, green, or green with yellow stripe for the protective ground. In principle any other colors except these may be used for the power conductors.

What color conductors are used for 208 VAC?

Black, red, and blue are used for 208 VAC three-phase; brown, orange and yellow are used for 480 VAC. Conductors larger than #6 AWG are only available in black and are color taped at the ends.

What color is the ground for DC power?

US DC power: The US National Electrical Code (for both AC and DC) mandates that the grounded neutral conductor of a power system be white or grey. The protective ground must be bare, green or green-yellow striped. Hot (active) wires may be any other colors except these.

What color is the protective ground?

The protective ground is green or green with yellow stripe. The neutral is white, the hot (live or active) single phase wires are black , and red in the case of a second active. Three-phase lines are red, black, and blue.

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