The hot wire in a 120 volt residential ac circuit usually is coated with black insulation while the return or neutral wire is white. Twist the two copper wires in the first box together and attach them to the ground nut on the switch.
New Light Switch Has Blue Black And White Wires Wall Has
What is the white wire in a light switch. I thought white wires were not suppose to be connected or attached to a light switch you said. When wiring 110 volt wire to 5 light fixtures in series do i connect the white wire to the fixture or splice to another white wire at each fixture. Going out of both boxes and into your light fixture will be 143 wire which has a black wire hot a white wire neutral a red wire traveler and a bare copper wire ground. This is a typical wiring setup for a 3 way light switch with black white red and ground wires. Push the switch into the box and screw it in. Well most of the time you are correct in your thinking.
This type of switch lets you turn the light off or on from more than one place in the room. White wires are often used for switching however the white wire should then be identified with black electrical tape or a permanent marker. If there is a grounding terminal now simply hook the black wire to the bottom terminal and the white wire to the top terminal. From what you have described the existing switch is a three way switch. The 2011 national electrical code required a neutral in every switch box to accommodate new devices like motion sensors occupancy. But sometimes a white wire is in fact.
At the light it connects to the neutral terminal. Two wire cable runs from the combo to the light fixture and the switch output is connected to the black wire running to the fixture hot terminal. If the wiring does not appear to be correct then the wiring should be traced out and identified and corrections made as needed. If it doesnt work switch the lower wires. The bare hopefully solid copper wire is the ground. The source neutral wire is spliced to the neutral on the receptacle half of the combo device and to the white cable wire running to the light.
A three way switch is different. Of course the black wire is connected to the fixture and the ground is spliced to another ground wire at the fixture. White and gray wires are normally used as neutral conductors. In your switch box you will only have one black one white and one ground wire. It protects from static build up and from electrical insulation failure in short its only job is to make your home safer. A single pole single throw switch such as a light switch.
Hook up the ground wire to the box and then to the switch. The black hot connection is broken to turn the light onoff the white neutral connection completes the circuit.
Gallery of What Is The White Wire In A Light Switch
