When you turn off a switch to a ceiling fan is there any amount of electricity in any of the wires.?

Question

After turning off a switch are the wires all dead or are some still live?

Answer 1

It looks like none of the other people who responded to this question have any experience with "line capacitance." Sometimes wires that have no current running through them can still give you a a shock. The correct thing to do is to turn on the fan then go to your breaker box and flip the breakers until the fan goes off. Then, when you have the wires exposed, take a well insulated screwdriver and touch the shaft to the hot and neutral wires. Nothing should happen. If you don't like that idea, buy a voltage tester at the hardware store and use it to measure the voltage in the wires. DO NOT just turn off the wall switch!

Answer 2

If wired correctly (i.e. the switch on the live wire) , then there is no power between the switch and the fan.

If the switch was installed on the "ground" wire, however, the fan will still stop when the switch is off, but power will still be flowing through the live wire.

So for safety's sake, you should shut the power off at the breaker before touching the wires.

Answer 3

if properly wired, voltage stops at the switch, when the switch is off. but, NEVER trust that it is properly wired. Even properly wired, the 'hot' side of the switch is energized at all times, unless the breaker is 'off'. even then, in some instances, the breaker is not wired properly, so ALWAYS be careful, and do not let loose wires touch metal or each other, and do not touch them. Use gloves, and an insulated pliers and insulated screwdriver. best is to have a tester (hardware store, $4) and use it

Answer 4

No, not at the point of the fan. There would be by the switch... but all of the wires by the fan are dead when the switch is turned off. Same is true for light fixtures. If there was current running through them... the fixtures would be "on".

Answer 5

Well, I don't know for sure. Turn off the breaker that serves that switch. There is a little wire tester that you can get that will tell you whether there is electricity in the wires.

Answer 6

The wires always "have" electricity. The off switch just turns off the juice to the fan motor.

Answer 7

No.
The wires form a loop for electricity to flow through. When you open the switch the loop is broken. The wires from the switch to the fan will have no "current" left in them.

However, the wires from the power source to the switch are still "hot" meaning they have a potential across them. If you "short" them with your own body you will be electrocuted.

Answer 8

yes there is still electricity there you just broke the connection you grab a hold of the wire and you will be the one making the connection
if your working with electricity shut off the MAIN breaker to your house
The main is the the one you flip and everything goes off at once.

Answer 9

The switch (when turned off) only breaks the complete circuit. The power is still live. You must turn the power off at the circuit breaker box.

Answer 10

Are you placed interior the u . s .? i'm puzzled via one element and that's the purple cord. commonly ceiling followers have a black cord for the fan and a blue cord for the sunshine fixture. yet once you're interior the U. S., this sounds terrific suited and it may artwork basically nice. commonly a 12-3 or a 14-3 cord could be used yet there is no longer project with what you have completed. Edit: you're terrific suited, you in basic terms have one greater white cord. No project in any respect.