At that point it doesn't really matter. However, if your fixture follows any sort of convention the neutral wire itself (not the insulation) may (or may not) be silvery, while the hot wire will be gold colored. If this fixture was made in China then anything goes and all bets are off. I assume that what you are looking at is a lampcord type of wire coming from the base of the light fixture and the insulation maybe just clear plastic. If that is the case then you can see the conductors inside, and hopefully one is silver and one is gold.
2006-12-25 04:55:41
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answer #1
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answered by Kokopelli 7
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Go to Home Depot and get an item called a voltage detector. Basically looks like a pen. When you get it near a hot wire it will let out an audible beep. Take those 2 wires and pull them apart from each other. Don't touch the bare wires with your hands and cut on the power. Take your voltage detector and point it or touch it to the insulation of one wire and then the other, The one that beeps is the hot wire. The voltage detector I'm talking about will cost around 14dollars or less. There are more than on kind and they can get expensive. I use mine all the time for hotel air conditioners. Alot of times the breaker switches in the hotels breaker boxes are labeled wrong. If you flip the switch and assume the power is off you could be in for a rude awakening. These units are 270volt. The detector has saved my life more than once and can be used to find shorts in wires too. Just point it at the wire and run it down the length of the wire. When it stops beeping, that's where the short is. It works on voltages from 50volts to 1000volts.
You can also quickly identify if a plug socket it good and whick part of the socket is the hot side and the cold side. It really is quick, simple and very useful
Or you can do what everyone else said and get a multimeter/voltmeter and test it. But with the multimeter you have to touch the bare wire. The voltage detector you don't. it will detect voltage in a completely insulated wire if it has voltage going through it.
Oh yea. If you take the voltage detector to your plug socket on the wall,and stick it in the blade parts of the wall plug socket it will show you which one is hot. then just follow the wire from the plug that would plug into that blade that beeped and follow it back to the wire ends your hooking up and you will know which wire will be hot. So that's 2 ways to find the hot wire.
I hope I didn't confuse you.
2006-12-25 05:19:57
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answer #2
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answered by whtsthislif4 5
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one way to do it is...TOUCH IT! but i am sure u dont want to do that. i change alot of light fixtures in old houses, which is a pain because some of them aren't even black or white! but if u have a neon electrical tester than u need not worry. i have figured out a trick! when the electricity is on, go to the electrical box that u will be putting the new light, and being very careful, put both the testers on both the wires. the light on the tester should show bright. then take one of the testers off. if the light goes all the way out, then the one that is touching the wire is the cold wire, if it is still dimly lit then it is the hot wire! this should work, if not then just guess and hook it up, it wouldn't harm anything if u did it wrong. and if it doesn't go on, then switch the wires. hope this answers ur question!
2006-12-25 04:54:04
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answer #3
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answered by mandofreak7 1
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PLEASE REMEMBER TO MAKE SURE THE BREAKER IS OFF OR THE FUSE IS PULLED OUT TO THE FEED(HOT WIRE) BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY WIRING!
Black: To check the disconnected light fixture for the hot wire.
If you have a meter you could test for continuity/resistance from each wire to the prong inside the light socket, if the switch in/on the fixture is in the "on" position and you get continuity this is the safest hot wire.
White:To check the disconnected light fixture for the neutral wire. The none hot wire can be found by checking for Resistance/continuity to the socket of the light fixture.
However for none polarized circuits for 120 v ac you don't have an actual hot wire to the light fixture due to the bulb simply completing the circulation of electricity in the circuit.
Please remember to make sure to power is off before attempting any wiring.
2006-12-25 05:26:40
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answer #4
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answered by belectrified 1
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you need a good voltage tester that will tell you if its hot or not,,get one for the proper voltage ,or it wont work,but that's the only way,,if its a house fixture ,the hot should be the black one,,good luck hope this help,s.merry x-mas.,,PS the white wire is the neutral wire,and the copper wire is the ground wire,,good luck.
2006-12-25 04:54:46
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answer #5
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answered by dodge man 7
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Realistically, if you can't tell the difference, you shouldn't be messing with electricity - call someone who knows what they are doing. I hope you at least have the circuit off at the fuse box. AQnd you shouldn't be messing with electricity without a voltmeter, so you can be certain the power is off.
As to hot vs ground, it doesn't make a difference with incandescent (regular) lights but it would with flourescent lights, or something that uses a ballast/starter.
2006-12-25 04:55:25
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answer #6
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answered by ceprn 6
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to tell you the truth it really doesn't matter what wire you hook up to wich wire when you are dealing with a light all you are doing is completing a circuit
2006-12-25 04:51:17
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answer #7
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answered by miztycal mist 1
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look closely to the wire on the fixture, on it you should notice that there are ridges on one of the two wires, that is your neutral wire. and yes it does matter how it is wired or they would not have included instructions with the fixture.
2006-12-25 04:56:38
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answer #8
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answered by barrbou214 6
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get a volt meter and check the wires, see which one is hot and which one is ground
2006-12-25 04:49:22
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answer #9
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answered by laura m 3
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Thank's guys
2015-03-06 03:38:11
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answer #10
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answered by Toney 1
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