When wiring switches is white at top and black at bottom? Even if I go through an outlet first?

Answer 1

I agree with Bildo, but if you are going to do it anyways, you might as well do it safely. The reason some of the others say to tie the white wires together in the switch box is so that the circuit is always grounded. That way when the switch is off, the hot wire or the black wire is disconnected. At the fixture you tie the white to white and black to black, at the switch you tie the two white wires together and one black wire on either side of the switch. There is a book called Creative Homeowner "Wiring" which has diagrams that explain the process well. It is well worth the $20

Answer 2

You should have a black or re wire going to the top of the switch and then on the bottom of the switch the switched hot lead going to the load. The white wire should be the neutral wire.

Answer 3

A typical switch will not have a white wire attached at all. Typical single pole switch will have a black wire(feed)to the switch and a black wire(load) to the fixture you are controlling.
The white wires which are nuetral are usually wire nutted (connected) together to provide continuity through the box.

Answer 4

Depends on where the power is. If you take power to the switch first, the blacks go on the switch, the whites tie together, the grounds pigtail and go to the ground screw on the switch.

If power is at the outlet, you take hot to the switch on the WHITE wire, back to the outlet on the black, ground to the ground screw on the switch.

Answer 5

If you are asking this question you should not be doing your own wiring. Hire someone who knows what they are doing.