on a light switch, is the black or white the live wire?

Question

I just want to know wich wire has the ablity to turn the light on and off?!

So do i connect the black to the switch? or the white?

Answer 1

Black is hot, white is common and green is ground. They usually switch the hot but it doesnt really matter which you have connected to the switch as long as they are the same color. All a switch does is complete the circuit or open the circuit. If you hooked black or white the switch it will work the same. switch off opens the circuit so no power goes to the item you are powering. Switch on completes the circuit and what ever you have power to will turn on.

Answer 2

There are different ways that the switches are wired. Some switch boxes have the power supplied at the box. If this is the case, then in the switch box there will be 2 blacks and 2 whites and 2 bare or green ground wires. The whites will be tied together and the greens will also be tied together, the hot black wire will go to the top of the switch and the load black (to lamp)will go to the lower position on the switch. Then when you wire the light it will be black to black and white to white and green/bare to the grounding screw on the light. It should have a green screw on the fixture.

If the power is at the ceiling box, then sometimes they will run 14/3 romex to the switch, that will have an extra red wire. The red wire will go to the power or hot wire and run to the top of the switch and the black will go to the bottom of the switch and then to the fixture. The white will be tied together at the ceiling box and fixture.

Sometimes they will just run 14/2 wires to the switch box. Then the white wire on the fixture will be tied to the white wire or neutral on the supply line. The white wire that runs to the switch should have black tape put around it for about 6 inches and tied to the black hot supply. Then go to the top of the switch and the end taped with about 6 inches of black tape. The black wire should be attached to the bottom of the switch and the other end hooked to the black wire on the lamp.

If any of this is confusing, then get an electrician to do the work for you. It's not worth taking a chance if you don't know exactly what you are doing. good luck.

Answer 3

Typically the white is neutral and the black is hot. FYI I like the fact that you like to try to fix it yourself but if I were you I would hire an electrician or get some one with More experience.

Answer 4

If you don't know what your doing, hire a professional!! always treat EVERY wire like its HOT!! you never know what is going on in the wiring!!!

Answer 5

in the most common configuation, black wires are hot and white wires are nuetral

Answer 6

black is hot, white is netrual and copper or green is ground(black is ground? way to burn the house down)
have a read here
http://www.electrical-online.com/articles.htm

Answer 7

The black is power, white is neutral. but it could have been installed wrong so make sure u cut the power.

Answer 8

Black is typically GROUND and White typically "power"