For a light switch do i connect the black or white wire to the switch?

Question

i think black but i have no idea

Answer 1

I bet your confused now with all the misleading or wrong answers. The short answer is black. But there needs to be two wires on the switch. Coming and going. If you are replacing a switch, connect it the same as the old one. For a new circuit, cut the black and put one half on one screw and the other half on the other screw. Turn off the power first. Good luck.

Answer 2

There are usually 3 colors of wires, black which is the hot wire, white which is the neutral wire and green or bare copper which is the ground. If this is a single pole switch, the black wire from the circuit breaker should go to the switch (either screw, doesn't matter) then another black wire which goes to the light is connected to the other side of the switch. Some switches also have a green colored screw which the ground is attached to. The white wire goes from your electric panel to the light, it probably goes through the switch box and may be spliced together.

Answer 3

Some quality electricians will take the time to color the white wire black so that they or other electricians won't inadvertently connect it to a neutral wire. The two black wires (one is power input, the other is switched power output) is used to control a light fixture or outlet. Switches are NEVER connected between a black wire and a neutral wire. When you connected the black and white wires to the motion switch, I think you blew the switch - direct short to ground. Now your motion switch is always on. That's what I understand from your posting. If I'm wrong, forgive me. My motion switch has four wires. One black wire - power input, one red wire - switched power output to the lights, one yellow wire - switched power output to the lights, one green wire - earth bond. The red and yellow wires have power on them in alternate states for 3-way operation that allows motion detection at the top and bottom of a set of stairs. That's how mine is presented to me. Without a picture, I can't see what your motion switch has. Some motion switches don't turn off the light until about 1-15 minutes after all motion has stopped so that if you are traversing through a room, you'll still have lights for a period of time if you are out of range (in a large room).

Answer 4

Before doing anything with electricity, find out which circuit it is on and flip the switch (or remove the fuse) for that circuit. Don't just turn the switch off.
You need both the black and the white; both are "hot", meaning you can get a shock.
All of the light switches I have seen are marked, with raised lettering, white and black. Remove about 1/2 inch of insulation to bare the wire, insert it into the hole for each color. Or, the older style, wrap the wire around the screw and tighten.
It is absolutely imperative to make certain the circuit is off before doing anything. Open breaker box (or fuse box). If not labeled, turn the breaker/remove fuse one by one until you find the circuit that controls the switch you want to work on. Of course, it would have to be turned on first so you know when the breaker/fuse turns it off.

Answer 5

If you have a continuity tester, shut off the power. Identify the wires in the switchbox that go to the light fixture. Make sure that the white wire coming from the light gets spliced in with the neutral wires. The other wire goes on one screw on the back of the switch. Test it before you stuff it back in the box. Before attaching the switch, check to make sure if it says no/ffo or on/off. If you can read "no", the switch is upside down.

Answer 6

Holy crap. I think there are people here trying to kill you. 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 LONG AS THEY ARE THE SAME COLOR. All a switch does is complete the circuit or open the circuit. If you hooked black and black or white and 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 7

if there s 2 sets of wires in the switch box, tie the whites and put the 2 black wires on the two screws of the switch. if theres only one wire, its called a switch leg which you put the white on a side and a black on a side. but you have to configure the light in a certain way. sir readalot is not correct and you ll blow your breaker when you power it up

Answer 8

The black wire is your hot and goes to the switch, the white is your neutral and goes directly to the light.

Answer 9

For a simple switch circuit:
(Two wires in, two wires out)
The two black wires are connected to the switch.
The two white wires are tied together.

Answer 10

How many wires do you have in the box?
If you have only 2 not counting the ground then both the white and black go to the switch.
If you have more then 2 then the whites should splice togther and the blacks to the light