Both wires on a new light fixture have clear insulation, how do I know which is "black" and which is "white"?

Question

The instruction manual isn't clear...........

Answer 1

It will work whichever way you hook it up. However, electrical codes require you to hook it up according to polarity. Here is how to determine polarity... One of the wires will have ridges on the side of it. The other one will have writing on the side of it. The one with the ridges is the "white", the one with the writing is the "black". Wiring the fixture this way ensures that the "hot" contact on the screw shell (where you screw in the light bulb) is the little tab on the bottom and not the screw shell itself. I believe the logic behind this is that it would be harder to get shocked if someone sticks their finger in there (which if you stick your finger in there, you probably deserve to get shocked anyway). Like I said, it will work either way, one is just the "correct" way.

Answer 2

While the lights may work connecting either way, to be safe, do a simple continuity test.

The bulb socket has a center contact point for the very bottom of the bulb. This is the contact point that should ultimately be connected to the black wire. The threaded sides of the bulb socket should be connected to the white wire.

Take a continuity tester and place one probe on the threaded metal sides of a bulb socket. With the other end of the probe, touch one of the two wires with the clear insulation, one at a time, to determine which clear insulated wire is connected to the threaded metal side of the bulb socket. That wire should connect to the white wire.

Since you only have two wires to test, once you identify one, you know the identity of the other, but you can then also test for continuity between the center contact point at the bottom of the bulb socket and the other wire. That other wire will connect to the black wire.

Answer 3

If all you are concerned about is having the bulb turn on it doesn't matter which way the wires connect. However, to be done properly and safely even a light bulb socket has a type of polarity.

One of the wires should have a ridge or a stripe. This will be the live or black wire.

The live wire should connect to the center of the fixture, and the neutral to the screw base. Use an ohm meter to determine which goes where.

Answer 4

Fixture Wire

Answer 5

If its a metal fixture you want to make sure the hot wire is the centre of the socket not the outside, otherwise it could short out on the mounting box or zap someone touching it. There should be some sort of indication, a stripe or irregular surface to the hot wire. I would check with an ohm meter. All else fails take it back and ask the seller or get another fixture

Answer 6

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Use a voltmeter or even one of those led testers that have two probes and check the voltage between each wire and ground. The one with the voltage or that lights the bulb is hot. The other is neutral. There should be a bare wire that is ground. Be careful not to get them reversed. In a light socket the screw part is neutral and the center contact is hot. This is to protect you from touching the hot by mistake.

Answer 7

it doesn't matter which one you connect to, the wires on the fixture are just acting as the the missing link to the loop. the loop is the passing of electricity meaning the hot(black), once released with the flip of the switch will run through the bulb and then exit through the neutral wire(white), thus completing the loop.

Answer 8

one and two are correct, all you're doing with a light and two wires, is completing a circuit. Number 3 also has a clue in that there should be some identifier on either of the wires.

Answer 9

it does not matter hook the black wire to one fixture wire and the white box wire to the other fixture wire,that's why its called alternating current.

Answer 10

If you are dealing with 110 volts it doesn't matter which wire connects to which.