Do I need a 15 amp or 20 amp light switch?
A rule to go by is. If you have one or two lights on that one switch, then a 15 amp is good. But if you have a lot of lights on that one switch I would just go with a 20 amp switch to be safe.
What are the black and red wires in a light switch?
Well, 99% of the time one of the black wires belongs to the switch cable that controls that light. Both wires, red and black, are live wires in a switch as you will see a little later. The black wire for the switch should have a little bit of red tape around it, or a little red sleeve on it.
Can you use normal light switch for 12V?
Yes , a standard household light switch will work on 12V if wired correctly,but it sounds like you hooked both wires from the battery to the switch!!
Where does the red wire go on a light switch?
Attach the red wire from the light fixture to the nut at the top left of the switch. Connect the bare copper wire to the green nut at the bottom left of the switch. Push both switches into their boxes and secure them with screws at top and bottom. Turn on your power and test the switches.
Can you wire a light switch wrong?
If either wire at the light fixture is still hot then the switch is wired incorrectly. In which case you will need to turn the power back off and unwire the switch and the other wire that’s twisted together in the wire nut. Separate the bare ends of the wires so you can safely turn the power back on.
How many volts is a light switch UK?
It should be 0V or 220-245 V (checking at the switch wire, operating the switch off , on ) if you are getting any different check that the cpc is connected – conduct continuity tests, is the circuit a very long circuit, so that voltage drop is playing a part ?? do you have parrallel paths and losing voltage elsewhere??
Can you wire bathroom fan to light switch?
Bathroom exhaust fans with built-in light fixtures are fairly common. If you have one of these, you may have wired the fan and light to separate switches. Now, you’d like to operate both of them from the same switch. The wires are already where you need them to be, so you don’t have to run new ones.
Can I wire a ceiling fan with 14 2 wire?
14-2 should be fine for what you are using it for just a fan.
How can you tell if a switch is a live wire?
With a live circuit, you can identify the ‘switched’ live conductor at the light fitting. Switching on the switch will make one of your blacks become live. With a digital multi-meter set this to AC volts. When the switch is closed you will see 230 V between neutral and the switched live black.
Can the outlets in a bathroom be on the same circuit as the lights?
All receptacles must be AFCI and GFCI-protected, either by circuit breakers or individual receptacles that offer AFCI and GFCI protection. Light fixtures and wall switches must be on a separate circuit. A separate circuit is required for a whirlpool tub or any other large fixture or appliance in the bathroom.
Which wire is live red or black?
Black (neutral) Red (live) Green and yellow (earth)
What do I do with the red wire when installing a ceiling light?
If the tester indicates the wire is hot, turn the switch off and retest. If the wire still is hot, the wire is a hot wire that delivers electrical power to the branch circuit. If turning the switch off turns the wire off, the red wire delivers power from the light switch.
How do you separate lights on the same switch?
2 Answers
- Get a 2-gang box to replace your existing 1-gang box.
- Get a new switch.
- Remove your existing box and install the 2-gang box in its place.
- Run your supply hot wire to both switches.
- Connect the light/fan hot wire to one switch and the exterior light to the other.
- Join all neutrals and ground wires.
Does it matter how you wire a switch?
With a switch loop yes, it should. The hot wire should come down from the ceiling on the white wire and go back up on the black wire. Just think ‘white down, black up’. If you wired it the other way around, hot black down and hot white up, you have a problem.
Can you install a ceiling fan with only one light switch?
Most new ceiling fans can be wired to either a single switch or a double switch. With single-switch wiring, power to the fan is controlled by a standard single-pole wall switch, like a regular light switch. However, some fans can be controlled by special switches that offer double-switch control at the wall.
When wiring a ceiling fan what is the red wire for?
- Black wire is for the fan.
- Blue wire is for the light, if light is included with the fan.
- White wire is neutral.
- Green wire is for the ground.
- Red wire is sometimes included and acts as a conductor to carry power to the light kit.
Does it matter which wire goes where on a light switch?
If it’s a single pole switch with two terminals, the answer is no. One wire is the power to the switch and the other wire goes to the light. The black wire (hot) is switched so both black wires are connected to the switch. The switch may have gold and silver colored screws.
Will light work if wired backwards?
The fixture still works if you reverse the wires, but the socket sleeve will be hot, and anyone who touches it while changing a bulb can get a shock. When wired correctly, the socket sleeve is neutral and only the small metal tab at the base of the socket is hot.
What’s the red wire on a light switch?
Red wires are usually used as secondary hot wires. Red wires are also hot and should be clearly marked to avoid the dangers of electrocution. Red wires are commonly used when installing ceiling fans, where the light switch maybe. What are Green Wires?
What happens if you reverse hot and neutral wires?
If your outlet’s polarity is reversed, it means that the neutral wire is connected to where the hot wire is supposed to be. This may not sound like a terrible thing, but it is. There is always electricity flowing out of an outlet with reversed polarity, even if an appliance is supposed to be off.
Why does my light switch have 3 wires?
The 2 wire source feeds to an adjacent switch for a different light which then feeds this switch with 2 wires. The switch in question is a single pole. From it, there is 3 wire cable that leads to a light which then connects to other lights controlled by their own switches.
How do I wire a ceiling fan with a separate light switch?
Connect each of the two switched hot wires (typically one black, one red) to the switched hot screw on a switch. Use a wire nut to connect the panel white neutral to the neutral wire going to the fan/light. In the fan/light junction box, connect each switched hot to one of the hot wires on the fan/light.
Can I connect red and black wires together?
Red Electrical Wires These wires are typically used for switch wiring as well as the interconnection between smoke detectors hard-wired into the power system. You can link two red wires together, or you can link a red wire to a black wire.
Can you wire a light switch without ground?
It is perfectly legal to wire a light switch without the inclusion of a ground. Dimmers will require a ground wire but traditional toggle-type switches will not. Omitting a ground wire on any switch is not recommended.
How do you check voltage on a light switch?
If you’re using a multimeter, touch each tester probe to one of the screw terminals, then turn the switch lover on and off. When the switch is ON, the tester should read close to zero; when the switch is OFF, it should read “1,” indicating no continuity.
How do you wire a bathroom fan and light with two individual switches?
Connect the two white wires in the switch box together with a wire nut. Attach the red and black wires from the fan-light unit to the top terminal screws on the switches. Connect two of the black pigtail leads to the black wire coming from the receptacle.
Does a ceiling fan need a wall switch?
While most ceiling fans are remote control adaptable, meaning a remote can be added if desired, there are some of fans that come with a remote and cannot have a switch installed (i.e. remote only). That way only a single wall switch plate is required which keeps the wall looking cleaner and less cluttered.