Electrical Wiring Red Black And White Wires Ceiling Light

Ceiling fixtures almost always have a black and white wire.

Electrical wiring red black and white wires ceiling light.

Some sheathed cable includes a fourth red wire which makes it useful for wiring fixtures with three way switches or a ceiling fan with separate light and fan switches. Ground wires are either left bare or covered with green insulation. Connect the white wire to the chrome terminal and the ground wire which is bare or green to the ground terminal. The white wire of the ceiling fan is the main neutral for both the light fixture and the fan motor.

More about wiring a light fixture. This wire is always on so make sure that there is no current when dealing directly with this one to avoid any injury. Connect your white wires together and secure with wire nut. Being the main hot wire the primary function of the black wire is to provide current to the fan s motor.

In order for the light to be controlled by its own switch the wiring between the switch and the fan unit needs a fourth wire a red wire to carry power to the light kit. Typically when a ceiling fan is installed the red wire is most commonly used for the light and the black is commonly for the fan motor. The black wire is the main hot wire which generally comes from the main circuit breaker. Connect the black wire to either of the brass screws on the outlet it doesn t matter which one and the red wire to the other brass screw.

Black wires always signify the positive or hot leg of the current while white wires signify negative also called neutral or return. When there is an extra hot wire it is red. The red wire as a spare wire when a ceiling fan is not installed this spare red wire is insulated with electrical tape or capped off with a wire nut.