I attached one wire to the top side screw on the new switch and the other two to the other side screw. Like black wires they can also be used in some types of switch legs.
Need Help With Gfci Switch Combo Only Two Wir Leviton
Light switch wires all black. Its essential that you determine which black wire is hot before proceeding. Well cover the easier scenario first. The green or bare copper ground wire if the device has one attaches to the green screw terminal on the switch or to the electrical box. Turn the power back on and turn the switch on. Knowing which wire does what and goes where is imperative not only in the correct configuration of an electrical system but also for your familys safety. It could be there is or once was a three way switch in play.
However if you need to rewire a light switch or a plug socket you may occasionally come across two black wires. With the power off connect the black hot wire to the old switch. When i removed the switch plate there were 3 black wires no white or ground. The last switch i came to was for an outside light. All home electrical wires made in the us. Black means hot white signifies neutral and green indicates ground.
The black hot wire goes to the brass screw or into the hole in the back of the device on the same side as the brass screw. Also black wires are often used as switch legs in circuits which is the connection linking a switch to the electrical load. When you see a red wire in a light switch box it can mean two things. Or it could be the red wire is the wire going to the fixture and the black wires are the live wires. In 220 volt circuits red wires are the secondary live wires. One of the two non hot black wires is the light feed and the other is a feed to other loads possibly some receptacles but it doesnt matter.
Connect either of the other two black wires to the other screw on the switch. A single pole single throw switch such as a light switch. The hot wire in a 120 volt residential ac circuit usually is coated with black insulation while the return or neutral wire is white. This wire is sometimes red. Consider all black wires to be live at all times. Follow standard color codes that identify each wires function in a circuit.
The easiest and safest way is to use a multimeter to test for current. Two of the wires plugged into the back of the switch and the other attached to a side screw.