Which Color Is The Hot Wire

The wire that carries the current from the power source to the outlet or receptacle is the hot wire.

Which color is the hot wire. This is incredibly important to know before you start any kind of home wiring project as well as essential to your safety so let s explore what these colored wires mean and when to use them. When a white wire is augmented with a red or black color marking this often indicates that it is being used as a hot wire rather than a neutral wire. Whenever you see a black wire you know it is hot. Fortunately the color coatings around the copper conductor of the wire give you all the clues you need to know as to what each wire does and whether it s hot neutral or ground.

The white wire is the neutral or return leg of the circuit the green is the ground wire making the black or red wire the hot one. The additional wire is hot but switched off at the switch. The standard color for your hot wire is black. If you see a black wire you should always assume it s hot.

In a 110 volt setup an additional wire usually red or blue normally indicates a hot wire controlled by a light switch. However if you see a white wire with electrical tape on it that may indicate that it s being used as a hot wire. Answer for usa canada and countries running a 60 hz supply service normally a hot wire is black when more than two wires are used a red wire can also be a hot wire the white wire is the neutral. Typically this is indicated with a band of black or red electrical tape but other colors may be used wrapped around the wire s insulation.

However common practice per local electrical inspectors is for the first hot live or active wire to be black and the second hot to be red. The gauge or size of the wire may change depending on the current requirement of the circuit but the color is a consistent feature. Under those conditions a black wire should be always hot and always on. He makes no recommendation for ungrounded power system colors.

Neutral wires should be white. White wires with black or red tape. The recommendations in table below are by wiles.