What is a switch live wire?

The brown wire is Live (also know as permanent live), this brings the live supply to the switch. The blue wire is known as the Switched Live and takes power to the light. Switched Live is only live when the switch is on (this is where it gets its name from).

Also know, why is switch in live wire?

A switch in the electrical circuit is always connected to the live wire so that the socket/appliance is not live when it is switched off. The thicker the wire the more current is needed to melt it and the higher the 'rating' of the fuse.

Likewise, should switch be on live or neutral? Live is live. A connection from neutral to ground will not likely kill you, but a connection from live to ground stands a decent chance of doing so. And more of the circuit is live than neutral if you switch only the neutral, including any electrical devices on the circuit.

Simply so, where does the switch live wire go?

The permanent live wire is wired into the switch and the switched live into the switched live terminal. The neutrals are connected together using a terminal connector. You can also see that another live and neutral wire go to the next light switch.

Which wire is load and which is line?

Line is the side of the device where the wires from the panel (or other equipment feeding the device) are connected. Load is where any devices that are to be protected by the GFCI device are connected. Most "newer" GFCI devices will not reset if they are not connected probably.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Why is neutral wire needed?

Neutral wires carry currents back to power source to better control and regulate voltage. Its overall purpose is to serve as a path to return energy. Ground wires are electrical paths designed to carry fault currents when a power abnormality occurs.

Can you change live neutral?

If you swap live and neutral which are connected to a lamp, yes it will work fine. However, the switch on the lamp is connected on the Live side. So even though you have switched the lamp off, you have only broken the neutral return path and the light itself is still live.

How is a switch connected?

For an electric switch to work, it must be connected to the fuse box and the load. A specific cable type is used to connect the power source to the switch and the power outlet that drives the load. There are three wires, a hot wire, a neutral wire and a ground wire within this insulated cable.

What Colour is the live wire?

brown

What is the purpose of a switch in a circuit?

The purpose of a switch in a series circuit is to make it easy to open or close the electrical circuit, turning the flow of electricity on or off. A light bulb in a series circuit is used to determine whether or not electricity is flowing.

Can you fuse a neutral?

Single Fusing

A single fuse in the neutral conductor provides protection for neutral-to-phase faults, but not for phase-to-ground faults. This is one reason why a single fuse in the neutral is not permitted.

Where is the main switch for electricity?

The main circuit breaker, usually located inside the main panel at the top, shuts off all of the electricity to the house.

What effect does current have on a wire?

An electric current flows when electrons move through a conductor, such as a metal wire. The moving electrons can collide with the ions in the metal. This makes it more difficult for the current to flow, and causes resistance.

What happens if you wire a light switch wrong?

If either wire at the light fixture is still hot then the switch is wired incorrectly. If one of the wires is still hot at the light fixture with the switch in the off position, then you most likely have the light switch on the neutral wire. Separate the bare ends of the wires so you can safely turn the power back on.

Why does my light switch have 3 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. There's no three way set up and this isn't a switch loop either. Plus, The two black wires are using the same terminal.

Is the brown wire live?

The blue wire is known as the neutral wire and its job is to take electricity away from an appliance. The brown cable – known as the live wire – actually delivers electricity to your appliance. The green and yellow cable is known as the earth wire and it serves an important safety role.

Can I use 2.5 mm cable for lighting?

You can use 2.5 mm² cable of course. In large buildings sometimes 4 or 6 mm² cable is used on the feeder runs, and near the light fittings the cables are branched off in J-boxes to 1.5 mm² to go to the light fittings, to compensate for voltage drop. These light circuits are often controlled through contactors.

Can I connect red and black wires together?

In 220-volt circuits, red wires are the secondary live wires. Like black wires, they can be used in some types of switch legs. It's possible to link two red wires together or a red wire to a black wire.

Can a black wire be live?

The single black wire is the wire that returns from the light switch and should have a small piece of red tape on it to denote it becomes live when the light switch is turned on this wire goes into the brown of the light fitting. The two blacks do indeed go to the blue of the light as they are neutrals.

Will a light work if wired incorrectly?

But here's the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work but the polarity will be backward. When this happens, a lamp, for example, will have its bulb socket sleeve energized rather than the little tab inside the socket.

What happens if you reverse hot and neutral wires?

This happens when the hot and neutral wires get flipped around at an outlet, or upstream from an outlet. Reversed polarity creates a potential shock hazard, but it's usually an easy repair. This wire is commonly referred to as the neutral wire, and it should always be white.

What happens if you switch hot and neutral wires?

The neutral wire is connected to ground at the breaker box, which is connected to physical ground nearby. If you switch the hot line and leave the neutral, then the whole device will be at neutral potential. However, stuff happens, and by switching neutral instead of hot you have removed one layer of safety.