Knowledge Builders

can i connect red and white wires together

by Monserrat Walter Jr. Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

No, red and white wires can not go together because they are used for different things. Red wires are used as hot or live wires in some circuits. They are used as the second live wire, specifically in 240-volt installations.

Since the white wire is neutral, you should never connect a red wire to the white. However, you may connect the red wire to the black since they are both hot wires.

Full Answer

Does the Red Wire connect to Black or white?

Does The Red Wire Connect To Black Or White – Finally Understand! Sheathed cable with a red wire always is accompanied by a black wire, a white wire and a bare wire. It is possible to have cable that excludes the bare and red wires. If the cable is not attached to the wall, it may be connected to a wall outlet.

How do you hook up a red wire to a light fixture?

Then, connect the ground and the white and black wires to the metal base of the switch. If the light fixture is grounded, then you should screw a ground screw into the red wire. To attach a red wire to a ceiling lamp, start by separating the two white and black wires from the switch box.

Do different colored wires go together?

Some wires can not go with the others, meanwhile, some of them can. Because each wire has a certain color that refers to a certain use. For example, black-colored wire is known to be the hot or live wire in any circuit. Meanwhile, the white-colored wires are the neutral ones. Do Red and Green Wires Go Together?

Can I connect a black and red wire in the ceiling?

Can I connect a black and red wire in the ceiling with a black wire in the light fixture? A black/red wire can also be the output wire from a control device such as a motion detector or light sensing detector. The black wire on this device is the input hot wire, the red or black/red is the output hot wire, and yes, you would

What is the difference between red and black wire?

What is the red wire on a fan?

How many volts does a wire have?

What does the yellow wire on a switch mean?

What wires are in a new water heater?

How to connect a light to a fan?

How many volts does a water heater need?

See 4 more

About this website

image

Red Black and White wires at outlet - DoItYourself.com

Electrical - AC & DC - Red Black and White wires at outlet - EDIT: I figured it out, was written on junction box cover. RED is Hot wired to breaker #3, BLACK is Hot wired to breaker #1... (still no ground wire) -----

What to Do With RED Wire? - DoItYourself.com Community Forums

I suspect John is probably right and possible the first post may possibly be right. I suggest that you open the switch box and see if a red wire is either connected to a spare switch as John suspects or even wire nutted off inside the switch box intended for future use as a fan switch leg if a fan is installed in the future.

Connecting the Red Wire of a Ceiling Fan

I am replacing a ceiling fan. The old fan had three wires (white, black and blue). The new fan only has two wires (black & white). Can I connect the black wire from the fan to the black and red from the ceiling junction box?

How to wire a red, black and white outlet?

Before you make any wire connections to the outlet, you must break or remove the bonding plate between the two brass terminals. The safest option is to remove the screws, lift out the plate and replace the screws.

Why is the red wire on a 120 volt outlet red?

When you see a red wire in a 120-volt duplex outlet box, it's usually because one of the outlets is operated by a wall switch, while the other is always on.

What is the color of the wire in a circuit?

The ground wire is usually left bare, but in some cases, the ground wire color is green.

What is the black wire on a switch?

The cable has a black wire, which connects directly to the circuit, and a red wire, which connects to the switch . The ground wire also connects to the switch, but the white wire gets spliced to the circuit neutral wire and bypasses the switch.

Can you power two outlets with a hot wire?

If you break or remove the plate connecting the brass screws, the two outlets will function independently. You can power one with a hot wire from a wall switch and the other with a hot wire that is always on. The two outlets will share a common return path on a single white wire, and they will share a common ground.

Can you split a circuit with a duplex outlet?

An Overview of Split-Tab Wiring. You can wire a split-tab circuit with any duplex outlet rated for the ampacity of the circuit except for a GFCI or AFCI outlet because you can't modify either of these to separate the outlets.

Where to connect black wire to red wire?

Connect the black wire on the new fixture to either the black wire in the junction box or the red wire. If there is a red wire present, this is usually the wire to the light switch and should is the one you should use.

What is the red wire in a light fixture?

In general, if there is a red wire in a ceiling junction box where a light fixture is mounted, the red wire is the hot wire from the wall switch. Black wires are typically hot wires that are not attached to a switch. However, while this is the usual method, there are no strict standards for these color standards.

How many wires are in a bathroom light fixture?

Many bathroom and bedroom light fixtures have only two wires in the ceiling box. These two wires are typically black and white. In this case, the installation is as easy as: Connect the black wire on the new light fixture to the black wire in the ceiling box. The white wire on the new fixture attaches to the white wire in the junction box in ...

What happens if you have black wires in a light fixture?

If all the black wires are connected, this is probably the case. There may be one black wire not connected to the others, which is more than likely the connection for the light fixture.

Why is there a third red wire in a junction box?

There are several possibilities. The black wires in the box pass through the box and deliver power to other outlets or lights on the circuit.

What does the red wire in a ceiling light mean?

In general, if you encounter a red wire in a ceiling-mounted fixture box, the red wire is connected to the switch and is mean to control the light fixture.

What is the best tool to pull wires?

Electrical Pliers – Often called linesman pliers, these are handy when working with wire. The flat jaws allow you to grab wire securely and twist or pull the ends. These tools include a wire cutter which has obvious uses. A step stool or ladder – Use a good step stool or ladder to reach the light fixture.

What is the difference between red and black wire?

In DC wiring, red is positive, black is negative, and grey or white is ground.

What is the red wire on a fan?

The red wire is more than likely a switching wire between two switches that control the same fan. The first step is to turn off the breaker for that fan. Once you have verified the electricity is off with a voltmeter then you are ready to go. The b.

How many volts does a wire have?

The cable you are talking about - with a white wire and a black wire and a bare copper wire (the ground wire) may be 120 volts or 240 volts, depending on how it is connected at the circuit breaker box.

What does the yellow wire on a switch mean?

Colored wires blue, yellow (try to avoid red, although I’ve seen it used) indicate that that wire is switched somewhere, so it's the black hot wire to a switch, then the “on” s. If you don’t know what you are doing, and I mean really know what you are doing, contact a licensed electrician.

What wires are in a new water heater?

A new water heater has a black wire and red wire. The house has a Black wire and white wire with another copper wire coming out. How should these be wired properly?

How to connect a light to a fan?

If you want the light controlled by the wall switch and the fan controlled by the pull chain, just reverse the connections, connecting the red wire in the ceiling to the black wire in the light kit, and the black wire in the ceiling to the black wire in the fan. Connect white to white and green/copper to green/copper.

How many volts does a water heater need?

In the US, standard electric hot water heaters are to be supplied with 240 volts AC.

image

1.Does my red wire go with the white wire? - Quora

Url:https://www.quora.com/Does-my-red-wire-go-with-the-white-wire

19 hours ago Can red and white wires go together? Can red and white wires go together? In the US, the answer would be no, even though I am reluctant to answer this. White is not aggressive. White is …

2.How to Wire an Electrical Outlet With Red, White, and …

Url:https://www.hunker.com/13414331/how-to-wire-an-electrical-outlet-with-red-white-black-wires

24 hours ago No, red and white wires can not go together because they are used for different things. Red wires are used as hot or live wires in some circuits. They are used as the second live wire, …

3.How To Wire A Light Fixture With Red, Black, And White …

Url:https://upgradedhome.com/how-to-wire-a-light-fixture-with-red-black-and-white-wires/

22 hours ago Also question is, can you connect a red wire to a white wire? I am reluctant to answer this but in residential 120VAC wiring in the US, the answer would be no. White is neutral. Red is either the …

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9