With a switch loop yes, it should. The hot wire should come down from the ceiling on the white wire and go back up on the black wire. Just think white down, black up. If you wired it the other way around, hot black down and hot white up, you have a problem.

Does it matter which wire goes where on a 3-way light switch?

A standard 3-way switch features four terminals, each represented by a colored screw. These are the traveler terminals. It doesnt matter which traveler wire (red or black) connects to which traveler terminal as long as its the same in both switch boxes.

What wire goes to common on light switch?

Changing a light switch COM or Common is the terminal to which the live core wire is attached - this is the brown wire (formerly red).

Can a light switch have two hot wires?

2 Answers. The wire from the other switch is almost certainly the line hot. If so, it will be always hot no matter what position either of the switches is in. This is electrically the same as having a separate wire going to each switch from a common line hot.

What happens if you wire backwards?

If your outlets polarity is reversed, it means that the neutral wire is connected to where the hot wire is supposed to be. This may not sound like a terrible thing, but it is. There is always electricity flowing out of an outlet with reversed polarity, even if an appliance is supposed to be off.

How do I wire two lights to different switches?

Run 12-gauge electrical cable between each switch and the light it controls. Pull one end of each cable through the back of one of the light fixture electrical boxes. Strip both ends of each cable with a knife, separate the wires and remove 1/2 inch of insulation from the end of each.

Does red wire go to common on light switch?

The black hot wire connects to the far right switchs common terminal. Red and blue wires link traveler terminals of both switches. The red wire, which is connected to the first switchs common terminal, leads back to the fixture.

Why are there 2 hot wires?

4 Answers. There are multiple wires because that is how wires are connected to gather to get from the distribution box to the farthest outlet on the circuit. Where there are not enough screws, you attach the outlets together with a connector with an additional short pigtail that goes to the device.

Can a nicked wire cause a fire?

Factors such as nicked wires, loose connections, improper wire size, reversed polarity (hot and neutral wires connected to the wrong terminals) and poor or no grounding of metal parts of electrical equipment can cause fires, shock and electrocution.

Do you need an electrician to change light switch?

Do I need an electrician to replace a light switch? No. If youre replacing a broken light switch or a like-for-like one, its a simple task that only requires you to know how to safely isolate the circuit and some basic tools.

Why do I have a red wire in my light switch?

What are Red Wires? Red wires are usually used as secondary hot wires. Red wires are also hot and should be clearly marked to avoid the dangers of electrocution. Red wires are commonly used when installing ceiling fans, where the light switch maybe.