Follow our guide below to better understand your electrical system! Hot wire is used as the initial power feed to a circuit. It carries the current from the power source to the outlet. Acting as the first instance of a circuit, they are always carrying electricity, meaning it is dangerous to touch a hot wire while there is a power source feeding it. Hot wire is identified by its black casing.
This is the main color of hot wire for most homes. However, other hot wires can red, blue, or yellow, although these colors can indicate a different function besides powering an outlet. Regardless, all hot wire should be treated the same: do not touch hot wire unless there is no connected and operating power source. Once hot wire has initialized the beginning of a circuit, there must be another wire to complete the circuit.
This role is filled by neutral wire. Neutral wire carries the circuit back to the original power source.
Of course, in order to complete the circuit, a wire must return the electrons to the power supply to turn the lightbulb on. To summarize: the hot wire carries electricity from the power supply and takes it to the load lightbulb. Neutral wires take the used electricity from the load and bring it back to the power supply. Instead, they are connected to a transformer.
With direct current, the electricity moves in a straight path through the hot wire, to the load, back through the neutral wire, and then back to the power source. You can think of a direct current as a boat moving along a river that eventually returns to the lake it originated from in a loop.
With alternating current, the electrons move back and forth between the wires constantly instead of a perfect, consistent loop. For a much more comprehensive look at how wiring works in your home, check out this helpful video courtesy of The Engineering Mindset:.
But first, it's best to understand exactly what a neutral wire is, why it's important, and how to identify a neutral wire by color. There are many myths and misnomers about the neutral wire and what it does. It's commonly confused with ground wires.
Some folks may not even know in what electricity systems these wires are found. Neutral wires only exist in AC power; DC power consists of a positive, a negative, and a ground. It's the neutral wire that allows for the current to alternate, since the neutral wire acts as the roadway back to power source. The neutral wire is often confused with ground wire, but in reality, they serve two distinct purposes.
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. The best example of a ground wire doing its job is when lightning strikes a building, the ground wire will take all that excess energy and deliver it away from the house so that your TV or computer doesn't blow out.
AC Power comes in a variety of types based on the number of volts the wires carry. There are specific wire color codes for different volt classifications. These colors have to be different because the wires need to be composed according to the amount of voltage they'll be used for.
It's important to be able to identify and correctly use the appropriate wires for the right application to avoid electrical problems. AC power comes in a variety types based upon the number of volts the wires will be carrying. Poka Yoke Introduced as part of the Toyota Production System, Poka Yoke works to prevent human error and was even once known as "fool proofing. Questions and Answers. Questions and Answers Find out some of the most commonly asked questions and learn how to improve safety and efficiency in your facility.
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