In order to ensure the residents’, electricians’, and your appliance’s safety, it is important to understand electrical wire colors. The different colors indicate what that circuit’s purpose is. It is also important to remember that wires carry electrical currents all the time and you should treat them cautiously. Hotwires are the ones that pose the biggest threat, so be careful. These are the wires that carry live electrical current from the breaker box or electrical panel to an outlet or light fixture.
Electrical Wires Colors
Here are the most common electrical wire colors you will find when installing or fixing your home appliances:
Black Wires
Black wires are the ones that transfer power to switches and outlets in all circuit types. They can also be used as switch legs, which work as the link between the electrical load and the switch. Be careful, black wires are considered live at all times, and should be careful when dealing with them.
Red Wires
Red wires are found in 220-volt circuits and are secondary live wires and they can also be used as switch legs. These wires are usually used to connect a home’s power system and smoke detectors.
Red wires are also used to install ceiling fans where the light switches are.
Blue And Yellow Wires
Blue and yellow wires can carry power but they are not usually used to wire outlets. They actually act as live wires pulled by a conduit instead. For example, yellow wires work as switch legs to ceiling fans, outlets joined with light switches or structural lighting.
Blue wires are used as travelers in four or three-way switches, for example, switches at the top or bottom of a staircase that controls the same light.
White Wires With Red Or Black Tape
White wires are often covered with red or black tape. This means they are hot wires and should be treated with caution
Green Wires
Green wires are the ones used to ground electrical circuits. These wires connect to a ground terminal within an outlet strongbox and within an electrical panel, they run towards the ground bus bar.
The wire then plays as a failsafe, which means that it can give electricity a place to escape within the ground if a live wire comes into contact with metal.
Green wires are only connected to other green wires, and if an error occurs in the circuit, they should be treated with caution as they may be liv. These wires should never be used for any other purpose because they can potentially electrocute you.
Bare Copper Wires
Bare copper wires are connected to all electrical devices and they must be grounded. This includes fixtures, outlets, metal appliance housings, fixtures, or frames.
White Or Gray Wires
These are neutral wires, however, they should still be handled with care because they can be carrying an electric current. White and gray wires can electrocute when they are mishandled given they carry power back to the electrical panel. When you handle white wires, make sure they don’t have black or red tape around them. Otherwise, they are used as hot wires.
Residential Electricians in Clearwater, FL
East-West Electric serves Clearwater, FL & Pinellas County with reliable and superior quality residential electrician services. Our professional certified electricians provide affordable, professional electrical repairs. East-West Electric does electrical installations, home rewiring, and appliance and lighting installations. Call us today at (727) 771-9403!
