Using voltmeter to determine which of the two wires is hot.?
Answers: This is AC, mull over of both as hot. You will need both wires for any appliance approaching a light, it will not business which way you hook them up. Touch the verbs to the two wires it will light up if the wires are connected at the breaker and it is not tripped. Of course if the lead are connected to a switch it must be on.
charles c is gonna get you kill
you need a reading of 123, this will let somebody know you, hey we have power,. 110 volts,
as next to lighting . you don't need a ground,
white is hot , other .
i use , an old buoyant fixture to test ,over principal ,wires,very efficient ,and easy er
You could try using the box as a ground or the unclothed wire specifically in equal cable with the two wires.
Alternatively in attendance is a voltage detector tool which buzzes when it comes near a hot rope. It is about $15 and will come within handy many times.
When you do find the hot white telecommunication put some black vinyl tape on it to trade name it clear for next time which is hot rope.
don't listen to them you can get shocked? next to two white wires someone ridged it up wrong you need to desert those wires and run new wires to the breaker box honourable luck
Tom
OK, here what you do. Take an extension cord and plug it into the wall. I hope you have a 3 prong wall plug so this jammy to understand and a 3 prong extension cord beside 3 holes. Plug the red lead into the moved out slot with one hole not here one hole down like looking at a frontage. Then plug the black into the right slot. It should light. Then plug the black organize into the round hole, it should light. Now, near the black lead within the right slot or the hole touch the red lead to one of the white wires. The one that lights is the hot. Hope you read what I saying.
Charles is in truth right, when you touch the wires together it should complete a circuit. I'm taking it there is a switch attached that operate the fixture that was near? if there is turn it on, touch both wires beside the volt meter it glow. Turn stale the switch and try again, should be off. Just reconnect your clean fixture(taking it your replacing it) to the wires, either course because they are acting as travelers in the circuit
but as far as why you dont' own a ground that could be several reasons, the age of house or incompetent installer to start near.
First thing to do is to check the voltage between the two white wires. One may be hot and the other nuetral or grounded. That's in recent times to make sure which line is safe to touch.
To assessment the electrical potential to ground, just pocket an extention cord that has three prongs, and plug it into an outlet that have a ground plug. Use the ground opening on the feminine end of the extension cord to calculate the potential of the two white wires relative to ground.
Now here is more information than you might want to know....
The industry standard for home wiring is that the black lead is always hot, the white cable is neutral, and ground wires are roughly uninsulated copper. The only place you will see a red lead is when you are working with a 220 volt two phase circuit...approaching a clothes dryer or electric stove.
It is not uncommon for a contractor to release money by useing wire of duplicate colors to wire an electrical outlet. They gross money by cutting corners.
So check respectively of the white wires to ground with the extension cord and next label the hot chain with a piece of video.
If both wires have own no electrical potential relative to ground, they may have a switch associated beside them, or they could be part of a three opening switch where two wall switches control duplicate light.
I've attached a cooperation to a site that explains three way switches.
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