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The normal colors of a residential outlet are black(hot), white(nuetral), and bare/green(ground). It is common to 'feed thru' an outlet, in other words to bring the power in on one trio of wires tied to the outlet and send it out on another trio of wires also tied to the outlet. If however one white wire is not connected the power will not feed thru properly and whatever outlets are downstream will not work. It is possible to burn up whatever equipment is plugged into the downstream outlets, espiecaly if it is electronic ie; omputers, video equipment etc... Hope this helps. Remember turn off power before working all electrical outlets.

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17y ago
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15y ago

- This outlet is not wired to a switch or anything like that. One set of wires is wired into the sides of the outlet, and the other two sets are pushed into the back connections. would I need to replace it with a special outlet? and is it safe?

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12y ago

You don't say if there are other wires or how many actual bulbs are involved. Black should be hot side and there should be a white wire as common and a bare or green wire for ground. If there are white and bare wires in addition to 3 black wires then it is likely each black wire goes to a different bulb so they could be switched separately. In this case you could just tie them all together. If this is not the case you need to trace the wires using an ohm meter to figure out where each wire goes.

You would have to provide more information as to type of fixture and bulbs to allow a complete answer.

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12y ago

Some older cloth covered wires tend to loose color. Check ohms with a meter between silver screw and ground. It should be zero or thereabouts.

NOTE:When checking the ohms, make sure the circuit is off. Your ohm meter will be destroyed if you attempt to check ohms of a live circuit and happen to cross the "hot" wire.
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11y ago

question does not contain enough information to be answered.

If you mean the wires on a device, it means it does not matter how it is connected. If you mean wires supplying power, something is wrong or they are so old the white has become so dirty you cannot see it.

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14y ago

wire nut the three whites together with a fourth wire going to the outlet same for the black

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13y ago

It's possible that the outlet is on a switch, and either one half of the outlet is switched or the whole thing. The extra two pair of wires probably feed the NEXT outlet.

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15y ago

America was adopted in________. The

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Q: Why would an outlet have two black wires two white wires one red wire and a ground?
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How you know if the wires black and white are mixed?

You use a known ground and check them for voltage. You can use an extension cord to reach from a ground to the wires you are testing. You are not putting it in an outlet, just to connect you to a ground.


You have two white wires and two black wires which one is the ground?

black wire is hot wire .And the white is the common or white is ground. Depends on what your talking about in an outlet or car battery. In a outlet the ground wire is green or bare copper. neutral is red and hot is black (I remember it by hot can kill you so black is death) if I am not mistaken. As for a car battery i think it's the opposite red is hot and black is neutral.


Why are wires twisted together on a GFCI outlet box?

The ground wires are twisted together and then connected to the GFCI ground. The black and white wires may also be twisted together and then using a jumper wire connected to the GFCI. Hard to say without seeing exactly how it is wired.


How do you install a swag kit with two wires to a light with three wires?

I am guessing that your 3 wires are black (hot), white (neutral) and bare or green wire (ground). Connect black to black, white to white and ground wire to the metal case of swag kit.


How do you wire a 3 wire exhaust fan to a 4 wire outlet?

The fan is probably a 115 VAC single phase fan and the outlet is probably a 230 VAC "two phase" outlet. The fan would then have the following wires: hot (black), neutral (white), and ground (green). The outlet would then have the following wires: hot #1 (black), hot #2 (red), neutral (white), and ground (green). Pick either of the two hot wires on the outlet and connect the hot wire of the fan to that (ignore the other hot wire on the outlet) and connect the neutral to neutral and ground to ground. If the wire colors are not as I described above you may have something else (e.g. 3-phase) and that would be wired differently, but those systems are usually used only in industrial settings not the home.

Related questions

How you know if the wires black and white are mixed?

You use a known ground and check them for voltage. You can use an extension cord to reach from a ground to the wires you are testing. You are not putting it in an outlet, just to connect you to a ground.


What are the colors of the wires on a duplex outlet?

Black, white, and copper.


You have two white wires and two black wires which one is the ground?

black wire is hot wire .And the white is the common or white is ground. Depends on what your talking about in an outlet or car battery. In a outlet the ground wire is green or bare copper. neutral is red and hot is black (I remember it by hot can kill you so black is death) if I am not mistaken. As for a car battery i think it's the opposite red is hot and black is neutral.


How do you wire multilple power outlets and light?

Power into the first outlet and out to all other outlets, black to gold and white to silver screw, ground wires to ground screw. From the outlet closest to the light switch run power from that outlet up to the switch box. Run another wire from the switch box up to the light. In the switch box tie all the whites together under a wire nut and push them back into the box. Tie all the ground wires together and connect that to the ground screw on the switch. Connect the 2 black wires you have left to the 2 screws on the switch. Does not matter which if you only have power in and power out to the light.


Why are wires twisted together on a GFCI outlet box?

The ground wires are twisted together and then connected to the GFCI ground. The black and white wires may also be twisted together and then using a jumper wire connected to the GFCI. Hard to say without seeing exactly how it is wired.


On three wire spin dryer cord which color green white?

On a 3 wire dryer cord there is no green wire. The white wire coming from the outlet is connected to ground or the green screw. The black and red wires are the hot wires.


Hot wires in home wiring are normally colored and ground wires in computers are normally colred?

hot wires are black, white wires are ground


How do you install a swag kit with two wires to a light with three wires?

I am guessing that your 3 wires are black (hot), white (neutral) and bare or green wire (ground). Connect black to black, white to white and ground wire to the metal case of swag kit.


How do you wire a 3 wire exhaust fan to a 4 wire outlet?

The fan is probably a 115 VAC single phase fan and the outlet is probably a 230 VAC "two phase" outlet. The fan would then have the following wires: hot (black), neutral (white), and ground (green). The outlet would then have the following wires: hot #1 (black), hot #2 (red), neutral (white), and ground (green). Pick either of the two hot wires on the outlet and connect the hot wire of the fan to that (ignore the other hot wire on the outlet) and connect the neutral to neutral and ground to ground. If the wire colors are not as I described above you may have something else (e.g. 3-phase) and that would be wired differently, but those systems are usually used only in industrial settings not the home.


Can you change an electrical outlet into a switch for a light?

Sure. For a light you need a fixture to hold the light and the light itself. The light needs to be connected to a voltage supply which you can get from the outlet. In the outlet box you will have a black, white and bare ground wire. Essentially you connect the white and bare wires directly to the light and switch the black wire (hot) through a switch.


What color of wires are found on a 120 volt duplex poutlet?

A 120 volt duplex outlet is the main type of outlet for residential outlet system. The wires are typically white and black, and there should only be two of them.


Wiring diagram needed for a GFCI connection to a hot tub?

Install the GFCI outlet is a location near the hot tub where it can be accessed and tub plugged in. Connect ground wire to green ground screw. Connect black/white wires to LINE side of outlet. Black goes to copper screw, white goes to silver screw. You connect the wires by inserting them into the holes marked LINE and then tightening the screws down tight.