The raised rib is only found on lamp cord wire. Other flexible cords will have the wire colours identified by the colour of the wires insulation. In these types of flexible cords any connections to devices shall be made as, white to the silver coloured screw, black to the brass coloured screw and green to the green coloured screw.
The neutral wire and power wire are never connected together.
If you are referring to lamp cord type wire where both wires are brown then yes, connect the wire with the groves to the white neutral and the smooth wire to the black hot wire.
a loose connection of a neutral wire
Not usually. When a wire burns and grounds out the breaker will trip. Wire burns are usually centered around terminal connections points. If a connection becomes loose heat will be produced and this heating action is what burn the insulation on the wire. The neutral wire on the other hand is not switched so it is less likely to have terminal connection points that can become loose. In a circuit the neutral wire is connected under a wire nut with other neutral extensions in the circuit and then connected to the neutral buss in the distribution panel. There is very little to go wrong on the neutral return side of the load wire.
Even though it is a clear wire, there will be a tracer of raised or indented rib on the wire to identify the neutral. You may have to run your thumbnail around the wire to feel it rather that see it. This ribbed identified wire will be the neutral leaving the other wire to be connected to the hot side of the circuit.
The neutral wire and power wire are never connected together.
If you are referring to lamp cord type wire where both wires are brown then yes, connect the wire with the groves to the white neutral and the smooth wire to the black hot wire.
You should never switch the neutral wire. The neutral of the appliance should be connected directly to the neutral wire leading to the service panel neutral bar.
No, the switch just breaks the hot side of the circuit. The incoming hot wire should be connected to the top screw and the load side of the switch should be connected to the bottom screw. The neutral wire is usually connected together with a wire nut and pushed to the back of the switch box.
The neutral safety switch is on the side of the transmission. It screws into the side and has a small three wire plug.
question writer probably meant: "other wire is Ground", but the better way to ask the question is ending in "other wire is neutral" usually if a plug has different size prongs/connectors the common /white side will be the larger of the two or the white /silver the hot side will be smaller or bronze/dark/black
On a lamp cord or two wire extension cord the writing is on the neutral side. Double check this by tracing the wire down to the cord end. You should find the neutral wire connected to the wider blade, of the two blades, of the plug cap
Standard 115 extension cords have three wires but sometimes the ground is the only wire that is color coded. If you cut off the plug, you can lose a sense of which wire is NEUTRAL (white) and which is HOT (black). Its easy if you THINK. Look at the plug as and a receptacle as if you were going to push it in. The ground wire (green) is on the bottom. The ribbed side is on the left of the plug. If you look at a receptacle, you will see that side is NEUTRAL. The smooth wire side is on the right of the plug and would connect to the BLACK side of the receptacle. Got it? Most 3-wire cords use color coding. Most 2-wire cords use the "ribbed" method. The RIBBED side is supposed to be the "identified wire" which is the neutral. Be careful with thinking "right" or "left" because some 3-wire receptacles are installed horizontally or with the ground up. Further, don't assume the ribbed side is neutral on an existing installation unless you test and confirm it.
a loose connection of a neutral wire
Not usually. When a wire burns and grounds out the breaker will trip. Wire burns are usually centered around terminal connections points. If a connection becomes loose heat will be produced and this heating action is what burn the insulation on the wire. The neutral wire on the other hand is not switched so it is less likely to have terminal connection points that can become loose. In a circuit the neutral wire is connected under a wire nut with other neutral extensions in the circuit and then connected to the neutral buss in the distribution panel. There is very little to go wrong on the neutral return side of the load wire.
Ground wire can be appropriately bonded to the neutral and cabinet at the service box by connecting the neutral and ground wires from the feeder wires to the neutral bus bar and the ground terminal located on the same cabinet at the service box. White wire (neutral) must be connected to bus bar and bare wire must be connected to ground terminal in the same cabinet.
Even though it is a clear wire, there will be a tracer of raised or indented rib on the wire to identify the neutral. You may have to run your thumbnail around the wire to feel it rather that see it. This ribbed identified wire will be the neutral leaving the other wire to be connected to the hot side of the circuit.