answersLogoWhite

0

What is ribbed neutral wire?

Updated: 10/24/2022
User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

Best Answer

In a two wire zip cord, often used to simple appliances such as table lights, the ribbed conductor should be connected as the neutral conductor. The ribbing is there to help you find the neutral. On the plug end, neutral is the wide prong. On the lamp end, neutral is the outside of the socket. (Hot is switched and connected to the center pin.) The reason for this is that when you change a light bulb by feel, if you touch the screw part of the base while it is still partially screwed in, you do not want to come into contact with hot, in case you are also touching something else, such as ground.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What is ribbed neutral wire?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

Is ribbed wire black or white?

The ribbed wire on a lamp cord is the neutral wire. On an extension cord there is no rib but the neutral wire is white in colour.


Is ribbed wire hot?

No, the ribbed conductor on lamp cord is the identified conductor thereby making it the neutral wire.


The power cord that came with my dishwasher installation kit does not have individually color coded wires ie black white green One wire is ribbed is this the neutral wire?

Yes, the ribbed side is neutral (white), the opposite side is hot (black) and the center is ground.


Do yo connect black wire to smooth wire or ribbed?

Connect the black wire to the smooth wire. The ribbed wire is the identifier for the neutral wire which is connected to the shell of the lamp holder. The smooth wire connects to the center pin in the lamp holder. Using this configuration the hot wire is kept away from your fingers as far as possible when changing out the light bulb.


Do the ribs on one side of a wire mean neutral or hot?

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.

Related questions

Is ribbed wire black or white?

The ribbed wire on a lamp cord is the neutral wire. On an extension cord there is no rib but the neutral wire is white in colour.


Is ribbed wire hot?

No, the ribbed conductor on lamp cord is the identified conductor thereby making it the neutral wire.


Which is hot ribbed wire or smooth wire?

In North America the neutral has to be identified as such. On a lamp cord the ribbed insulation side is the identification of the neutral wire. The "hot" conductor of the lamp cord is the smooth insulation.No. Screw material is no safe indicator because they would be too easy to swap round.


The power cord that came with my dishwasher installation kit does not have individually color coded wires ie black white green One wire is ribbed is this the neutral wire?

Yes, the ribbed side is neutral (white), the opposite side is hot (black) and the center is ground.


Does the ribbed wire connect to the positive or negative on a light fixture?

On a molded 2- or 3-wire line cord the ribbed conductor is the neutral conductor. On a polarized 2-prong plug it will be connected to the wider blade. On some line cords the neutral conductor may have a white stripe instead of ribs.


Do yo connect black wire to smooth wire or ribbed?

Connect the black wire to the smooth wire. The ribbed wire is the identifier for the neutral wire which is connected to the shell of the lamp holder. The smooth wire connects to the center pin in the lamp holder. Using this configuration the hot wire is kept away from your fingers as far as possible when changing out the light bulb.


Do the ribs on one side of a wire mean neutral or hot?

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.


Clear wiring which one will be hot?

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.


Is the ribbed wire on a extension cord the black?

no


Is the ribbed side positive or negative in speaker wire?

Ok for all you crazy people the because i made a mistake and hooked the wires up backwards so the ribbed wire is negative.


Is hot wire on the extension cord ribbed or smooth?

Smooth side = hot (small blade) Ribbed side = ground (large blade)


What wire on lighter adapter is hot when both wires are black?

Assuming you are talking about lamp cord wire. The ribbed conductor or the one with the writing on it will be the hot, the other will be the neutral. You can verify this with an electrical meter that can measure ohms. the center of you light socket should be the hot and the shell should be the neutral. Also if your plug is polarized (one wide and one narrow blade) the wide blade is the neutral and the narrow is the hot.