In the case of a single-pole switch, these wires are interchangeable—it doesnt make any difference which wire is attached to which screw terminal. Usually, its a simple matter of pigtailing the switchs grounding screw to the circuit grounding wires.

Can you wire a single pole switch wrong?

This makes things like lamps and many appliances more safe to operate. But heres the catch: If you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals on an outlet, the outlet will still work but the polarity will be backward. If these connections are backward, the polarity is wrong.

Where does the black wire go on a single pole switch?

A single-pole switch has two brass terminal screws on the side that receive the black (“hot”) wires of the circuit. One black wire comes from the power source and the other goes to the light(s).

How do you know which wire is black or line?

The easiest way of identifying the line/hot and load wires is to check the colors of the insulation. White and grey wires are neutral; green with yellow stripes, green and copper are ground wires, black can be line/upstream wire, red or black are load/downstream. The white or black are travelers.

What happens if you wire a light wrong?

Tip. The fixture still works if you reverse the wires, but the socket sleeve will be hot, and anyone who touches it while changing a bulb can get a shock. When wired correctly, the socket sleeve is neutral and only the small metal tab at the base of the socket is hot.

Can you wire a light switch wrong?

If either wire at the light fixture is still hot then the switch is wired incorrectly. If one of the wires is still hot at the light fixture with the switch in the off position, then you most likely have the light switch on the neutral wire.