Why would an outlet have 2 hot wires?

The reason for multiple hot/neutral wires for one outlet is that the outlets are daisy-chained together. This means hot/neutral is only coming from one of the wires and it is being sent to the other wire.

Can you use 12/3 to run two circuits?

It is perfectly fine, provided that: The two circuits are on different legs – i.e., 240V between the two hots. If so, the neutral is the difference between the circuits instead of the sum of the circuits.

What can 12 3 wire be used for?

ROMEX® 12/3 wire is used in buildings for circuits that use higher amperage than the standard 20 amps. Most people are not familiar with this type of wire because it is used to hook up heavy-draw appliances such as water heaters and central air conditioning.

What happens when you put two hot wires together?

Connecting two live wires in such a way to the switch will do nothing if both live wires are from the same source, as no current will flow as they should both possess the same potential measured in volts ( An electrical current flows between points of different potentials) BUT if the ‘Live’ wires are from different …

What can I do with an extra hot wire?

Safe Keeping for Spare Electrical Wires and Cables You may also reroute the wire into another electrical box and just cap off the wires. The other alternative is to trace the wire back to its origin and totally remove it.

What is the difference between 12 2 and 12 3 Romex?

The first number indicates the gauge of the wire. A 12-2 Romex will have a black(hot) and a white(neutral) wire as well as an unsheathed copper wire for ground. A 12-3 Romex will have a black(hot), red(hot), white(neutral), and bare copper. The red on a 12-3 is used for three-way light switches which are covered later.

How many amps will 12/3 wire carry?

20 Amps
50 Foot of 12/3 SJOOW bulk electrical cable. Rated for 20 Amps, 300 max volts.

Can one outlet have two circuits?

It’s possible to safely have two circuits feeding one receptacle, if you have a hot/neutral pair for each segment. Additionally, current code requires dipole breakers in this case, so overload on either circuit shuts off both.

What do you do with extra hot wires?

Safe Keeping for Spare Electrical Wires and Cables You may also reroute the wire into another electrical box and just cap off the wires. The other alternative is to trace the wire back to its origin and totally remove it. Electrical junction box splices can be made safely when you understand the method.

How do you hook up 3 wires to a switch?

One wire in the pigtail is the line wire and one goes to the switch in Box 2, and the third is a single jumper wire needed to hook up the switch in Box 1. Just like before, twist the three wires together, screw on a cap, then connect the jumper to the switch in Box 1 and the single black wire in Box 2 to that switch.

Why do I get 240 volts between two 120V wires?

The first 120v wire will be + the other will be negative, which is why you get 240 volts between them. So the amps are also negative on the 2nd wire? (of course this alternates, but I’m just assuming we are “Freezing” at that point ) Click to expand… The “polarity” changes direction 60 times a second (hence the 60hz).

What is the difference between 2 wire and 3 wire electrical wiring?

2 Wire and 3 Wire Cables. As for circuits installed from the electrical panel, a 2-wire (black and white with the ground) cable will be used for one hot and one neutral or one circuit. However a 3-wire circuit (black, red, white and the ground) cable can be used for feeding two circuits that will share the neutral and ground wire.

What does the Red Wire connect to on a light switch?

The red wire connects one set of brass terminals on the two switches, and the black wire connects the other set. The bottom terminal on one of the switches is used for the black wire coming from the power source, and on the other switch, it connects to the black wire going to the light.