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Dumb question?

1K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  hdavis 
#1 ·
In a recent (now closed) discussion about installing fixtures I made a comment and prefaced it with “dumb question” and got a sharp retort that it was dumb.

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I submit that it wasn’t as dumb as it appears, because the OP had not provided (to me) a clear description of the situation. He said he had two black wires and didn’t know which to connect to hot. I have seen light fixtures with only 2 wires, both the same color. Obviously for a simple light fixture it doesn’t matter which lead is hot, the bulb is going to burn. It wasn’t clear if the 2 wires he was looking at were on the fixture or the house wiring.
 
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#2 ·
Pendant lights are frequently like this. The really old ones original to a house always get rewired, the cloth wiring degrades.

Aesthetically, having black and white wires exposed is going to be ugly. You still need to wire hot to the center base bulb contact.
 
#3 ·
Yep, polarity still matters. If both wires are the same color, there's still a means of telling which is which, or the fixture won't get UL approval. Usually ribbing on the neutral.

Not a dumb question, but not necessarily needed in a thread that didn't belong here in the first place.
 
#7 ·
The original thread was about structure wiring, 2 wire cloth-wrapped cable.

The OP couldnt figure out how to differentiate between the hot and neutral. 🥺

I suggested a no-contact voltage tester and an Electrical Contractor.

After that, I think Griz got tired of the Phkkery and shut it down. 🤣

Dont think it was directed at you, Half-ass. 😳🤣

Love the username by the way. Creative. 👍
 
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