Which terminal is hot 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).
Does a single pole switch need a neutral wire?
The switch leg brings power to the fixture when the switch is turned on. The ground screw is for the circuit ground wire connection. Standard single-pole switches do not connect to neutral circuit wire.
Does it matter where the hot wire goes on a switch?
With a switch loop yes, it should. The hot wire should come down from the ceiling on the white wire and go back up on the black wire. Just think ‘white down, black up’. If you wired it the other way around, hot black down and hot white up, you have a problem.
What happens if you wire light switch backwards?
The outlet will still work if you connect the circuit wires to the wrong terminals, but the polarity will be backward. When this happens, a lamp will have its bulb sleeve energized instead of the small tab inside the sockets.
Where does the ground wire go in a single pole switch?
The other terminal is for a second hot wire, called a switch leg, that runs only between the switch and the light fixture. The switch leg brings power to the fixture when the switch is turned on. The ground screw is for the circuit ground wire connection. Standard single-pole switches do not connect to neutral circuit wire.
Can a hot switch be connected to a neutral line?
Since the neutral line is at or very near ground. Theoretically you can touch neutral or/or ground and not get shocked as long as the Hot is insulated or disconnected. Think about it this way. You have an appliance box. Hot and neutral come into the box and the hot immediately goes into a switch.
What makes a single pole light switch work?
SIngle-Pole Switch Wiring Single-pole switches are the most common light switches in a home. They have two screw terminals plus a ground screw. One screw terminal is for the “hot” wire that feeds the switch from the power source.
Can a single pole AC switch have polarity?
A single-pole switch in a standard AC household circuit does not have polarity, so it doesn’t matter which end of the switch has the hot wire. Three way and polarity reversing (four way) switches are another matter altogether.