Most of the outlets in your home are of the duplex variety—that is, you can plug two devices into them at one time. A half-hot (or switched) outlet is a duplex outlet that has one half permanently "on" or ready to provide ele… See more

There are 4 wiresin a Romex 3-wire cable. Here are the colors and what they indicate: 1. White: the neutral (see warning below) 2. Green or bare copper without insulation: the ground wire 3. Red: hot 4. Black: hot These will … See more

Switch boxes in older homes usually use white wires as power wires, not neutral ones. So when the white wires in a switch box are spliced together, any that goes to a switch should be ignored and left right where they … See more

Before you do anything, TURN OFF THE POWER! A non-contact voltage detector can be invaluable here for detecting power through the insulation of the wire. Make surethat the power is off. A nasty shock is the least de… See more