How to Test Positive and Negative Wires When Wiring a Ceiling Light

How to Test Positive and Negative Wires When Wiring a Ceiling Light

• 1

  Remove the light bulbs from your existing ceiling light fixture.

• 2

  Unscrew the light fixture from the electrical box in the ceiling.

• 3

  Pull the light fixture away from the ceiling to expose the wires coming from the electrical box.

• 4

  Make the battery is installed in your Non-Contact AC Voltage Detector and that the device is turned on.

• 5

  The light fixture should have three wires: a positive (hot) wire, which should be black but sometimes is red; a negative (neutral) wire, which should be white; and a green or bare copper wire, known as the ground wire, which should never carry an electrical current.

• 6

  Place the tip of your Non-Contact AC Voltage Detector anywhere on the positive (black) wire. If a current is present, a light will illuminate on your voltage detector. The negative (white) wire does not carry a current unless the power to your light fixture is turned on and a bulb is in it.

• 7

  If your voltage detector has not detected electrical current, you can safely disconnect your old fixture and wire a new one.