Tip. The fixture still works if you reverse the wires, but the socket sleeve will be hot, and anyone who touches it while changing a bulb can get a shock. When wired correctly, the socket sleeve is neutral and only the small metal tab at the base of the socket is hot.

What happens if you wire something backwards?

If your outlets polarity is reversed, it means that the neutral wire is connected to where the hot wire is supposed to be. This may not sound like a terrible thing, but it is. There is always electricity flowing out of an outlet with reversed polarity, even if an appliance is supposed to be off.

Why would a neutral wire be hot?

If the neutral is disconnected anywhere between the light bulb and the panel, then the neutral from the light to the point of the break in the neutral will become hot (and the device will be unpowered, because no current will be flowing through it).

Does polarity matter when wiring a lamp?

Light Bulbs - With some appliances, polarity doesnt matter. However, with lamps, polarity is important. When you screw a light bulb into a socket, the electricity is intended to flow into the light bulb from the button on the bottom of the socket. Its the black or hot connection.

How do you know which wire is hot on a lamp?

Look at the colors of the wires in your lamp. If there are three wires, the wire with black insulation is hot. If you have four, then the black and red wires are both hot.

Does it matter which way you wire a light fixture?

Tip. The fixture still works if you reverse the wires, but the socket sleeve will be hot, and anyone who touches it while changing a bulb can get a shock. When wired correctly, the socket sleeve is neutral and only the small metal tab at the base of the socket is hot.