Brian Shutter
07-12-2006, 5:04 PM
I'm installing a new ceiling fan with light in my son's bedroom. I think I've got all the wiring figured out but only in my head. One thing that's confusing me is the red wire coming out of the breaker that controls the outlets and switch in his room. From what I can see the black wire from that same romex cable goes to another breaker. How does this work and why is it done like that? Is there anything about this that will affect what I'm doing upstairs?
There is a switched outlet in the bedroom with a red wire that I believe goes from the outlet to the switch (the switch has a black wire going in and a red going out). When the switch is ON, the black is hot and the red is hot (and so is the bottom receptacle on the outlet). When the switch is OFF, the black is still hot and the red is dead (so is the bottom receptacle of the outlet).
My initial thought was that the red wire leaving the breaker was either going directly to the outlet or directly to the switch. But now my assumption is that the red wire coming from the breaker is not related in any way to the red wire coming out of either the switch or the outlet. Does that sound right?
So,
Question #1 Why did the electrician use a 12 or 14/3 on that breaker (as well as on 1 or 2 others)? If the red wire doesn't go to the switch or the outlet, where does it go? Where does the black one go?
Question #2 Since the black wire going to the switch is hot whether or not the switch is ON that must be from the source. How is it then that the breaker with the red wire coming out of it controls the power to that switch?
Question #3 Am I correct in assuming that the red wire from the switch goes to the outlet and nowhere else? It's not hot when the breaker is off nor when the switch is off.
Thanks for your help.
Brian
There is a switched outlet in the bedroom with a red wire that I believe goes from the outlet to the switch (the switch has a black wire going in and a red going out). When the switch is ON, the black is hot and the red is hot (and so is the bottom receptacle on the outlet). When the switch is OFF, the black is still hot and the red is dead (so is the bottom receptacle of the outlet).
My initial thought was that the red wire leaving the breaker was either going directly to the outlet or directly to the switch. But now my assumption is that the red wire coming from the breaker is not related in any way to the red wire coming out of either the switch or the outlet. Does that sound right?
So,
Question #1 Why did the electrician use a 12 or 14/3 on that breaker (as well as on 1 or 2 others)? If the red wire doesn't go to the switch or the outlet, where does it go? Where does the black one go?
Question #2 Since the black wire going to the switch is hot whether or not the switch is ON that must be from the source. How is it then that the breaker with the red wire coming out of it controls the power to that switch?
Question #3 Am I correct in assuming that the red wire from the switch goes to the outlet and nowhere else? It's not hot when the breaker is off nor when the switch is off.
Thanks for your help.
Brian