One of the black wires is the hot. In the most basic 110 volt electrical setup youll find two wires.
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Two black wires which is hot. A two wire plug uses a type a outlet. Neutral common or return. The red is the switched hot. The other is an extension of the hot to some other fixture or to one half of the switched outlet. If it 115 125 red lead is on hot wire if it. Take voltmuilt meter set to ac 200volts touch red lead to one black wire black lead to other.
In the us black is hot or live. Type b was created to provide a connection for an electrical safety system. If there are two wires dangling from a ceiling rose identify the cables first. The white wire goes by many names that all mean the same thing. However if you need to rewire a light switch or a plug socket you may occasionally come across two black wires. Another black wire might be a hot return from a switch that was served with a red and black wires.
The united states has strict codes relating to home wiring including clearly defined colors on the outer casing of the wires. The type a plug has two flat parallel prongs and can fit in both styles of outlets. If you are in the uk or india black is neutral. A meter can identify the voltage but might not be more useful. Yes you can cap both and yes the hot wire is still hot. After removing the old switch the preferred method is to join the two existing black wires together and to add a short additional black wire called a pigtail.
The black wire is hot. Black means hot white signifies neutral and green indicates ground. The two prongs provide a hot and neutral electrical connection. Power flows from the box to the outlet through the black wire and back to the box through the white one. These outlets are the older version of the current type b outlet. The neutral wire can also be gray.