In my friends case the solution was simple if not intuitive. Another is that the box is on a circuit three way switch loop.
How To Replace A Light Switch Dummies
What is the red wire in a light switch. Well cover the easier scenario first. The red wire as a spare wire when a ceiling fan is not installed this spare red wire is insulated with electrical tape or capped off with a wire nut. In most cases you see a red wire in an outlet box only in special circumstances. Except in rare cases it is a hot wire or a switched hot wire. The exact purpose of a red wire for a light fixture can vary. When you see a red wire in a light switch box it can mean two things.
But in places like a bathroom or a wall light if you see a red wire its a good bet that the red wire is the wire thats connected to the light switch. It could be there is or once was a three way switch in play. Check the wire with a non contact voltage tester with the power and. So the red wire is probably the one you want. If your ceiling fan does not have a light fixture then simply cap off the red wire and attach the fan motor to the black wire. The red wire the red wire is most likely a spare wire that was intended to be used when wiring for a ceiling fan.
Or it could be the red wire is the wire going to the fixture and the black wires are the live wires. One is that the outlet is a 240 volt one which requires an extra hot wire. In standard 120 volt wiring the hot wire is black but it can also be red. Normally youll see a red wire in places you would expect a ceiling fan. A red wire up in the ceiling fan junction box usually indicates that the wiring has been installed which provides separate switch for the light and a separate switch for the fan motor. The wall switch typically when a ceiling fan is installed the red wire is most commonly used for the light and the black is commonly for the fan motor.
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