Polarized Plug Wiring Color

Plugs with two prongs of different sizes and plugs with two flat prongs and a third circular prong underneath.

Polarized plug wiring color. Failure to replace polarized plugs that are damaged can result in fire hazard and electrical short circuit. In time plugs can become damaged and frayed requiring replacement. If installing a plug on an appliance where the wiring is not color coded observe the connection before cutting the old plug from the appliance. Install a 110 volt polarized electrical plug by connecting the white wire to the steel or chrome plated screw the black wire to the brass screw and the bare ground wire if it is used to the green screw.

The color code is standard in electrical wiring. The black wire is the hot wire. Usually this is accomplished by the use polarized plug wiring color of one prong on the plug being wider than the other with matching width holes in hot links. A polarized plug will have one prong wider than the other which is the neutral and usually silver colored prong.

To change a polarized plug you must know how the wiring is set up so that you can ensure a safe appliance once. Polarized plugs work as a safety mechanism to prevent electrical shock if you touch an energized part of the appliance. They come in two forms. This means the plug has a small blade for the hot wire and a wide blade for the neutral wire and the wires feeding those blades should not be reversed when you put a new plug on.

The smooth wire connects to the black hot wire and the wire with ridges connects to the white. A polarized power plug is one that is designed to plug into a power receptacle one way only ie. The hot prong will be narrower and usually gold colored. The danger isnt fire.

To prevent shocks from the metal parts of a light lamp cords and two wire extension cords are always polarized. This neutral wire also connects to the larger of the two blades in a polarized plug if one is used. For newer electronic devices even though the two prong design doesnt feature a grounded wire most non polarized plugs are double insulated as a safety precaution. Wiring a new plug isnt difficult but its important to get the hot and neutral wires connected to the proper prongs.

It cannot be reversed. It becomes energized as soon as you insert the plug into a working receptacle. That means that there are two layers of insulation between any live wires and any metal parts within the appliance to prevent electrical shocks and shorts from occurring. A polarized plug has two prongs of different widths.

The white wire is known as the neutral or return wire. The worry is that a miswired plug poses a fairly serious shock hazard.