# 2 Black Wires



## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

The wire connected to the screw shell should connect to the building white wire. You may need a continuity tester to identify which is which.


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## brric (Mar 5, 2010)

DaveSteel said:


> I'm installing a hanging light fixture, and the fixture has 2 black wires. Which one do I connect to white ceiling wire and which to black? The only difference in the fixture wires is one is marked with text that says, in part "300 V". The other wire is plain black.


Read the instructions that came with the fixture. Perhaps one wire is ribbed and one is smooth? Perhaps one is copper color and the other is silver colored? The wire connected to the center contact of the lampholder should be connected to the black in the junction box.


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## daveclt (Feb 18, 2008)

brric said:


> Read the instructions that came with the fixture. Perhaps one wire is ribbed and one is smooth? Perhaps one is copper color and the other is silver colored? The wire connected to the center contact of the lampholder should be connected to the black in the junction box.



I don't have the instructions.
One wire (the unmarked black wire) is ribbed. The other (marked with text) is smooth.

If I just guess and the wires are connected backward, is that a fire hazzard?


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## HouseHelper (Mar 20, 2007)

DaveSteel said:


> I don't have the instructions.
> One wire (the unmarked black wire) is ribbed. The other (marked with text) is smooth.
> 
> If I just guess and the wires are connected backward, is that a fire hazzard?


Ribbed wire goes to the white in the ceiling, smooth to black.


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## brric (Mar 5, 2010)

HouseHelper said:


> Ribbed wire goes to the white in the ceiling, smooth to black.


I agree. No fire hazard but a shock hazard.


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## daveclt (Feb 18, 2008)

HouseHelper said:


> Ribbed wire goes to the white in the ceiling, smooth to black.


Thank you!

(By the way, at the socket, the wires are black and white. So somewhere in the lamp they switch from black/black to black/white. But I can't get into that part of the lamp. I'm close, but i can't fully see how they are connected.)


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