In electrical wiring, what does the color red indicate?

In electrical wiring, what does the color red indicate?

• A. Hot/Travel
• B. Neutral
• C. Ground
• D. Shield

Answer: (A)

Red signals a hot conductor—it's a live wire that carries current. In many wiring schemes, black and red are both hot, with red used as a second hot in circuits that need more than one live conductor, such as a traveler in a multi-way switch or as one of the two hots in a 240-volt circuit. It’s not neutral (neutral is white) and not ground (ground is bare or green). Shield is unrelated to the current path in typical household wiring. So, red identifies a live, energized conductor.

Red signals a hot conductor—it's a live wire that carries current. In many wiring schemes, black and red are both hot, with red used as a second hot in circuits that need more than one live conductor, such as a traveler in a multi-way switch or as one of the two hots in a 240-volt circuit. It’s not neutral (neutral is white) and not ground (ground is bare or green). Shield is unrelated to the current path in typical household wiring. So, red identifies a live, energized conductor.