Tukanu wrote:I get it: When there is a red and a black, the red is hot. When there is a black and a white, the black is hot....except for AC where the white is hot.
Are you with me so far??
For the record; In AC the white is
not considered a "hot" wire. It is considered a "grounded conductor". The term refers to a method of "tying down" the AC voltage such that it doesn't exceed the 115 (nominal) to 125 VAC. Without the "grounded conductor", the AC voltage could fluctuate to something quite a bit higher, and damage your equipment. Do not confuse the term with ground wire. The ground wire is not normally a current carrying conductor, while the grounded conductor is a current carrying conductor. It's just that wire colors, set by the Nat'l Electrical Code, are white or natural grey for a current carrying grounded conductor, and green or bare copper for a ground wire. The rest of the colors can be used for your "hot" conductors, with the exception of yellow, that indicates that power is coming from a separate source into that particular enclosure.
Clear as mud, right?
Roger