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Asked by: Yohanna Knesebeck
home and garden home entertainingWhy does my electrical outlet have 4 wires?
Last Updated: 22nd June, 2020
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Similarly, you may ask, why does outlet have 4 wires?
The white wires tie together to complete the return side of the circuit while the black wire (hot wire) runs through the 2-way switch and out to the outlet. Duplex receptacles have (4) screws for termination points along with a green screw dedicated for ground.
Also, why would an outlet have 2 hot wires? The outlets are separate of the other, and the bridge connects them so a single wire can power the two outlets. What Paul said about the receptacle having a constant on and a switched plug all on the same receptacle is the most common reason you will have two hots in the same receptacle box.
Similarly one may ask, how many wires can be connected to an outlet?
Counting Wires in Electrical Boxes Each insulated wire, all cable clamps combined, all uninsulated wires combined, and each support for light or other fixture count as one wire. Each switch, outlet, or other device counts as two wires.
How do you wire a 4 wire to a 3 wire?
Connect the ground wire of the 3-wire cable to the ground wire of the 4-wire cable. Connect the black wire of the 3-wire circuit to either the red or the black wire of the 4-wire circuit. The red and black wires are the"hot" wires. Either wire can be used to power a circuit.