Power cable color guide?

[Super_Geo]

I accidentally melted the head on one of my extention cords, so now I have to cut it off and hook up a new head. When I cut open the cable, it has three colors of wires: white, green and black. It's a 3 pronged plug, does anyone know which color is for which prong on the plug? Thanks

[spike98]

not 100% sure so others please conferm. but i think white is hot, green neg and black ground.

[doublepostwhore]

green is ground, black is neg and white is hot.

[Celica TVS3]

haha - you've got to love conflicting advice. I would drive down to home depo. and ask someone in the electrical section.

[BlkMaxima]

Originally posted by doublepostwhore
green is ground, black is neg and white is hot.

I'm gonna have to agree!! lol But if its wrong you will know!! I'm about 99% sure!

[Davetronz]

White = Hot
Green = Ground
Black = Neg

[Super_Geo]

Thanks guys!

doublepostwhore and BlkMaxima were right on the money

[97GSR]

Originally posted by Super_Geo
Thanks guys!

doublepostwhore and BlkMaxima were right on the money

Actually they were wrong but because you were dealing with 120VAC it isn't that big of a deal. For future reference here is the correct color code

Black - Hot (copper screw)
White - Neutral (silver screw)
Green - Ground (green screw)

[Super_Geo]

How is it possible for everyone to disagree on this??

[Zero102]

The advice above (black hot, white neutral, green ground) is correct. Just check the canadian electrical code, it's right in there
Or, if you feel like having a little fun, black is ground, green is hot Make sure it's on a metal-framed appliance though.

If it's a DC system, traditionally, black will be ground, which is where this stuff is coming from, people then assumed that since it's ground in DC, it will be neutral in AC, and so on...

[worm]

Originally posted by FastDak318
White = Hot
Green = Ground
Black = Neg

I'm fairly certain that this configuration is correct but if your in doubt just use a multi meter and check which wire goes to where at the opposite end of the cord.

[Rufus``]

black is ALWAYS negative. white is hot, and your green and brown are ALWAYS your ground.

[BebeAphrodite]

ha ha ha
this is funny
a lot of conflicting advice.

[sputnik]

Today's modern (North American) mains cable consists of three separate wires: black, white, and green. The green wire is always connected to the large ground pin on the plug. The black wire is always considered to be the "hot wire". The white wire is always the neutral or common wire.

[Nufy]

Originally posted by FastDak318
White = Hot
Green = Ground
Black = Neg

That is correct.

I do this stuff for a living.

Don't know about any one else......

[Rufus``]

dude its not that hard. i failed out of engineering and i know this stuff. im not even that good at it lol

[97GSR]

Wow I hope some of you aren't wiring anything...at all :P
In a 120V AC system the white is always considered to be the neutral wire, unless it is run as a "switch leg", but I am not going to confuse anyone with that. Green is your ground, and the colored conductor is your "hot lead".

In a DC system the black is usually considered your negative lead, while a white or red wire is the positive. This is where everyone is getting confused I would assume....hope this clears everything up.

[ninspeed]

here is a good site http://www.electrical-online.com/how.../Grounding.htm about 2/3 the way down it will tell you in black and white (and what green is)

Originally posted by Nufy


That is correct.

I do this stuff for a living.

Don't know about any one else......

let me know what company you work for so i know never to use you

[Zero102]

It's scary some of the advice on here...
Black is hot, white is neutral, green is ground, except in switch legs, where a white wire is permitted to be an ungrounded conductor, only to run to a switch from an outlet (i.e. light fixture). Anyhoo, that is indeed beside the point.

black is ALWAYS negative. white is hot, and your green and brown are ALWAYS your ground.

Hey rufus, did you read that this is an AC system? There IS NO NEGATIVE IN AC. In DC, black SHOULD be negative, but in pre-manufactured devices, and the like, any color of wiring is permitted, so long as such devices are not user-serviceable, but that's a whole different matter.
So, black is NOT ALWAYS negative, even in DC systems.