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Why It’s Important to Connect Hot and Neutral Wires Correctly

You can attach wire to a plug, socket, or switch without paying attention to hot and neutral, and your light will operate without anything seeming wrong. However, if your electrical component, plug, socket, or switch, is wired correctly with regard to the polarity, the hot and neutral wires, you will get some protections from shock that you will not get if you don't pay attention to the polarity.

Electricity creates a circuit through a light bulb by running through the metal tab at the bottom of the socket, where the bulb sits, through the bulb, and through the metal threads where the bulb is screwed in.

When wired properly, the metal threads will never be “hot” or give you a shock, whether the switch is on or off. When wired incorrectly, the threads – and any metal touching the threads, including the outside of the socket, if it is conductive metal, or the threads of a light bulb – can give you a shock whether the switch is on or off. Therefore, it is important to follow the instructions for the hot and neutral wires carefully for both the plug and the socket and a switch if you decide to use one.

With a switch, the neutral (and ground if there is one) wire stays uncut and the hot wire is cut so that the circuit can be broken and unbroken as the switch is set to the off or on position.  Using the hot wire as the cut wire is important to maintain the correct polarity all the way from the plug or hard-wiring to the socket.

Installing the Switch

We recommend wiring the switch before wiring the socket and/or plug because if you make a mistake with the switch wiring and have to cut the wire shorter as a result, it will be less work (and aggravation) if you don't have to also rewire the plug or socket.

What You Will Need

1. VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure any electrical device being worked on is not connected to electricity. Turn off the circuit breaker, remove the fuse, or unplug the device before starting. If you have any questions about the safety of what you are doing, please contact an electrician rather than doing the job yourself.
   
   
2. A few simple tools are necessary to complete this process. Clockwise from left you will need:
   • a screwdriver (flat head or Phillips head depending on the screws in the switch you are working with),
   • a pair of scissors capable of cutting through soft plastic (for cutting strips of silicone tape),
   • a fine pair of fabric scissors (for snipping off the end of the cloth braid),
   • silicone tape (to bind the ends of cloth-covered wire to prevent fraying, available here),
   • a retractable knife like a box cutter (for cutting into the outer plastic of a jacketed cord),
   • and a wire stripper with a slot that accommodate the gauge of wire you are using. The second picture below shows the slots, labeled by gauge, in the wire stripper.

Slim Switch on Twisted Pair Wire

1. Determine where on the cord you would like the switch to be assembled.
2. Cut the hot leg of the twisted pair wire with wire cutters. For a twisted pair wire with a tracer on one leg, the hot wire is the solid color leg while the neutral wire is the leg with the tracer. For a twisted pair wire without a tracer, unravel a bit of fabric at one end of the wire. The underlying wire with a solid color insulation is the hot wire. The underlying wire with a stripe on the insulation is the neutral wire. Leave the neutral leg uncut.
3. Trim back about 7/8” of the fabric on each side of the cut hot wire with fabric scissors and bind down the ends of the fabric with silicone tape to prevent fraying.
4. Cut about 3/8” of wire off each end of the hot wire. Do not strip the ends of the wire.
5. Open up the switch with a Phillips head or a small flat head screwdriver and press the neutral wire into the unbroken channel while pressing the hot wires into the spaces with the spikes. Be sure to press the hot wires down onto the spikes enough to let the spike pierce the insulation and contact the copper wire within.
6. Fit the cover onto the side with the switch mechanism while being sure that the wires stay in place and fit in the wire way holes on each end of the switch. Fasten the two parts together again with the screws using a Phillips head or small flat head screwdriver. Make sure the wire looks clean coming out of the switch.

    

Slim Switch on Parallel Cord

1. 

   1. Determine where on the cord you would like the switch to be assembled.
   2. Use a utility knife to carefully cut into the fabric but not the insulation and unravel about 2” of fabric and cut off with fabric scissors.
   3. Trim the edges of the fabric neatly and bind down with silicone tape to prevent fraying.
   4. Separate the two legs of the parallel cord by carefully cutting into the middle of the insulation between the two wires with a utility knife. Take care not to pierce the wires themselves, just run the knife through the divot between the wires and pull them apart.
   5. Cut the hot leg of the parallel cord in the middle of the exposed section. The hot wire is the smooth side while the ribbed side is the neutral wire. Do not cut the neutral wire.
   6. Cut about 3/8” of wire off each end of the hot wire. Do not strip the ends of the wire.
   7. Open up the switch with a Phillips head or a small flat head screwdriver and press the neutral wire into the unbroken channel while pressing the hot wires down onto the spikes enough to let the spike pierce the insulation and contact the copper wire within.
   8. Fit the cover onto the side with the switch mechanism while being sure that the wires stay in place and fit in the wire way holes on each end of the switch. Fasten the two parts together again with the screws using a Phillips head or small flat head screwdriver. Make sure the wire looks clean coming out of the switch.

Vintage Slim Switch on Twisted Pair Wire

1. Determine where on the cord you would like the switch to be assembled.  Cut the hot leg of the twisted pair wire with wire cutters. For a twisted pair wire with a tracer on one leg, the hot wire is the solid color leg while the neutral wire is the leg with the tracer. For a twisted pair wire without a tracer, unravel a bit of fabric at one end of the wire. The underlying wire with a solid color insulation is the hot wire. The underlying wire with a stripe on the insulation is the neutral wire. Leave the neutral leg uncut.

1. Trim back about 1” of the fabric on each side of the cut hot wire with fabric scissors and bind down the ends of the fabric with silicone tape to prevent fraying.
2. Strip about 1/2” of insulation off each end of the hot wire. Twist the stranded copper together.

1. Pop open the switch by sticking a flat head screwdriver into one of the wire way holes and wedging the two pieces apart.
2. Remove the two small brass bits that are sitting on diagonal edges of the mechanism side and discard. They will go unused.
3. Unscrew the terminals in the middle of the mechanism side using a small flat head screwdriver.
4. Unscrew one of the nickel screws on each side of the switch using a Phillips head or flat head screwdriver. Set aside. Loosen the opposing nickel screw on each end enough to be able to rotate the white plastic clamp away from the wire way hole then tighten the screw to hold the clamp in place.
5. Attach each end of the hot wire to the switch mechanism terminals by sliding each exposed copper end into the terminal entries on each side and fastening the screws using a small flat head screwdriver. Give each wire a bit of a pull to make sure the wire is pinned between the screw and the terminal.
6. Reassemble the white plastic wire clamps with the nickel screws on top of the wire passing through the wire way holes then snap the cover back onto the mechanism side of the switch. Make sure the wire looks clean coming out of the switch.

    

Vintage Slim Switch on Parallel Cord

1. 

   1. Determine where on the cord you would like the switch to be assembled.
   2. Use a utility knife to carefully cut into the fabric but not the insulation and unravel about 2” of fabric and cut off with fabric scissors.
   3. Trim the edges of the fabric neatly and bind down with silicone tape to prevent fraying.
   4. Separate the two legs of the parallel cord by carefully cutting into the middle of the insulation between the two wires with a utility knife. Take care not to pierce the wires themselves, just run the knife through the divot between the wires and pull them apart.
   5. Cut the hot leg of the parallel cord in the middle of the exposed section. The hot wire is the smooth side while the ribbed side is the neutral wire. Do not cut the neutral wire.
   6. Strip about 1/2” of insulation off each end of the hot wire. Twist the stranded copper together.
   7. Pop open the switch by sticking a flat head screwdriver into one of the wire way holes and wedging the two pieces apart.
   8. Remove the two small brass bits that are sitting on diagonal edges of the mechanism side and discard. They will go unused.
   9. Unscrew the terminals in the middle of the mechanism side using a small flat head screwdriver.
   10. Unscrew one of the nickel screws on each side of the switch using a Phillips head or flat head screwdriver. Set aside. Loosen the opposing nickel screw on each end enough to be able to rotate the white plastic clamp away from the wire way hole then tighten the screw to hold the clamp in place.
   11. Attach each end of the hot wire to the switch mechanism terminals by sliding each exposed copper end into the terminal entries on each side and fastening the screws using a small flat head screwdriver. Give each wire a bit of a pull to make sure the wire is pinned between the screw and the terminal.
   12. Reassemble the white plastic wire clamps with the nickel screws on top of the wire passing through the wire way holes then snap the cover back onto the mechanism side of the switch. Make sure the wire looks clean coming out of the switch.

        

Vintage Slim Switch on Pulley Cord

1. 1. 

      1. Determine where on the cord you would like the switch to be assembled.
      2. Use a utility knife to carefully cut into the fabric but not the insulation and unravel about 2” of fabric and cut off with fabric scissors.
      3. Trim the edges of the fabric neatly and bind down with silicone tape to prevent fraying.
      4. Cut into the insulating jacket but take care not to cut into the interior insulated wires. Remove the jacket down to the silicone tape by cutting with scissors or a utility knife. Remove the plastic padding as well, then use some more silicone tape to bind over the rough edges of the cut insulation and clean up the ends.
      5. Cut the hot wire in the middle of the exposed interior wires. The hot wire is the black wire while the neutral wire is the white wire and, if there is a third conductor, the ground wire is the green wire. Do not cut the neutral wire or the ground wire.
      6. Strip ½” of insulation off each end of the hot wire. Twist the stranded copper together.
      7. Pop open the switch by sticking a flat head screwdriver into one of the wire way holes and wedging the two pieces apart.
      8. Remove the two small brass bits that are sitting on diagonal edges of the mechanism side and discard. They will go unused.
      9. Unscrew the terminals in the middle of the mechanism side using a small flat head screwdriver.
      10. Unscrew one of the nickel screws on each side of the switch using a Phillips head or flat head screwdriver. Set aside. Loosen the opposing nickel screw on each end enough to be able to rotate the white plastic clamp away from the wire way hole then tighten the screw to hold the clamp in place.
      11. Attach each end of the hot wire to the switch mechanism terminals by sliding each exposed copper end into the terminal entries on each side and fastening the screws using a small flat head screwdriver. Give each wire a bit of a pull to make sure the wire is pinned between the screw and the terminal.
      12. Reassemble the white plastic wire clamps with the nickel screws on top of the wire passing through the wire way holes then snap the cover back onto the mechanism side of the switch. Make sure the wire looks clean coming out of the switch.

Large Rocker Switch on Pulley Cord

1. Use a pair of flat-nosed small pliers to break out the plastic in the wire channels on both sides, top and bottom of the switch.  (If you were using parallel cord or twisted pair, this is probably not necessary.  Test if the wire will fit in the opening before you break out the openings.  With pulley cord, this is absolutely necessary.)
2. Put a piece of tape on one end of the section of wire where you want the switch.
3. Measure 2 1/2" from the outside of the tape you just applied and apply another piece of tape with its outside edge 2 1/2" from the outside edge of the first piece of tape. 
4. Remove the cloth and the PVC jacket between the two taped areas.  One way to do this is to use a knife to score the jacket just enough until you can get scissors into the jacket.  Using scissors makes it less likely that you will score or cut the PVC on the interior wires.
5. If you pierce the PVC on the interior wires, you must scrap your attempt and start over.  
6. Cut out all of the padding and cut the black (hot) wire in half.  Leave the white (neutral) wire intact.
7. Strip about 3/8" on the end of each half of the hot wire.
8. Place the wire into the half of the switch thtat has the rocker with the neutral wire going up around the top of the interior of the switch.  
9. Most likely you will need to make the opening wider. 
1. The end of the wire has to fit between the opening and the circle that surrounds the screw.  This is smaller than the width of our silicone tape, so you will have to cut into the tape carefully so it still protects the cloth from fraying but allows the wire to fit without the tape showing past the switch opening.
2. The hot wire needs to go around the outside of the circle around the screw hole and reach the screw and wrap around it.
3. Adjust the other side to fit the same way.
10. When both sides are screwed in and the wire fit inside the switch as above close up the switch and you should be done.