Which wire is which in 3-wire zip cord?

[Don Wiss]

I bought a Sears workbench with a backwall. The backwall includes a fluorescent light that has no switch. Its cord is grounded zip cord. I'd like to splice into the hot wire a pull chain switch (with pigtail leads) that I can easily mount at the end of the cove top.

The light fixture wasn't designed to be taken apart. Otherwise I'd simply take it apart and use an ohm meter. One of the side wires has the extra ridges. Which wire is neutral, ground, and hot?

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Metspitzer]

Are you sure the fixture wont' open? Putting a hole in the fixture and installing a pull chain would seem to be just as easy to me.

The wire with the ridge is the neutral. Put the switch in the other wire.

[Don Wiss]

No I am not sure. There are a couple of recessed plastic tabs.

But I am sure that it would be impossible to put a switch into the light fixture itself. The ballast and everything is in a small integrated molded plastic housing. It isn't like the old days where you could open it up and there were wires and a separate ballast.

But there are three wires.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Hot-Text]

Black or Red = Hot

White = neutral

Green = ground

[gfretwell]

Like Spitzer says, the outside wire with the ridges is the neutral (white), the center is ground (green) and the rounded outside wire is the hot.

[piper]

Everything can be taken apart! However, you might have to break plastic tabs or something like that to open it.

Why not just put a regular light switch in a box and mount it on the wall next to the outlet. If you dont know how to do the wiring, and have to pay someone to do it, why not just return that fixture and buy one with a switch already on it. By the time you buy the parts and particularly if you have to hire an electrician, you may as well just spend a few more bucks for a light that is ready to go.

[Don Wiss]

But this is zip cord, a.k.a. lamp cord. It is all white with a molded plug. I only want to splice into one wire.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Don Wiss]

Thank you for fully answering the question.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Don Wiss]

Why would I want to mount anything on the wall? The workbench is moveable.

The fixture is an integrated part of the backwall and is designed to fit into the cove top. First I can't return the lamp without returning the entire backwall. And no other fixture is going to fit inside the top. You can see a picture here:

Huh? The pull chain switch was about $3. There is already a hole at the end of the top that I simply have to enlarge to 3/8". Two wire nuts cost close to nothing. Why are you taking a simple project and blowing it all out of proportion?

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Hot-Text]

If not marked, the wire connection can be determined by the screw terminal to which they correspond. Silver screws are found on one side of outlets and brass on the other. White (neutral) wires connect to the silver screws and the black (hot) wires hook to the brass. Plug-ins and switches have a green screw to which must be connected the bare ground wire.

[Don Wiss]

Where did outlets come from? So many of the responses I got to this thread came from people that did not bother to read what I originally posted.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Hot-Text]

If the molded plug ends not one Silver = neutral one brass = Hot

It all a Color Code look at the wires one Silver = neutral one brass = Hot

if it not one of the way, then it have been replace before....

[Don Wiss]

Thinking about it this makes sense. I know which prong is which in a plug. All I had to realize is the wires inside the plug would not cross. And then I could have figured it out.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Hot-Text]

Where did outlets come from? So many of the responses I got to this thread came from people that did not bother to read what I originally posted.

[Doug Miller]

Don Wiss wrote in news:di0jl7t287etgfbebl1p9pij08p3cg3dt5@

4ax.com:

The one with the ridges is neutral; the one in the middle is ground; and the remaining wire is hot.

[JIMMIE]

I just looked at a few pieces of grounded zip cord I had lying around. On all three the ground was in the middle, neutral had a ridge molded into it as someone else also said and hot was on the other side.

Jimmie

[piper]

You said you cant open the fixture and will need to put the switch into the cord. This is likely a code violation and dangerous. If the bench is movable, but the switch on the bench itself.

I'd suggest hiring an electrician before you kill yourself or someone else in your family. Killing your children is a federal offense and could get you life in prison!

[piper]

Dont temp this guy. If he dont know this much, and is going to cut into the cord and splice a switch. I can already see this mess of wires and blob or masking tape to cover the bare wires. He dont need to be encouraged for being an idiot. He needs a professional electrician. His only tools should be the Yellow Pages and a telephone!

Look under "E" for Electricians.

If he tries it himself, he'll need to look under "F" for Funeral Homes and "U" for Undertakers after he kills someone.

[Don Wiss]

Do you mean "put" the switch on the bench itself? That is what I am doing.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Don Wiss]

As I wrote I will use wire nuts, and of course electrical tape.

Don.

(e-mail link at home page bottom).