AC power cords explained, testing, installation, safety | tips & methods | 

White is not hot until it is a completed circuit. White from the fuse box is not supposed to be live (hot). In older houses in U.S. they use to run hot to light fixtures which would alow white to be energized but that is no more. Always turn power off when installing wiring in house.

David Allen

Yes thank u, for sharing your knowledge! After watching your video, I’m able to rewire and fix a few extension cords. Much appreciated! 👍

Tom Swift . If you get a beeping sound when touching the two leads from the multi-meter together, but no beeping when touching one of the plug-in ends ( on the plug that goes into the wall) and any other end of any wire ( the copper wire ends) ... this means that the wire is broken somewhere. A Continuity Test will make sure that there is an unbroken connection between the two test leads. If you take a single piece of wire and connect one of the test leads to one end of the wire and the other test lead to the other end of the wire, the tester will make a beeping sound UNLESS there is a break somewhere in the wire. If this is the case then you will not get any beep. I suspect that somewhere in the wire that you are testing that there is a break in the wire. I have tested a few cords or wires that appeared to be good, but inside of the plastic covering the copper wire itself had pulled apart without tearing the plastic outside. This gave the cord or wire the appearance of being good, but it was actually faulty or not good. We may not be able to see the break or fault, but the continuity test does not lie. If you test it on some other wires and it works well on those but not on the wire you were having trouble with, then it is a broken connection in the wire. There will be no other cause. I hope this helps...

@@christondavis9641 I appreciate you detailed explanation however - what I ended up doing was replacing the plug. All I did was expose more of the wires (stripped off coating) so they fit the new plug and clamped on the new plug. Certain there was no break in the wires. All working fine. Again. Appreciate you reply.

The main purpose of the polarized plug is to make sure that the hot side is switched and fused. Using non-polarized plugs in electronic equipment could expose anybody working on the equipment to a shock hazard.

Most electronics use figure 8 connector so polarizing the plug makes no sense. The main use of polarizing is lamps etc. where there is a switch in the cord.

Blue is neutral and brown is hot or line, green/yellow is earth or ground.

Yes. Wall sockets are connections.

They aren't rated for DC But you can use special DC sockets.

In any AC distribution system the hot carries the voltage and neutral provides the return path. In an open circuit, there will be voltage between earth and ground but no voltage between earth and neutral.