How do you connect 4 wires to 2 wires?

The first option is to use the black wire of the 12-3 cable as the hot wire. Connect the black wires of both cables together, and connect the common white wires together. Cap the red wire and leave it untouched in the junction box. Place plastic twist caps on all splices.

Why do I have 4 wires on my light switch?

Since the switch cuts the power on and off, there will be a black wire coming into the switch and a black wire leaving. The whites are normally just connected together with a wire nut and the coppers are connected together with a wire nut or grounded to a metal junction box. So the new switch has four wires.

Why do some electrical cables have 4 wires?

Four-wire is used for “two-way” circuits, and for cases where two circuits are running to the same place (independent control of a ceiling fan and its lights, for example). In the US color coding conventions, red is the “second hot” needed for these applications.

Why do some wires have 4 wires?

What is the difference between #3 and #4-wire?

3-wire is the industry workhorse for good reason. It provides solid accuracy that typically exceeds industrial needs and is the most economical with respect to simplified electronics and less wire (more on this below). 4-wire will give you better accuracy, especially with long wire runs.

What kind of wire has 4 wires?

A 4-wire circuit will have a red wire, black wire, white wire and a ground wire. The ground wire can be green or bare (without insulation). A 3-wire circuit only has black, white and ground wires.

Which wires go on a 4 way switch?

White splices to power neutral (white) with a wire nut. Always make sure grounds are spliced together with a pigtail to the switch. At the center box, with a four-way switch, black and red from the first box goes to two terminals with the black and red going to the third box to the other two terminals.