When connecting two wires to a double bladed AC plug ...

[tatertop]

does it matter which wire goes to which blade?
I am arcing somewhere.

[Lochloosa]

1. Yes...

The black wire goes to the smaller of the two blades. That should be your hot wire. The white wire (neutral) goes to the larger blade. No green wire (ground)?

[Richard Steele]

2. Yup. What Lochloosa said.

[tatertop]

3. No, there is a two wire power cord coming off a small heater

The wires are not color coded.

[tatertop]

4. will it arc if the wires are reversed?

[Lochloosa]

9. if it coming off a small heater then it really won't matter.

[BrotherBuzz]

16. It matters BIGTIME if that heater has a switch...

It will work, and all that, but when it is turned off there is still a load at the element looking for an escape, and that escape could be a grounded person. ZAP!

[Lochloosa]

21. Whoops...your right...

you need to get a meter and read each lead to ground to determine your hot wire. That one goes through the switch. Nice catch.

[BrotherBuzz]

22. White is bright - is the rule of thumb

You don't even need a meter to find the hot lead. The heater should be wired with white (always) and black leads (sometimes blue) - black being the juice side. Power cord is color coded as well (zip cord is marked with striations or printing for polarization, too, if you look carefully) Plug connections should be wired white to bright (Common/large prong) and black to brass (power/small prong). It's so simple that even us bright electricians can figure it out. ;)

[flowomo]

5. the order of wires should not cause an arc....

as far as I know, that's for polarity and not a factor in a short -- which is the arc.

[tatertop]

6. That is what I thought

[flowomo]

8. I've wired a gazillion lamps and things...

and that "hot/neutral" thing is not a helpful concept. Both are hot or neutral. The idea is they both carry the juice when the circuit is complete.

[Lochloosa]

15. True, in most household items it does not matter

but polarity is important in commercial and industrial settings.

[flowomo]

17. yes, and, of course, in a DC circuit

[Floogeldy]

7. Perhaps this diagram will help.

[flowomo]

10. lol... whatever turns the lights on!

[Heidi]

11. .

:spray:

And I thought he was starting a sex thread. Silly me. :blush:

[Floogeldy]

23. So . . . .

Into electric machinery, are ya?

:o

[Heidi]

24. Ask me anything

about EDM machines and/or high-speed milling, smarty-pants. ;)

[tjwash]

12. Hey, how did you get a picture of my office?

[tatertop]

13. I like it. Where can I buy one wholesale?

[Lochloosa]

14. That's FU...

[tatertop]

18. I cut the wires back. Seems fine now.

Might have been a stray wire getting chummy with the other side.

[flowomo]

19. that would be my diagnosis... arcs only happen when wires touch

[tatertop]

20. thank you