I need the help of an electircian please...

[Homerboy]

I recently had 3 switches installed during some small renovation.
However the 3rd switch was left unwired as I had to install some outdoor lights etc to connect to it. Long story short it was a while ago and I am finally getting around to hooking up this last switch... the problem is I don't know which wire goes where.

The electrician (a friend of a friend hence why he was agreeable to leaving the work unfinished) left the black and the red wire capped and simply disconnected. Im not sure where on the switch each wire goes... red on top? Black on top?

The series is 3 single pole switches. The red leads from the bottom of the middle switch and the black leads to the fixture itself.

I assume that the red should go to the bottom of the 3rd switch then correct? I do lots of home repair, but electricity freaks me out. I'm never comfortable doing it. Not to mention I'm home alone with the kids and I don't want them to see daddy get electrocuted and piss his pants

Picture:
http://picasaweb.google.com/po...to#5126025936481233586

Thanks in advance.

 

[Fritzo]

First, lick both wires. The one that tastes like burning goes on top.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
First, lick both wires. The one that tastes like burning goes on top.

Ok I'll be right back and report on my findings!@

 

[Squisher]

I think my answer is...........it doesn't matter.

Switches interrupt the positive side going to the appliance. The fact that the red wire is coming from another switch probably means that all the of the switches in that box are sharing a common source of power (very reasonable, huh?). Whether you put red on top and black on bottom or visa versa really doesn't matter as long as the switch is in the positive side of the circuit.

 

[skyking]

Squisher has the answer.
your electrician friend did all the legwork for you.

 

[Homerboy]

winner
Thanks guys. THe answer was obvious I guess I just didn't think it through completely.