What is Difference Between Line and Load
Line” and “load” are the two places in an electrical circuit where a device can connect to another device. Line wire is the hot wire that goes straight from the power source, like the electrical panel, to other devices, like outlets and switches.
The power from switches and outlets goes to electrical appliances and fixtures through load wire. Load wires carry electricity from one place to another. Line wires bring power into the box. In a single box, these terms make the most sense because the load wire for one outlet turns into the line wire for the next outlet.
Inside a box for electricity, line and load wires are on opposite sides. Both of them are hot wires that are marked with either a black or red color. Most of the time, load wire is red and line wire is black. It’s not a sure thing, though. The load wire and the line wire can both be black or red.
What is a line wire?
The first line wire in your home goes from the lines that your utility company provides to your electrical panel.
Line wires are the next part of the system. They go from the breakers to the right electrical boxes in your home. Most of the time, they’re hidden behind walls, but they can be mounted on the outside of unfinished rooms like garages and attics.
Line wires are always “hot,” which means they have electricity flowing through them.
They are like the “supply lines” of electricity.
What is a load wire
It’s a bit more general to say that the load wire is the wire that continues to carry the electricity from a terminal point to where it will be used.
Light switches use line wires to send power to the switch, and load lines to send power from the switch to the light. The light loses power when the switch is turned off.
If you have outlets wired in a certain order, the load wire is what brings power from the first outlet to the other boxes on the same line.
How to Differentiate the Line vs. the Load Wire
Wire Position
Most of the time, line wires are found below load wires because they carry power. Most of the time, load wires are near the top of outlets and switches.
Color of the wire
Most of the time, load wires are white and line wires are black. But this doesn’t always happen. When trying to figure out which wire is which, don’t just look at its color.
Checking the Wire
A multimeter and a non-contact voltage tester are two other tools you can use to quickly check which wire is which. If you’re not happy with what you got when you only looked at position and color, you might want to try one of these other options as well.
Conclusion
Anyone who works with electrical systems needs to know the difference between line wires and load wires. As you go further along the circuit, load wires take the power from the devices to outlets, switches, or appliances. Line wires bring power from the source to devices. For electrical installations to be safe and work, these wires must be correctly identified and connected. Always be careful and use the right tools to make sure you’re wiring correctly, whether you’re an electrician or a do-it-yourselfer. If you’re not sure what to do, talk to a professional to avoid potential problems and make sure your electrical setup works well.
FAQ
Line load and area load are two different things.
A line load is different from an area distributed load in that a line load doesn’t care about spacing and can be changed by either the on-center spacing (joist member type) or the tributary width (flush or drop beam member type). Line loads aren’t changed based on spacing or the width of tributaries.
Line load and point load are two different things.
The weight moves from the beams to the columns. The beam’s line load is changed into point loads that are put on the columns along their length. Line load span/2 was used to figure out these reaction forces of the beam. The point load moves from one element to the next by going through the columns.
What does “line and load” mean?
“Load” refers to the wires that move electricity along, and “line” refers to the wires that bring it in. A line wire brings electricity from the source to a gadget or appliance. That power is sent to the next thing on the chain by the load wire.
