I'm installing an old ceiling fixture which was just rewired, in a 1927 home with #12 cloth-wrapped wire. The house wiring is all black. I have a tester which shows which wire is hot. The fixture has one wire with a flat side on the insulation, and one that's round. Which fixture wire should be connected to hot? Also, how do you recommend I mark the house wires so I don't have to test each time to find the hot? Any other tips for keeping this old wire safe? What about shrink wrapping an inch or so of the wire? (Colored shrink wrap would also identify the wires). Thanks!

 

On the fixture, the ribbed wire is neutral, the round hot. To mark the wires, use colored tape, or white tape with descriptions of the
wires purpose.

 

hi malex1@aol.com,
shrink wrap is an execelent choice for this it not only identifies the wire it also prothects the insulation i use it all the time 4 this (i use all black shrink wrap and tape the nutural white after the shrink wrap is installed). as to which is your hot gary is correct the round is the hot and 1 with the rib or flat is the nutural.