I'm putting in some new fixtures and one fixture has two brown wires (one ribbed, one not)--which one is the negative (black)?

The second fixture has no ground wire. I have not seen this before and am nervous about installing it.

Also, my base electrical wires are red and white. I'm assuming the red is the negative, is this correct?

Thanks

Don't use the terms negative for alternating current. Use Hot (black) and neutral (White) or Line 1 and Neutral.

Ribbed is neutral.

No ground. You can add one or let the screws to the box act as a ground. That's been done for years.

The Red/white might be part of a 3-way loop. White should be neutral if in the US. If you have a meter you can find out, or take a low wattage light bulb and connct from ground to red, then ground to white with th switch on and if the white to ground doesn't light, you found neutral.

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Originally Posted by chalahrapha

I'm putting in some new fixtures and one fixture has two brown wires (one ribbed, one not)--which one is the negative (black)?

the second fixture has no ground wire. I have not seen this before and am nervous about installing it.

also, my base electrical wires are red and white. I'm assuming the red is the negative, is this correct?

thanks

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The only time that you can add a ground to a system by tying to the box is if the entire system is grounded together, by a ground wire or by conduit.