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Yes, one wire is always hot on the 3-way switch, meaning it carries the electricity from the power source to the switch. If you have a 3-wire cable in your home, you have two hot wires, or line wires, coming from the power source. Typically, you’d connect the hot black wire from the power source to the traveler wire and the hot red wire from the power source to the first 3-way switch. For the second 3-way switch, you’d then connect the hot black traveler wire to the switch.

A GFCI outlet is easy to identify. It features two buttons on the face that read “TEST” and “RESET.” Sometimes, the “RESET” button is red. These are positioned in the center of the two three-prong plug-in slots you see on a regular outlet. Some also feature a green light to indicate when the outlet is working, changing to red when there is a problem.

Most people don’t think twice when using loose outlets, but they are a safety hazard. Loose outlets can cause issues with the flow of electricity in your home, resulting in electricity jumping from one connection point to another. When this happens, it can cause a spark that could start an electrical fire in your walls.

The most common type of electrical outlet is a 3-prong outlet, which has two flat blades (one is wider than the other) and a round grounding pin. Older homes typically have 2-prong outlets that aren’t as safe as more modern options and are generally not up to current electrical codes.  Other outlets you can find in your home include 20A, 125 volt varieties for larger appliances like refrigerators or washing machines. 

There are also GFCI outlets, which protect against electrical shock in wet areas, such as bathrooms and kitchens, and arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) outlets, which protect against electrical fires caused by arcing.