What Happens if LED Light is Wired Backwards

Updated 02/25/2020 | Published 10/28/2016

Question:

if you switch from incandescent to LED, what happens if you accidentally wire it backwards? do the LEDs burn out?

asked by: Mike

Expert Reply:

LED lights are diodes so if you were to wire them backwards on accident they just wouldn't light up. There would be no damage at all.

expert reply by: Jameson C

E L.

2/24/2020

Would it trip the breaker if you reversed the hot and neutral wiring the first of 2 LED pendants in a daisy chain? 2 lamps & one switch - the second fixture works until the breaker trips... neither wire is marked in the fixture

Jacob H.

2/25/2020

The easiest way to tell which wire is the positive and which is the negative is to test the wires with a 12V battery. LED light will not turn on if the polarity is reversed. With this method you will be able to tell which wire is positive and negative.