So I bought a ceiling fan to install in an apartment bedroom. I took down the light fixture and low-n-behold.... someone installed wiring that conforms to the "i don't give a damn about standards" standard. 1 exposed ground, 2 black coated wires. Just out of curiosity... I turned off the light switch and tested the cables. Black to black generated around 4 volts. Black #1 to ground generated 232 mV, and Black #2 to ground generated around 4 volts. I decided to flip the breaker to the room to ensure safety. After getting ceiling crumbs in my eyes, cutting my hand, swearing, having to go buy extra anchor screws since there were some missing, buying a new drill to show those screws who's boss, and somehow managing to get a small shock from the wiring even though the breaker was off, I finally had my new ceiling fan working. I'm still wondering/worried -- how do I know if I connected the wires properly? How can I tell which wire is hot?
And if need be...what kind of paint-like substance can i put on the wires to make sure they're not exposed anywhere they shouldn't be?
And if need be...what kind of paint-like substance can i put on the wires to make sure they're not exposed anywhere they shouldn't be?