What color is a ground wire?

Green or bare copper wires are always ground wires. Devices that do not have proper ground wires are vulnerable to shorting out and causing a fire.

All electric wires are color coded with each color representing a different purpose. It is important to understand this code before attempting to work on any electric device. Black wires are hot wires that conduct the electric current. Red wires are used to connect two hard wired smoke detectors or as a second hot wire in a 220-volt installation. White or gray wires serve as neutral wires in 110-volt installations. There are exceptions to these rules and one should never attempt to work on an electrical device unless qualified to do so.