This is accomplished by splicing the incoming hot wire (usually black) together with two short black pigtails using a wire nut. Each of these two pigtails then connects to one brass-colored terminal screw on the two individual switches, supplying continuous power to. Splitting power to two switches is a common residential wiring task that uses a single electrical feed to independently control two separate fixtures or devices from a double-gang switch box. This configuration is often used for controlling a ceiling fan and its light, or operating two distinct. Two of the switches (fan and light) both have two black wires attached to one screw, which I have read is both wrong and dangerous. Without pigtails you would use the receptacle screws instead of wire nuts to connect everything. When the electrical source originates at a light fixture and is controlled from a remote location, a switch loop is. Why not just connect the two wires directly? You'll notice if you look closely that the ground wire in the back is twisted together in a similar way, with the incoming line ground being twisted together (without a nut) to a short pigtail that goes into a nut with all the other grounds in it.