A Question about Wiring Colour Code Conventions

[ban-all-sheds]

I've given you my interpretation of 'work activity' in the context of the EAWR ie it does not include testing.

Is that the interpretation of "work activity" given in the EAWR?

And my interpretation is used by every contractor and consultant I have ever worked with. .

If you were carrying out testing, would you expect to be paid for it?

If a contractor did testing for you and you said "I'm not paying you for the time you weren't working", do you think he would be happy?

Of course testing is a work activity.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

You're easily entertained, but unfortunately the shows over.

for some...

 

[Spark123]

Of course live testing falls under the remit of the EAWR, especially regulation 14.
Why wouldn't it?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

According to some it doesn't fall under the remit of the EAWR because it isn't work....

 

[Spark123]

I get paid to do it, work paid a lot of money to train me to carry out testing safely, I have to use approved testers and a safe system of work inc risk assessments etc.
Why go to all that trouble if it isn't work?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm sure that holmslaw will be along soon with an explanation of why it isn't.

 

[Paul_C]

For once we're in agreement. I can't see how testing does not constitute part of the work.

If it isn't work, then testing something, making a connection, testing something else, disconnecting a conductor etc. would be a silly case of "now I'm working, now I'm not, now I'm working again, now I'm not."

 

[oharaf]

Cannot spend hours reading this however it was explained to us at college that it does not matter what wire is used for what as long as it is correctly identified used sleeving (or tape if you've run out!!)

Quite simply, Line = Brown, Neutral = Blue Green/Yellow = cpc/earth

3 Phase - Brown ph1 Black ph2 Grey ph3

(placing brown sleeving on 2 &3 to denote a line)

I await Assasination!!!!!!!!

 

[1john]

you can wait for assasination but it wont come as you are correct.

 

[Spark123]

I don't think you have to sleeve L2 and L3 brown on 3 phase systems though.

 

[1john]

i was taught to

 

[Paul_C]

Page 6, table 51:

http://www.theiet.org/publishing/wiring-regulations/updates/amend2-04.cfm

 

[Spark123]

Yep, I wouldn't say it is wrong to sleeve L2 and L3 on a 3 phase system with brown, just it isn't necessary.
It is necessary to sleeve the black and grey conductors when being used in a single phase environment such as swith wires.

 

[SUNRAY]

A single-phase feed to a sub-panel could be blue, black, and green/yellow.

If it was it would not comply with the regs. Three phase colours must not be used for single phase supplies. They must be coloured brown, blue, gr/ye irrespective of the phase they are connected to.

A few years back it was very very normal, even verging on the point of being standard, for single phase circuits in a 3 phase environment (ie a factory) to be wired in yellow (or white, as phase 2 used to be) or blue for live.

Am I the only oone who remembers the leaflets and posters advising of the changeover to harmonised colours, the picture of a 3 core swa clearly showed the black sleeved blue and grey sleeved green/yellow. I'm happy using either version and will try to match anything existing where possible but I wish 'they' would come up with a standard.

As for core usage being dictated by the sequence they appear in a cable, what colours should be used for 3phase & earth in a 4core flex where the sequence is :-
BROWN
BLUE
BLACK
GREEN/YELLOW
Following some of the instructions in this thread would mean:-
P1 = BROWN
P2 = BLUE SLEEVED BLACK
P3 = BLACK SLEEVED GREY
and 5 core 3p & n & e:-
P1 = BROWN
P2 = BLUE SLEEVED BLACK
P3 = BLACK SLEEVED GREY
N = BLACK (OR WHITE OR YELLOW OR ORANGE) SLEEVED BLUE

I dont think so, I'll stick with using the cores out of sequence so as to use the correct colour where possible

 

[SUNRAY]

Yep, I wouldn't say it is wrong to sleeve L2 and L3 on a 3 phase system with brown, just it isn't necessary.
It is necessary to sleeve the black and grey conductors when being used in a single phase environment such as swith wires.

Do the regs not say that if 3 wires of the same colour are used for 3 phase they must be identified at their ends?

In my view, and it is my view which I know is not shared, as black and grey (or yellow & blue) are phase colours, denoting a 240v conductor there is no need to sleeve them brown when used on a single phase circuit such as 2 way switching, they certainly never used to be.