Preferred colours for Phase/Neutral/Earth

[slippyr4]

Hi All,

New colours, 3 core SWA is Brown, Black, Grey.

I know it doesn't really matter, cos they're to be sleeved, but which core is the preferred core to use for neutral, and which for earth? I remember reading a recommendation somewhere but cannot remember where.

Thanks

Slip

 

[plugwash]

the obvious way is live-brown neutral-black earth grey

the niceic's way is live-brown neutral-grey earth-black and this is what most sparkies seem to be following.

 

[Lectrician]

Go the Black = earth way. It has been taken as the convention.

It makes sense - Re Ye Bl = Br Bl Gr, therefor, yellow(used as earth) would become black.

Also, with old colours, if a four core was used for a TP supply, you would use RED YELLOW BLUE, and usually then use the BLACK as the earth.

Lets all stick to one way.....the way 90% of people are doing it.

 

[Taylortwocities]

And thats how it's written in the OSG/ too.

The general wisdom was to get people away from using black as neutral in the new harmonised colours (that would have been too easy) but in a 3-phase environment black will be very live as it would be one of the phases.
Blimey guv'nor. Makes a nice big bang if you get it wrong.

 

[slippyr4]

Not just live, but very live.

Thanks for all the help chaps. I had a vague memory that it was counter-intuitive but wanted to check.

 

[nozspark]

the niceic's way is live-brown neutral-grey earth-black and this is what most sparkies seem to be following.

I've read somewhere that reasoning behind this is that Black is only to be used as 0v in DC supplies.

EDIT.. As some people see 0v and neutral as being the same then this makes sense.