Aico alarm wiring instructions

[AndyPRK]

I wouldn’t expect grey. That cable (well mine anyway) was around long before 2004

Annoyingly mine has twin blacks

I suspect yours is from the 80’s.
And mine from the 90s.

They used white black for zone valves in the 80s. ACL. Whwre now they use orange grey

 

[JohnW2]

I wouldn’t expect grey. That cable (well mine anyway) was around long before 2004

You may be right about its age. Mind you, the colours for at least some flexible cables (certainly 2-core and 3-core ones used for 'appliances') changed decades before 2004.
Today, grey would make a lot of sense - (Brown, Black, Grey) + Blue + G/Y

I suspect yours is from the 80’s. And mine from the 90s.

You may be right.

 

[AndyPRK]

It would make sense if you wanted 2 neutrals in the cable.

 

[JohnW2]

It would make sense if you wanted 2 neutrals in the cable.

A fairly rare requirement. Which would you use as the second neutral - the black or the white?

 

[JohnW2]

My aged memory is clearly failing me. A further look on my shelves discovered a reel of the below (labelled "0.75mm² heat resistant" in my handwriting). I presume I had it for heating controls and things like timer fans etc. It is obviously just what Mr Aico is asking for (in UK) but, ironically, it's ancient - so although it was clearly fairly available back then, that no longer seems to be the case!

 

[CountryFan]

My aged memory is clearly failing me. A further look on my shelves discovered a reel of the below (labelled "0.75mm² heat resistant" in my handwriting). I presume I had it for heating controls and things like timer fans etc. It is obviously just what Mr Aico is asking for (in UK) but, ironically, it's ancient - so although it was clearly fairly available back then, that no longer seems to be the case!
View attachment 401355

You can still get 0.75mm2 heat resistant flex, I collected a 50m drum from toolstation earlier this week. I use it all the time for heating controls.

 

[JohnW2]

You can still get 0.75mm2 heat resistant flex,

Yes, one obviously can - but can you now find any with those colours?

 

[CountryFan]

Yes, one obviously can - but can you now find any with those colours?

Apologies, looked again and yours is 4 core, I get 5. Yes the 5 core comes with brown, blue, green/yellow, black and grey

Edit: Yes, you can:

https://www.electricalcounter.co.uk/pitacs-3184y-1-5mm-50m-bk-black-4-core-round-flexible-3184y-1-5mm-cable-50m?srsltid=AfmBOorB9eNqHXwIc7LH2lOpTJAY6WknK_7MXVn09Q8AuOpdiK72sLsX

4 Core PVC LSF Flex White Cable - Elevator Equipment

4 Core PVC LSF Flex White Cable - Here at Elevator Equipment we offer a comprehensive range of lift specific products and electrical wholesale items at great prices.

www.elevatorequipment.co.uk

https://www.screwfix.com/p/time-3184y-white-4-core-1mm-flexible-cable-25m-drum/676jy

 

[JohnW2]

Apologies, looked again and yours is 4 core, I get 5. Yes the 5 core comes with brown, blue, green/yellow, black and grey

Yes, we know that - it's standard current 'harmonised colours' 5-core. The equivalent modern 4-core one not have the blue. However, the discussion is about a cable with colours as in my recent post.

 

[JohnW2]

Edit: Yes, you can:

https://www.electricalcounter.co.uk/pitacs-3184y-1-5mm-50m-bk-black-4-core-round-flexible-3184y-1-5mm-cable-50m?srsltid=AfmBOorB9eNqHXwIc7LH2lOpTJAY6WknK_7MXVn09Q8AuOpdiK72sLsX

4 Core PVC LSF Flex White Cable - Elevator Equipment

4 Core PVC LSF Flex White Cable - Here at Elevator Equipment we offer a comprehensive range of lift specific products and electrical wholesale items at great prices.

www.elevatorequipment.co.uk

https://www.screwfix.com/p/time-3184y-white-4-core-1mm-flexible-cable-25m-drum/676jy

Interesting. Thanks. More readily available than I had thought!

 

[morqthana]

TLC also sell it in 4 different CSAs

 

[JohnW2]

TLC also sell it in 4 different CSAs

Thanks. We live and learn

 

[SimonH2]

Yep, as flameport has just pointed out, it has to be 'ELV' voltage for it to still work in the absence of mains power. However, as I presume you realise, my point (now moot) was that if it had been LV (and potentially 'line') the 'black' would presumably then theoretically have to be sleeved with brown.

No, black is a standard colour (along with brown and grey) for line conductors and therefore does not need sleeving brown.

 

[JohnW2]

No, black is a standard colour (along with brown and grey) for line conductors and therefore does not need sleeving brown.

I'm not so sure about that.

Although it does, as we know, indicate that black should be used to identify one of the line conductors ("L2") in a 3-phase circuit, Table 51 of BS7671 seems to only offer brown for identification of the line conductor in a single-phase circuit ...

 

[sparkwright]

No need to oversleeve the interconnect wire on a smoke brown though.
Modern 4 core flex consists of brown, blue, black, g+y.
I suppose Aico would stipulate blue as being neutral - particularly as the first cable from the mains to the first smoke detector wouldn't require 4 wires (unless a test switch was being sited near the origin).