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Pre 17th, I have seen all sorts, including yellow as neutral, even red as neutral!!
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A Question about Wiring Colour Code Conventions
- Thread starter docboardman
- Start date
Pre 17th, I have seen all sorts, including yellow as neutral, even red as neutral!!
Where is that
Before and during the changover, it was common to sleeve the Blue core of a RYB cable black and use as a neutral.
This was more to do with blue being known as a N in flex.
That caused no problems, Akaik
During the change over we simply then started sleeving the
Red as brown on RYB cable.
When the colours first came out, I see nothing advising either black or grey for single phase Neutrals, although there was plenty regarding 3 phase.
http://www.mra.org.mt/Downloads/Publications/Harmonisation_of_wiring_colour_codes.pdf
Prof elect magazine took up the issue
The first I see was an article that certain bodes come up with the black as earth.
By then a lot had been installed as black neutral.
Most even myself chose that way at first.
A lot of installs have both ways fitted and provided there sleeved ok.
Most can work out there function.
H
holmslaw
..
Only stupid ones.
H
holmslaw
..
Not in general, but to "neutralise" yourself by working live and guessing which conductor is which would be a pretty stupid thing to do.
H
holmslaw
..
And I dare say that even more people will suffer death, injuries and damage on the road on their way to or from work because someone does something stupid.
Anybody working on electrical installations KNOWS that the colours have changed, and therefore they would be stupid to connect a harmonised neutral to a non-harmonised L3 because they didn't check.
And if they don't know that the colours have changed then their stupidity is their original decision to do the work when they are ignorant.
Anybody working on electrical installations KNOWS that the colours have changed, and therefore they would be stupid to connect a harmonised neutral to a non-harmonised L3 because they didn't check.
And if they don't know that the colours have changed then their stupidity is their original decision to do the work when they are ignorant.
Stupidity is a human failing, and thousands die each day because of it. The fact that it is a human failing does not mean that it is not stupidity.
No it isn't, live working should not be used unless absoultely necessary and with special precautions. It isn't illegal - I do a bit of live working and I'm not a cable jointer.
Unfortunately it does happen, more often than not it just blows equipment.
If you have a blue, a black and an earth in a conduit and a warning of "Wiring to two versions of BS7671", which one is which?
H
holmslaw
..
I dunno.
But I do know that guessing, and connecting it up hoping you guessed right, would be a pretty stupid method of working.
When harmonised cable first came out there were leaflets, key-rings and posters at all wholesalers near me indicating how new colours matched old colours, for all different types of cable.
Another clue with a 3 core and earth cable was the physical structure;-
If you look at an old 3 core+e the wires are in sequence;
red
yellow
bare earth
blue
Look at a harmonised 3 core+e;
brown
black
bare earth
grey
Some people still choose to use black as neutral even today. I think they chose black as neutral because of some misguided stubborness that "black's always neutral, isn't it?", rather than check it out properly.
Another clue with a 3 core and earth cable was the physical structure;-
If you look at an old 3 core+e the wires are in sequence;
red
yellow
bare earth
blue
Look at a harmonised 3 core+e;
brown
black
bare earth
grey
Some people still choose to use black as neutral even today. I think they chose black as neutral because of some misguided stubborness that "black's always neutral, isn't it?", rather than check it out properly.
I recall all that and agree they showed, Blue phase became L3 or the Grey wire.
But was not that the colours regarding 3 phase circuits.
I never see nothing regarding sleeving the grey as a neutral and tried at the time unsuccessfully.
Same as I never see anything prior regarding sleeving the old blue phase core as a neutral.
The info I saw covered every type of cable, single phase and three phase.
Though I think more information could have been more available than it was.
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