New colours for 3C+E

[ban-all-sheds]

This has got me wondering.

When using the new (Black, Grey, Brown) cable in a 2-way switching circuit, it is obvious and logical to sleeve the black and the grey with brown.

What should be done when using it for live, switched live, and neutral for a fan?

1) Take the technical line that all of them are phase conductors, and therefore sleeve all 3 with brown?

2) Sleeve the neutral in blue, and the other two in brown? (This seems logical, but AFAIK, blue sleeving is not a recognised indicator)

3) Mark the neutral with [N] and sleeve the other two in brown?

4) Leave the neutral as-is, and just sleeve the other two in brown?


And IYHO, which would be the most "comfortable" way to assign L/Ls/N to colours?

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Are there no guidelines laid out for this then?

Safety this, safety that, then leave it up to individuals to fight it out for themselves over the (technicalities)...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Are there no guidelines laid out for this then?

Not that I've seen.

There are guidelines for such cable used in 2-way switching circuits, and there are guidelines for how to mark a 4-core (3P+N) cable in 3 phase applications, but nothing for the scenario above.

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Are there no guidelines laid out for this then?

Not that I've seen.

There are guidelines for such cable used in 2-way switching circuits, and there are guidelines for how to mark a 4-core (3P+N) cable in 3 phase applications, but nothing for the scenario above.

Sleeve it with red and black then!!!! At least everyone will know watts watt! (That was deliberate )

 

[securespark]

I would go with your logic, Ban, convention or not, mate.

The old system: Red (ok as is) Yellow (sleeve red) and Blue (sleeve black) is fine so why change the habit of a lifetime?

I would mark the second live with brown and the neutral with blue. After all, those are the colours denoting L & N. If your conductors are labelled with blue for N and brown for L, then I can't see any cause for concern or confusion.

So there.

 

[pipme]

Sleeve the Grey, switched live with a 'stutter' of two neat bands of brown .. Simple but just about effective I would imagine. Brown & Black L and N remain as expected ?
Something wrong there sounds too simple.
P

 

[ban-all-sheds]

'twould be interesting if any NICEICs out there could phone their advice peeps and see what their view is...

 

[Lectrician]

NICEIC Say there is nothing set in stone...but this is what they want to see....

Use the same sequence...Re Ye Bl = Br Bl Gr.

So, BROWN=Const Live.
BLACK=Switch Live.
GREY=Neutral.

Black to be sleeved brown, Grey to be sleeved blue (our wholesalers stock blue). NICEIC say BLACK is to kept as not to be associated to Neutral where possible.

Also, for an SWA feeding a single phase circuit, we used to use RED as live, YELLOW as earth and BLUE as neutral. NICEIC want to see BROWN as live, BLACK as earth and GREY as neutral. (grey sleeved blue, and black sleeved green/yellow.)

Hope that helps. This was the info given to us.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So, BROWN=Const Live.
BLACK=Switch Live.
GREY=Neutral

Ha!

bas 1
plugwash 0

 

[plugwash]

so the niceic are reccomending a braindead color scheme

doesn't entirely surprise me

 

[Lectrician]

I didn't agree at first, on questionning it, they say they want to completely seperate black from neutral where possible, and the phase sequence follows the old cable.

 

[plugwash]

did they say why they wanted to completely seperate black from neutral

i can see thier point for 3 phase systems but i really think on a domestic black as neutral is a better idea (domestic=likely to be touched by diyers and no 3 phase present)