When did earth sleeving become the norm?

[AndyPRK]

I guess they will be cream with age and therefore still satisfy the bs.

 

[PBC_1966]

I have this nice. clean white on a breaker, but of course it's our neutral.......

 

[JohnW2]

Interesting that Wylex RCBOs appear to have a white earth wire, should that be sleeved with green/yellow inside the consumer unit?

That's a functional earth, not a protective conductor. If it was, it would have to be able to carry fault current.

Indeed. In the presence of an appropriate fault, it obviously could end up carrying the consequent fault current - but, as you say, since it is not there as a CPC, it is not required "to be able to carry" that current (i.e. it is 'allowed' to melt!).

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

The relevant British Standard for functional earth is cream rather than white, to be pedantic.

To be pedantic, which of the BSs for the colour of functional earth conductors did you mean?

 

[Iggifer]

Don't think I've ever seen a cream FE (new, not aged)

Chint do a FE in G/Y apparently.....

 

[stillp]

I wonder whose product they copied?

 

[PBC_1966]

To be pedantic, which of the BSs for the colour of functional earth conductors did you mean?

I think it's in BS7671, isn't it?

 

[Iggifer]

I wonder whose product they copied?

Look the same as all those cheap and nasty brands to me. I found a picture of the insides of one......

 

[EFLImpudence]

Don't think I've ever seen a cream FE (new, not aged)

RCBOs ?

Apart from:

Chint do a FE in G/Y apparently.....

Not compliant, then.

 

[PBC_1966]

"No nuisance tripping" could be a big selling point!

 

[stillp]

To be pedantic, which of the BSs for the colour of functional earth conductors did you mean?

I think it's in BS7671, isn't it?

It is (Table 51), but I've seen it specified as white elsewhere.

 

[stillp]

The basic standard for identification of conductors, IEC 60445:2010, doesn't specify or recommend, a colour for functional earthing or bonding conductors.

 

[securespark]

Seen loads of cream FE's on telecoms systems...


PBC. Are those breakers current stock?

They look similar to our previous gen breakers going back as far as the mid sixties.

 

[stillp]

In one of my IEC committees we discussed the possibility of specifying a colour for FE/FB conductors, but couldn't agree - in some countries, white is specified, in others cream, but the list of available colours (IEC 60757 IIRC) doesn't define 'cream'. Should we use Tesco single cream, or organic Devon clotted cream? Nearly white, or nearly yellow?

 

[NewOrder]

This house was wired in 1980 and there wasn't any sleeving to be seen any where, all the earth wires were bare. I have sleeved them when I have changed sockets etc. At least the lighting circuit is earthed though!