Wire Colour Code Guide
| Colour | Wire | Role |
| Blue | Neutral | The neutral wire, which is blue in color ... |
| Brown | Live | The brown live wire, which supplies powe ... |
| Green Or Yellow | Earth | Green and yellow stripes make up the ear ... |
What are the wire colour codes for electricians in Australia?
The wire colour codes for Australia and which electricians follow are: Blue Wire – neutral wire replacing the old black wire Brown Wire – live wire replacing the old red wire Green or Yellow Wire – earth wire that contains green or yellow stripes
What colours do electrical wires come in?
Pre-2000s homes could look entirely different. Common colours include white or grey, which are both typically neutral, and black or yellow for active wires. Should I Perform My Own Electrical Work?
What colour is TV aerial cable?
There are varieties of cable with similar colouring to the mains wiring. As an example, TV aerial cables don’t carry any voltage but do have the same brown colour as the live mains cabling. It is also common to find black cabling trailing behind the TV. This is the same colour as the old neutral wire.
What colour is live wiring now?
Similarly, red live wiring is now brown. There are varieties of cable with similar colouring to the mains wiring. As an example, TV aerial cables don’t carry any voltage but do have the same brown colour as the live mains cabling. It is also common to find black cabling trailing behind the TV. This is the same colour as the old neutral wire.
What are the cable colours for fixed wiring in Australia?
Within Australia the live wire is brown, the neutral wire is blue and the earth wire is green and yellow. This may not be the same for every electrical system as the wire colour codes have altered throughout the years.15-Aug-2021
What colour wire is L and N?
US AC power circuit wiring color codesFunctionlabelColor, commonProtective groundPGbare, green, or green-yellowNeutralNwhiteLine, single phaseLblack or red (2nd hot)Line, 3-phaseL1black2 more rows
What are the colours of electrical cable?
The new electrical wiring colours in the UK are green and yellow for the earth wire; brown for the live wire, and blue for the neutral wire.
What colour wires are 3-phase in Australia?
Australian engineers use red, white and blue for their live wire colours. The specific difference that is unique to Australia is the white L2 line. However, it is also permissible in Australia to use European colours in some circumstances according to AS 3000.
What colour wires are positive and negative in Australia?
Australian Standard specifies that for most installations, the electrical wiring colours to use are black for a live conductor, brown or blue for a neutral conductor, green or yellow-green for an earth (ground) conductor, and red or orange for a signal wire.24-Dec-2021
What does L and N stand for in electrical Australia?
Neutral and LoadThe N & L stand for Neutral and Load. With your AC line in you should have three wires. Neutral, Load, and Ground. If your wires are color coded for the US then the black wire is Load or Hot, the white wire is Neutral, and the green wire is Ground.
What are the colours on 4 core cable?
BS 6346, BS 5467 or BS 6724Cable typeOld core coloursNew core coloursTwo-coreRed, blackBrown, blueThree-coreRed, yellow, blueBrown, black, greyFour-coreRed, yellow, blue, blackBrown, black, grey, blueFive-coreRed, yellow, blue, black, green-and-yellowBrown, black, grey, blue, green-and-yellow1 more row
What is electrical blue cable?
The blue wire also referred to as the neutral wire, has the function of transferring electricity away from the appliance. The brown wire, otherwise known as the live wire, transfers electricity to the appliance. The combination of these wires is referred to as a circuit.
What colour is neutral on 3 phase?
Electrical Three Phase Wiring ColoursUK Old*USAPhase 1RedBlackPhase 2YellowRedPhase 3BlueBlueNeutralBlackWhite or Grey07-Jun-2021
What are the colours of 3 phase wires?
For three-phase cables the phase colours are brown, black and grey, instead of red, yellow and blue, respectively, and the neutral colour is now blue instead of black. Again the protective conductor is identified by the colour combination green-and-yellow.31-Mar-2021
Which wire is positive blue or brown?
And for modern wiring: The active wire (high potential) is coloured brown (used to be red). The neutral wire (low potential) is coloured blue (used to be black). The earth wire is striped green and yellow (used to be only green).04-May-2017
Electrical Wires' Primary Purpose
Assume again if you think there's only one wire delivering power to and from your outlets and appliances. Each wire has a distinct purpose. Colour labelling allows your electrician to quickly identify each function, which aids in detecting any faults.
Electrical Wiring Standards in Australia in 2021
Since the adoption of the AS 3000 in 2018, Australia's wiring has better reflected worldwide standards. Electrical wire colours in Australia mirror those in Europe and the United Kingdom, allowing more items to be effortlessly integrated into international circuits.
Other Colors of Wiring in Your Home
Colour guidelines for electrical wiring were only implemented a few years ago. As a result, your home's wiring is likely to be out of sync. As a result, a wide diversity of colour schemes can be seen in most Australian homes.
What color is the neutral wire?
You must ensure that there is no power source connected with the live wire before working on the wiring. The neutral wire colour is blue.
What is the green and yellow wire?
The green and yellow wire is also referred to as the earth wire and has a key safety function. Electricity being transferred around any property will always take the path of least resistance to the earth.
What is the difference between blue and brown wires?
The blue wire, also referred to as the neutral wire, has the function of transferring electricity away from the appliance. The brown wire, otherwise known as the live wire, transfers electricity to the appliance. The combination of these wires is referred to as a circuit. You should be aware that some properties have old-style wiring, which should be regularly checked by an electrician to ensure that it remains in good working order. The need for replacement will be entirely dependent on the safety of the wiring.
What does brown wire mean?
It is important that you don’t make the mistake of confusing the natural blue and green/yellow earth connection when referring to the electrical system. Brown = Live. As previously mentioned, the brown wire has the function of carrying electricity to the appliance.
What is the combination of wires called?
The combination of these wires is referred to as a circuit. You should be aware that some properties have old-style wiring, which should be regularly checked by an electrician to ensure that it remains in good working order. The need for replacement will be entirely dependent on the safety of the wiring.
How many wires are in a three phase system?
Either three or four wires will be connected to an electrical service panel functioning via the three-phase system. This will feature three live wires of either a black, red, brown or grey colour and a separate blue wire. There will typically be a 400V separation between the two live wires.
Where is the neutral wire located?
The neutral wire transfers electricity away from the appliance to avoid overloading. It is located at the end of the circuit for connection after the electricity has flowed around the live and earth wires. It is highly unlikely that you will have an electric shock on contact with a blue wire.
What is the Australian Electrical Wiring Colours Coding Standard?
The wiring colours coding standard was initially made in 1894 and were a voluntary code, which only members of an authorised organisation could use. However, in 2000 the codes were made an officially regulated code. Australian electrical wiring colour codes have evolved over the last 100 years with the inclusion of colour coding.
How to Use the Wire Colour Code Standard
The following sections are not technical and are meant only to provide basic information for regular residential and commercial customers.
What Does Each Wire Colour Mean?
Colour codes have been developed with care for your safety and endorsed by the Australian Standards Association (ASA).
Original Purpose of the Electrical Wiring Colour Codes
The use of different electrical wire colour codes for the different conductors was originally to indicate their "lifespan." For example, the colour yellow meant a conductor that would reach a specified wire length and then be connected to an earth wire.
Wire Colour Coding and Your Electrical System
The Australian electrical code, EJ8, is a good starting point for maintaining a sound electrical system. It is easy to follow and easy to remember. It is important to remember that as the standards become more demanding and more people install electrical systems, more training and certification will be required.
What are wire colour codes?
The purpose of wiring colour codes is to enable an electrician or anyone else who has cause to go near the wiring in a building and immediately tell which wire is just by looking at them.
What color wires are used for TV?
Just because a wire is a particular colour, that doesn’t always mean that the colour code applies. For example, many TV aerial cables are coloured brown, which indicates a live wire under the wiring colour codes. However, TV aerials do not carry any voltage and aren’t subject to the same safety considerations as live wires carrying electricity to appliances are. Similarly, you will find plenty of black cables around the average home. Many of these carry electricity from your mains supply to your appliances, but they have the same colour as the neutral wires.
What is the purpose of wiring color codes?
The purpose of wiring colour codes is to enable an electrician or anyone else who has cause to go near the wiring in a building and immediately tell which wire is just by looking at them.
Do you have to rewire a house if you have wire color codes?
Just because you have the colour codes to refer to doesn’t mean you should rewire your home.
Do color codes change over time?
It is also important to note that these colour codes have changed over time, and will presumably change again in the future. If you are looking at the wiring for an appliance or property that is decades old, you need to consider that the wiring might reflect previous colour codes.
Do you need to know the color of your wires?
Whether you are moving into a new property or you need to do some DIY involving your home electrics, you need to know your wire colour codes. If this is your first time dealing with electrics or wiring, it’s critical that you find out exactly what you are dealing with before you go anywhere near live wires.
Do all electrical cables have the same color code?
No. There are also different colour codes for single-phase and multiphase systems. However, since the introduction of the latest wiring colour codes, both fixed electrical cables and mains-powered cables use the same colour code scheme.
What color is the earth wire?
The main types of electrical wiring are the live wire coloured brown, neutral wire coloured blue and the earth wire coloured green or yellow. The size of the wire determines how much current passes through the wire. There are also many wiring systems which are used in homes, such as nonmetallic, underground feeder and low voltage wire.
Why is the neutral wire blue?
The neutral wire is blue and acts as a way for currents to leave the appliance in order to prevent electrical overloading. An overloaded electrical circuit will often cause wires to melt and other dangerous issues.
How are Wires Sized?
This measurement will also govern the resistance of the wire and also the weight per unit of length. A wire size of 4 is larger than a wire size of 40, where 4-40 are the general wire sizes.
What is a licensed electrician?
A fully licensed electrician will be the person who installs wires into homes. Wires are often grouped together where cables are formed, these cables all having their own use. Each wire has a live, neutral and earth point in it while each will have additional endings or insulations built for different purposes. The main types of wires, or cables, installed into homes are:
How many wires are in an electrical cable?
In an electrical system, a cable will mostly consist of three wires each with their own purpose. These wires are coloured to keep with the wiring colour codes and allow people to know which wire is which. A licensed electrician will know what each wire does, therefore, will operate with them effectively while following the Wiring Rules.
What is non-metallic wire?
Non-metallic – this wire, when used in home electrical circuits, is often used for interior purposes. Drier conditions and environments are also more suited to the non-metallic wires. The shape of this wire is tubular while run through the walls and floors of the house. The appliances and devices used in house wiring systems are often made with this wiring unit.
Where are THHN wires found?
THHN/ THWN – these wires are mostly found in conducts where wires are bundled in plastic sheathing. These single conductors will have their own colour insulation and are protected by plastic conduits or tubular metals. They are mainly installed in areas which are unfinished or in places such as garages and basements. Another use of these wires is for short connections, such as hot water heaters or garbage disposers.
Why do electricians use color codes?
The wire colour codes are there to ensure that electricians and individuals understand what type of wire is in cables. Professional electricians work with live wires and powered cables so the different wire colours help keep the process more efficient. The electrical wiring color codes for ac and dc wires and also single phase and three phase systems are extremely important for electrical safety as well. Here at The Local Electrician our Emergency Electrician team will carry out any electrical task and know how to properly work with cabling and wiring.
What is single phase wiring?
Single phase wiring is where two wires connect and allows an easy balance of electrical currents and loads across networks. Three phase wiring consists of three to four wires that provide a stronger electrical current. Three phase power is mostly used in places where the electrical needs are greater and can also be installed in residential places if wanted.
Are the Wiring Colour Codes the Same Everywhere?
Within Australia the live wire is brown, the neutral wire is blue and the earth wire is green and yellow. This may not be the same for every electrical system as the wire colour codes have altered throughout the years. This means that older systems might have different colours and people working on the wires need to know the colour codes for that particular time period.