Color Coding on Nonmetallic (NM) Electrical Cable
- White Sheathing. Cable with white sheathing houses 14-gauge wire. ...
- Yellow Sheathing. Yellow color-coded cable sheathing encloses 12-gauge wires. ...
- Orange Sheathing. The orange-colored wire sheathing is set aside for 10-gauge wire. ...
- Black Sheathing. ...
- Gray Sheathing. ...
- Outer Jacket Labeling. ...
- Color Coding on Individual Conductors. ...
What is the standard color for electrical wire?
The coloring is as follows:
- Positive - The wire for the positive current is red.
- Negative - The wire for the negative current is black.
- Ground - The ground wire (if present) will be white or grey.
What are the electrical codes for wire colors?
- Black - use for line voltage or "hot" wire
- Red - a second line voltage or "hot" wire
- White - neutral
- Bare - protective ground
What are electrical wire color codes and what they indicates?
UK Old Wiring Color Codes
- RED = Phase , Hot or Line, (L)
- BLACK = Neutral (N)
- GREEN / YELLOW = Earth Conductor “Protective earth” (PE)
What are the correct electrical wiring colors?
Electrical wiring color coding standard for three phase electrical applications are standardized to aid the identification of individual wire phases. Wiring color codes for AC and DC power distribution circuits have changed on numerous occasions and vary depending on region. For three phase electricity supply, circuits will use five wires ...
What color wires are L and N?
The N is for the neutral side or the white wire, and the L is for the load side, the black wire.
What are the different colors on wires indicates?
Blue and yellow wires are sometimes used as hot wires and as travelers, green wires (and bare copper wires) are ground wires, and white and gray wires are neutral. However, all electrical wires, regardless of their function, may carry an electrical current at some point and should be treated with equal caution.08-Apr-2019
What color wires are positive and negative?
Positive - The wire for the positive current is red. Negative - The wire for the negative current is black. Ground - The ground wire (if present) will be white or grey.18-Oct-2017
What are blue electrical wires?
Blue & Yellow These two colors are hot wires usually pulled in conduit for common plug-in electrical devices. Blue wires are used as travelers, usually on three- or four-way switches (controlling a light from multiple locations) or as switch legs for things such as fans or lights.11-Jun-2015
Types of Wire Color Codes
There are quite a few different wire color code standards in place, so it is important to understand which one to follow in which situation. The st...
Labeling Electrical Wires & Conduits
The wire color codes used are only going to apply to the actual wires that are carrying the electricity. In many cases, a bundle of these colored w...
Effective Training Options
Those who work directly with electrical wiring on a daily basis will need to be initially trained on what each of the wiring color codes means. Onc...
Applying Color Standards to Existing Wiring
If there are wires in a facility that were put in place prior to the standards that are now used, it is important to take steps to address this saf...
What color wires are used for grounding?
The National Electrical Code (NEC) says that white or gray must be used for neutral conductors and that bare copper or green wires must be used as ground wires. Beyond that are general, industry-accepted rules about wire color that indicate their purpose.
What does it mean when a white wire is augmented with a red or black color?
When a white wire is augmented with a red or black color marking, this often indicates that it is being used as a hot wire rather than a neutral wire. Typically, this is indicated with a band of black or red electrical tape (but other colors may be used) wrapped around the wire's insulation.
What is the white wire used for?
For instance, a white wire in a two-wire cable may be used for the second hot wire on a 240-volt appliance or outlet circuit. This white wire should be looped several times around with black electrical tape to show that it is being used for something other than a neutral. The Spruce / Margot Cavin.
What colors are used in a light switch?
Opening up an outlet or light switch box, you might be confronted with a bewildering array of wires of different colors. Black, white, bare copper, and other colors closely intermingle , yet each one has a specific purpose. Knowing the purpose of each wire will keep you safe and your house's electrical system in top working order.
What does it mean when a white wire is wrapped in electrical tape?
When examining a white or gray wire, make certain that it has not been wrapped in electrical tape. This would indicate a hot wire. Older wires sometimes may lose their electrical tape wrapping. So, if the box has a loose loop of tape inside of it, there is the possibility that it may have come off of the neutral wire.
What is a non-metallic cable?
Non-metallic (or NM) 120-volt and 240-volt electrical cable come in two main parts: the outer plastic sheathing (or jacket) and the inner, color-coded wires. The sheathing binds the inner wires together, and its outer markings indicate the number of wires and size of wire ( gauge) within the sheathing. The color of the sheathing indicates recommended usages. For example, white sheathing means that the inner wires are 14-gauge and yellow sheathing indicates that they are 12-gauge.
What are blue and yellow wires?
Blue and Yellow Wires. Blue and yellow wires are sometimes used as hot wires inside an electrical conduit. The Spruce / Margot Cavin. Rarely are blue and yellow wires found in NM cable. Blue wires are commonly used for travelers in a three-way and four-way switch applications .
What voltage is AC wire?
AC power comes in many different types based on how many volts the wires will be carrying. For wires that will be 120, 208 or 240 volts, the following wiring color standards are used. It is important to note that with this type of wiring, there are multiple phases in place, each of which will get its own color wire to make it clear what it is for those working on it.
Why is electricity important in manufacturing?
Electricity is an essential component for virtually every step in manufacturing and most other industries. In most facilities, the electricity will come in at one point in the building, and then be distributed to just about every corner through a series of wires. Even the tools and machines that are used are filled with wires that are used to conduct the electricity to perform whatever action is needed.
What is the name of the wire that has a higher voltage?
In some uncommon situations, one phase will have a higher voltage than the others. These are known as high-leg connections. While rare, they can be identified by looking for a wire that is marked with orange, which will be the higher voltage wire.
Why is it important to label wires?
When this is the case, it is important to take the time to properly label the wires and electrical conduits to warn people of potential dangers.
What happens if you don't wire properly?
If something is not wired properly, it can result in injuries, deaths, fires, and many other problems. This is why there are well-established wire color codes to ensure those working with an around this type of equipment can ensure everything is wired safely and effectively.
How many wires are needed for DC power?
When wiring for DC power, there are typically going to be either two or three wires. The coloring is as follows:
What color should a phase 1 volt switch be?
Phase 1 - Phase 1 wiring should be black. Phase 2 - Phase 2 wiring should be red. Phase 3 - Phase 3 wiring should be blue. Neutral - Neutral wiring should be white. Ground - Ground wiring can be green or green with a yellow stripe. In some uncommon situations, one phase will have a higher voltage than the others.
What happens if you connect a hot wire backwards?
If you get the wiring backward and connect the hot wire to the neutral terminal, you would energize the metal sleeve. If someone unscrews the bulb and touches the bulb base and the sleeve at the same time, their body would become part of the circuit and they could get a shock.
What is the hot wire on a light bulb?
The hot wire (smooth insulation) should connect to the brass-colored terminal on the light socket; this is connected to a little metal tab inside the socket, which delivers power to the light bulb. The neutral wire (rigid insulation) should connect to the silver-colored terminal, which is joined to the threaded metal sleeve of the bulb socket where the light bulb screws in.
What are the two terminals on an outlet?
Outlets, or receptacles, typically have two brass-colored screw terminals and two silver-colored terminals. The brass terminals are for the hot wires, and the silver terminals are for the neutral wires. If there is only one hot wire and one neutral wire in the electrical box, the hot wire can connect to either brass terminal;
How many terminals does a single pole switch have?
Single-pole switches have only two terminals, plus a ground screw. The terminals connect only to the hot wires in a circuit and are interchangeable, so the terminals are the same color. These switches don't typically connect to the neutral, so there is no terminal for the neutral wire. The Spruce.
Why are electrical wires color coded?
Electrical wires and screw terminals are color-coded to help you match each wire to the correct terminal. But this doesn't mean that color-coding is always a reliable guide. For example, sometimes white wires are used in place of black wires, and some devices, like outlets and lamps, can be wire backward and still work ...
What is the difference between a white neutral and a green neutral?
A white neutral wire usually connects to a silver-colored terminal or white wire lead. A green or bare ground wire almost always makes a ground connection—to a ground screw on a device, electrical box, or appliance case or to a green wire lead.
What is the black wire on a circuit?
A simple standard electrical circuit has a black or red "hot" wire that carries power from the power source to the device (e.g., switch, fixture, outlet, appliance), a white neutral wire that carries the power back to the power source, and a green or bare copper ground wire that connects the device to the home's grounding system .
What is the NEC code for wires?
Though there are international wire color codes, the U.S. follows the National Electrical Code ® (NEC). The code is identified as NFPA 70 ® because the NEC is sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association. Though not a federal law (states can choose to adopt it), it is approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Every three years, the NEC reviews, amends and adopts the latest code. The current NEC was last updated in 2020.
How do you ground an electrical circuit?
They ground the electrical circuit by connecting to a grounding terminal in an outlet box and connecting to a metallic strip (busbar) in an electrical panel.
What does a white wire mean?
When you see a modified white wire (with black or red tape wrapped around it), it signals the wire is hot, not neutral. You may see these in 240-volt outlets replacing the red wire as the second live wire.
What does it mean when you see a red wire?
In the case of electricity, recognizing a red electrical wire (hot wire) could mean lowering the risk of electrical shocks, burns, electrocution and fires. If a body encounters a high-magnitude electrical surge, it could take years to recover.
Why is NEC important?
Workers, maintenance crews and contractors (who frequently update wires) have come to rely on this color-coding system. It makes troubleshooting easier, and faster.
Why do we remember colors?
We remember better when colors are used compared to when they’re not. That’s because colors play an essential role in keeping information in the memory system. Since electrical wires are colored, it’s easier to understand their purpose within a network .
What is secondary hot wire?
Indicate a secondary hot wire, one that carries electricity. You will need to shut off the circuit breaker before working with these wires. They can be used to interconnect smoke detectors, power wall switches for ceiling fan lights, and to power outlets for a 240-volt appliance like an air conditioner, electric water heater, stove or dryer.
Black Wires
Black insulation is basically the only option for hot wires. It’s also found in the majority of ordinary residential circuits.
Red Wires: Hot
Hot cables are indicated by a red line. At the 240 volt setting, the red wire may be used as the second hot wire. It may be ideal for 240 volt heater wiring.
White Wires With Red Or Black Tape
Instead of a neutral wire, a white wire with a red or black color marking is frequently utilized as a hot wire.
Bare Copper Wires
The most commonly utilized form of wire for grounding is bare copper wire. Grounding is required for any electrical equipment. Grounding ensures that electricity can safely move in the event of a fault.
Green Wires: Ground
Grounding is occasionally done with green insulated wires. Electrical gadgets’ ground screws are frequently colored green as well.
Neutral White Or Gray Wires
Neutral wires are white or gray in color. Make sure a white or gray wire isn’t wrapped in electrical tape before studying it.
Yellow And Blue Wires
Inside an electrical conduit, blue and yellow wires are occasionally employed as hot wires.
Why do we need ground wires?
Ground wires exist for your protection as it defends against unstable electrical currents. Ground wires do not carry an electrical current, but if any accidents take place, such as a short circuit, it sends the flow toward the ground. However, this is more of a prerequisite by the NEC for newer houses and not usually found in older homes. To see if a ground wire color is present in your home, check to see if your outlet has three prongs.
What does black wire mean?
Black electrical wire is a common wire color in a standard household indicating the insulation is for hot wire color code.
What is color coded wiring?
The electrical wire of the distribution of an alternating and direct current of any branch of a chain necessarily has color coding.
What color wires are used in a conduit?
Blue and yellow electrical wires are rare to see but can sometimes be used within an electrical conduit as hot wires. This is usually encountered by travelers for three or four-way switches.
What does it mean when a wire is red?
This also means red electrical wire colors are considered hot and are not used as a neutral wire. It may be seen in circumstances where you have a second hot wire on a 240-volt appliance in a two-wire cable.
Why do electricians use color?
Previously, the color of the conductors were only black or white, which caused great inconvenience to electricians. When the conductors were disconnected, power had to be supplied to the conductors, after which zero and phase were determined by means of controls. The use of coloring relieved them of all the struggles because everything became very clear.
What to do if you have loose wire hanging from electric pole?
If the issue is something apparent such as a loose wire hanging from an electric pole, stay away from it, and contact your utility company. Furthermore, under no circumstances should it be touched, especially if you are unqualified to deal with the matter at hand.
What is the red wire used for?
Red can also be used as a “signal” or “trigger” wire in three-wire interconnected smoke detector applications. The trigger wire is used to activate all the interconnected smoke detectors the instant one detector senses smoke or fire. In that wiring setup, the smoke detectors get power and neutral from the black and white wires, ...
What is the purpose of red or orange wires?
Red or orange wires are often used to provide the secondary phase voltage in a 220-volt application. Always assume that a red or orange wire (in addition to the black wire, which provides the primary phase voltage) is live. You’ll find black and red or orange wires connected to 220-volt appliances like electric water heaters, well pumps, ...
What colors of wire do electricians use?
Before pre-made cables were the norm, though, electricians would run empty tubing between the main panel and the wall and ceiling boxes and filled the tubing with a variety of different wire colors like blue, red, orange, yellow, brown, and violet —a setup still seen in older homes today.
What is a 2 wire cable used for?
However, when sized appropriately for the load, two-wire armored cables can also be used to provide power to 220-volt appliances like a water heater or well pump , which is where things get tricky.
What is the difference between a neutral and a hot conductor?
The hot or “live” conductor sheathed in black typically carries power to a 110-volt light or receptacle, while a neutral conductor would carry energy away and a bare copper ground wire can conduct any excess energy that might otherwise be a shock or fire hazard.
What is the white sheathing on a water heater?
A: You’re right, white sheathing does generally indicate a neutral wire, but it’s not always so simple to decipher. In this case, your water heater is probably wired with two-wire flexible armor-clad “BX” or “MC” cable—that’s a factory-made cable with a metal jacket protecting a black, white, and bare copper wire.
What color wire is used for a 120V fan?
Red or orange can also be used as a second “switched” power wire in a 120-volt application. When installing a ceiling fan, you’ll often find that the black wire coming from the wall switch provides switched power to the fan motor.
What is an electrical upgrade?
A Simple Electrical Upgrade Can Upgrade Your Quality of Life . The right electrical upgrade can dramatically improve the value and appearance of any home or business. You’ll be amazed at what a difference the right electrical upgrade can make for your home or business.
What are the colors of electrical wires?
3. Blue & Yellow Electrical Wires. Blue and yellow electrical wires are used sometimes as hot wires, but not for typical outlet wiring. They are usually live wires pulled through a conduit. An example would be yellow wires used as switch legs to structural lights or ceiling fans.
What wires do you use to connect smoke detectors?
You can also use red wires to interconnect smoke detectors so that if one of them is triggered, the others go off simultaneously. Red wires can be linked together, and they can also be linked to black wires. 3. Blue & Yellow Electrical Wires.
What does it mean when a black wire is hot?
You’ll see black wires being referred to as “hot” in many graphic representations. This means they carry power from your electrical panel to a certain destination.
What does it mean when a white wire has a black tape?
As mentioned above, if a white wire has a black tape or red color marking, then that means it’s being used as a hot wire and not a neutral one. The tape is usually wrapped around the insulation.
What color wires are neutral?
White and gray electrical wires are neutral. In most households, white is the predominant color, but you can also see gray wires and they serve the exact same function. These connect to the neutral bus bar in the main electrical panel, carrying power back to it rather than from the panel to a device.
What is red wire?
Red Wires. Red wires are also hot, and they’re called secondary live wires in 240- and 220-volt circuits. They too can be used as switch legs in certain circuits. However, one of the most useful applications of this electrical wire color code is connecting hardwired smoke detectors to the power system.
What is the color code for AC wires?
This standard was originally published as IEC 60446, but was merged into IEC 60445 in 2010.
What is DuraLabel printer?
Where more detailed information is helpful (or even necessary), the DuraLabel line of label printers offer a simple and reliable way to print long-lasting markers and wire tags. Self-laminating wire wraps and heat-shrink tubes are available to create clean, professional labels for your project.
What is the ANSI 606-A standard?
The ANSI/TIA/EIA 606-A standard includes recommendations for marking telecommunications wires. This standard provides a consistent approach that can be applied to many different kinds of connections over time.
What does it mean when a cable marker is blue?
For example, if a cable marker is blue, that might indicate that it’s part of a specific subgroup of the local network. Printed text on the label, though, could identify which specific workstation uses that cable, which port on the server it should be connected to, as well as when the cable was installed.
Is the color of wire the same?
There are many wire identification standards, and many of them rely on color codes. Not all electrical wiring color codes are the same, though, and some even contradict each other.
Do you need to print wiring labels?
With information wiring, printed labels can be a necessity. Wire markers should be visible during installation and normal maintenance of the wiring systems. When those labels use printed text, they should use high-contrast and durable print.
Do older electrical systems have different color codes?
It depends on your location, installation type, voltage, and other factors. Note that older installations may use different color codes. In workplaces, it’s a good idea to document the color code that is being followed. This way, work will be safer, and future maintenance will be easier.