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wire color abbreviations

by Reanna McGlynn Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Wiring Color Abbreviations / Page 2

Vote 1 Vote LT GRN Light Green Color, Technology, Colour Color, Technology, Colour
Vote 1 Vote O Orange Colour, Wire Color, Medical Colour, Wire Color, Medical
Vote 1 Vote OG Orange Colour, Organic Chemistry, Techno ... Colour, Organic Chemistry, Technology
Vote 1 Vote Or Orange Colour, Technology, Electrical Wi ... Colour, Technology, Electrical Wiring
Vote 1 Vote PK Pink Organic Chemistry, Technology, Colo ... Organic Chemistry, Technology, Color
Jun 9 2022

Full Answer

What are the color codes for wires?

UK Old Wiring Color Codes

  • RED = Phase , Hot or Line, (L)
  • BLACK = Neutral (N)
  • GREEN / YELLOW = Earth Conductor “Protective earth” (PE)

What are the colors of electrical wires?

What are the standard color codes for electric wires?

  • Phase 1 – Black.
  • Phase 2 – Red.
  • Phase 3 – Blue.
  • Neutral – White.
  • Ground – Green, Green with Yellow Stripe, or Bare Wire.

What do the colors of wires indicate?

What Do the Colors of Wires Mean?

  • Ground Wire Color. The grounding wire in your switch or outlet box isn't actually a part of the circuit -- but in terms of safety, it's the most important one, ...
  • Neutral Wire Colors. ...
  • Hot Conductor Colors. ...
  • Special Cases. ...

What color is the common wire?

What color is the common wire in household wiring?

  • Black Electrical Wires. This color of wire is used to transfer power to switches and outlets in all types of circuits.
  • Red Electrical Wires.
  • Blue and Yellow Electrical Wires.
  • White and Gray Electrical Wires.
  • Green Electrical Wires.

What are the wire color codes?

3-Phase Wire Color CodesPhase 1 – Black wire.Phase 2 – Red wire.Phase 3 – Blue wire.Neutral – White wire.Ground – Green, Green with a Yellow Stripe, or Bare Wire.

What is the abbreviation for these colors?

Color Codes and Abbreviations for Plastics RecognitionAbbreviationColorGDGoldGNGreenGTGraniteGYGray29 more rows

How do you read a wire color code?

U.S. Electrical Wiring Color CodesPhase 1 - Black.Phase 2 - Red.Phase 3 - Blue.Neutral - White.Ground - Green, Green with Yellow Stripe, or Bare Wire.

What color of wire is n?

Line (L) = any color except green and green-yellow striped, yellow is prohibited if green or green-yellow striped is used, blue can be used when there is no neutral cable. Neutral (N) = light blue.

What is blue abbreviation?

Blue Abbreviation. 14. BLU. Blue + 1 variant. SAP, Color, Record.

What is Gy color?

Gy. Grey. Medical, Colour, Wire Color.

How do I identify electrical wires?

An electrical cable is classified by two numbers separated by a hyphen, such as 14-2. The first number denotes the conductor's gauge; the second denotes the number of conductors inside the cable. For instance, 14-2 has two 14-gauge conductors: a hot and a neutral.

Which color is live wire?

BrownPlug wiring coloursWireColourLiveBrownNeutralBlueEarthYellow and Green

Why are wires different colors?

But looking deeper, the color of the wires inside of the sheathing reveals that different colored wires serve different purposes. 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.

What color is DC wire?

When wiring for DC power, there are typically going to be either two or three wires. The coloring is as follows: The positive current must be red. The negative current must be black.

What are the 3 colored wires called?

They are often color-coded, yellow for composite video, red for the right audio channel, and white or black for the left channel of stereo audio. This trio (or pair) of jacks can often be found on the back of audio and video equipment.

What color wires go to L1 L2 L3?

The USA has their own wiring colors for electrical circuits, black, red, and blue are used for 208 VAC three-phase; brown, orange and yellow are used for 480 VAC....International Wiring Color Codes.Ground (G)GreenNeutral (N)BlackLine 1 (L1)RedLine 2 (L2)YellowLine 3 (L3)Blue5 more columns

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...

A brief history of wiring color codes

It took until 1928 for wire color coding to make its debut. The National Electrical Code® (NEC) was the first to reference it, and today continues to set the standards for the electrical industry. Following a uniform color code makes it easier to assess electrical wiring, and ensure safety among licensed professionals and homeowners alike.

The NEC wire color coding standards

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).

3-Phase Wire Color Codes

Whether adding a home appliance or industrial machinery, you’ll need to know these electrical wiring color codes. In the U.S., these color-coded wires carry power from a circuit breaker to a device.

How Brady can help

Just like no two electrical projects are the same, you’ll find Brady support comes in different shapes and sizes. We offer industrial label printers, cable labels, wire markers, heat shrink sleeves, electrical safety signs and software — effective and easy ways to communicate vital information, and stay safe.

What color wires are used in UK AC circuits?

US, AC: The US National Electrical Code only mandates white (or grey) for the neutral power conductor and bare copper, green, or green with yellow stripe for the protective ground. In principle any other colors except these may be used for the power conductors.

What color wire should I use for a hot wire?

However, common practice (per local electrical inspectors) is for the first hot (live or active) wire to be black and the second hot to be red. The recommendations in Table below are by Wiles. He makes no recommendation for ungrounded power system colors.

What color is the ground for DC power?

US DC power: The US National Electrical Code (for both AC and DC) mandates that the grounded neutral conductor of a power system be white or grey. The protective ground must be bare, green or green-yellow striped. Hot (active) wires may be any other colors except these.

What color is the neutral power conductor?

US, AC: The US National Electrical Code only mandates white (or grey) for the neutral power conductor and bare copper, green, or green with yellow stripe for the protective ground. In principle any other colors except these may be used for the power conductors.

What color is the protective ground?

The protective ground is green or green with yellow stripe. The neutral is white, the hot (live or active) single phase wires are black , and red in the case of a second active. Three-phase lines are red, black, and blue.

What color conductors are used for 208 VAC?

Black, red, and blue are used for 208 VAC three-phase; brown, orange and yellow are used for 480 VAC. Conductors larger than #6 AWG are only available in black and are color taped at the ends.

What color is white insulation?

With age the white insulation may have become tan or even brownish in color.

Is wire color coded?

We point out with photo-examples that while wire color code theory is nice and all that, in the real world of working on existing buildings, wires are not always reliably color-coded and colors may in fact be impossible to discern.

What is the most common color of electrical wire?

Three-way and four-way switches operate a single appliance from multiple locations and use traveler wires to connect the switches. Blue and yellow are considered the most common travel wire colors, ...

What color wire is used for traveler wire?

Blue and yellow are considered the most common travel wire colors, but brown or purple/violet can also be used. Yellow is more commonly used as a switch leg instead of a traveler wire in these applications. Originally Published: February 12, 2021.

What is the red wire used for?

Red wires can also be used in some 120-volt applications. Like black wires, red wires can be used as switch legs. Dawson notes that red wires are commonly used when installing ceiling fans that use separate switches for the fan motor and light. When this is the case, the hot black wire is connected to one switch to operate the fan motor, ...

What is black wire?

Black wires are “hot” wires, which means they carry a live current from your electrical panel to the destination. They feed electricity to electrical outlets, switches and appliances from the home’s main power supply. Black wires can also be used as “switch legs” that connect wall switches outlets and appliances (like ceiling fans or lights), ...

What is the red wire on a smoke alarm?

Red wires are also used as “trigger wires” for interconnected smoke alarms. In this case, the red trigger wires allow all the interconnected alarms to go off simultaneously when one alarm is triggered. Orange wire may be used in place of red for all of these purposes. 4 / 5. 66North/Getty Images.

What does gray mean on a wire?

White and Gray. “White or gray indicates a neutral wire ,” Dawson says. A neutral wire returns electricity from the hot wire back to a grounded portion of the home’s electrical panel to complete the circuit. Without it, the electrical current couldn’t circulate and the live wire couldn’t provide usable power.

What color wire is used for grounding?

According to Mark Dawson, chief operating officer of Mister Sparky, “green insulated wires are used for grounding.” Green is the most common ground wire color, but “green-yellow” (green wire with a yellow stripe) and “bare” wire ( copper wire without colored insulation) can also be used.

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