3 core twin and earth cable what colour should you use as the neutral

[R1CH-G]

It would appear that an earth is being used as a live conductor?

Seen that done before with SWA as neutral

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Seen that done before with SWA as neutral

In that case, should it be sleeved grey?

 

[R1CH-G]

In that case, should it be sleeved grey?

It was on street lights in an adaptable box post contactor. 3 core SWA cable with 2 cores damaged. Used the SWA as neutral. Should there be grey sleeving on it?

Isolated circuit and locked off. End of.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

No it shouldn't be sleeved grey, just me taking the ****.
It should be correctly identified at the terminations, either by colour or alphanumeric methods.

 

[R1CH-G]

No it shouldn't be sleeved grey, just me taking the ****.

Thought it might be

 

[nick611]

Not quite Nick. There needs to be a standard so we all know what is going on, that's the idea of having identification in the first place. In a 2 way all are line conductors so there is no ambiguity, whereas in a switched circuit (IE PIR) ther has to be one who is neutral, and thats grey. Using yellow as the CPC and blue as neutral in RYB colours was easy as blue was then recognised as neutral in flexes, and yellow... well that's obvious. When the new colours were introduced the NIC and others were quick to make a standard to enable all to understand the colours, it will make your life easier if you go to a job and there is no sleeving!

in an existing 3 phase board their was 2 colours in the neutral bar, black and blue[swa] now you want to put grey in their as well and blacks in the earth bar. and you call this a stanard!!

 

[nick611]

Not quite Nick. There needs to be a standard so we all know what is going on, that's the idea of having identification in the first place. In a 2 way all are line conductors so there is no ambiguity, whereas in a switched circuit (IE PIR) ther has to be one who is neutral, and thats grey. Using yellow as the CPC and blue as neutral in RYB colours was easy as blue was then recognised as neutral in flexes, and yellow... well that's obvious. When the new colours were introduced the NIC and others were quick to make a standard to enable all to understand the colours, it will make your life easier if you go to a job and there is no sleeving!

in an existing 3 phase board their was 2 colours in the neutral bar, black and blue[swa] now you want to put grey in their as well and blacks in the earth bar. and you call this a standard!!

 

[keefy]

A standard is just that, something drawn out that people stick to. If you don't agree with grey as neutral; tough. It was decided a long time ago that was the case and it has to stick. If you continue to be a rebel and create your own system you are creating problems for everyone who works on your installations after you. Just because you have 3 colours in the neutral bar (colour coded with sleeving of course so not to cause confusion) does not make it difficult, it just makes you dim if you don't understand it.

 

[telectrix]

we had a standard. red, yellow, blue, black. every man and his dog knew what was what. then along came the meddling eurine bureau rats in their suits and pink shirts and buggered it all up. so much for British Standards

 

[keefy]

If they really did have their way we would be using black as line on 230. We chose the standard we have now to stop the eurocrats choosing. If you don't like or can't cope with the new colours try buying the old ones. Maybe some people are just too adverse to change.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

If they really did have their way we would be using black as line on 230. We chose the standard we have now to stop the eurocrats choosing. If you don't like or can't cope with the new colours try buying the old ones. Maybe some people are just too adverse to change.

I've been in the industry 30 yrs and am not averse to change....However this country has a long and distinguished tradition of implementing daft ideas....and harmonising cable colours has to be up there with the daftest.
Thanks to this piece of genius thinking we now have a situation where blacks and blues could be either phase or neutral...and drab dingy phase colours which are hard to tell apart in low light..and just to let everyone know how silly wev'e been we have to stick silly stickers over every DB pointing out our sillyness.
The UK is an island...there is no overlapping of wiring systems with our european masters...we didnt need to change.

 

[andyb]

I've been in the industry 30 yrs and am not averse to change....However this country has a long and distinguished tradition of implementing daft ideas....and harmonising cable colours has to be up there with the daftest.

What was daft was the fact that you could buy 100m t&e, and 100m 3 core flex for the same job & they would have different colour conductors. Red & black in one, brown & blue in the other. Two different colours in the same accessory such as a spur or ceiling rose.

 

[keefy]

Yes we are an island but we do work with European electricians. I have worked on a few jobs where they are working on our systems. Yes I understand your point the colours are hard to see and silly stickers sticking over a silly situation, BUT it has changed, like it or not it will stay. We have been changing our colours in various different ways for years since the first regs

 

[thekingiam]

looking at this post i thought immediately yeah its obvious grey is neutral, but as i began to think i have doubts on my own wirring i have done in my house, will need to look at it later!

 

[Apollo]

If they really did have their way we would be using black as line on 230. We chose the standard we have now to stop the eurocrats choosing. If you don't like or can't cope with the new colours try buying the old ones. Maybe some people are just too adverse to change.

Totally wrong, we changed our colours to harmonise with the EU. Can remember going to Germany and working on an installation therearound 1990. Opened up a socket and saw brown and blue and though what the hell are these Germans on. took a local to tell me they use these colour and so would we in future.... So no we didn't choose the standard we fell in line with Europe.....