cable markings for our own use

[vjsmarwick]

When I was serving my time the firm I was with marked the cables cut with a point for a main an angle for a switch wire and straight for a light. What markings do you use if any ? It was and is great and I still use them every day and have added marking a star for a stat and for underfloor a cut 1 2 3 and a star so I can tell which room is which.

 

[Guest111]

I used to cut them straight for a live and loop and at an angle for a switch,if we had a 2 or 3 gang switch the wires were nicked 1,2, or 3 accordingly.

 

[kingeri]

If you're talking about singles, then I use a similar method to that, for sheathed cables I write on them with a CD/DVD labelling pen!

 

[trev]

At a ceiling rose if I don't have twin brown (weapon of choice for switches) the switch gets a nick. At a multi gand switch they get nicked 1 2 3 etc. If I'm working with more than one circuit using the same CSA cables I too use the CD/DVD marker pen.
It's the way forward

 

[vjsmarwick]

Thanks guys was just trying to find out if we had any common ground with the markings

 

[kingeri]

True trev, I like using twin brown too, but I think I'm the only one around me who does. Is it that uncommonly used?

 

[trev]

I don't think it's as rare as sleeved switched lives are round my neck of the woods

 

[kingeri]

Ha, yep generally find red/black at switches every time, not a sleeve in sight.

 

[Sausage]

surely twin brown is a pain and time consuming to bell out? No sleeving is no biggie, but you know I always do it. Now do you all sleeve the entire conductor or put a 10-20mm piece on?

As for markings, mains in/out nothing, one straight nick for switch, or two if two gang.

Black is switched live/ keyswitch too!

 

[Dan23584]

Marker pen every time, unless using singles.

 

[trev]

Why would you bell it out? Strip it at the ceiling rose, one into permanant live bar the other into the switched live terminal. At the 1g sw one into the top one into the bottom. 2w one to L1 one to L2.

 

[Sausage]

Why would you bell it out? Strip it at the ceiling rose, one into permanant live bar the other into the switched live terminal. At the 1g sw one into the top one into the bottom. 2w one to L1 one to L2.

Don't you get your switches upside down?

Also, I'm coming from the angle of wiring to or 3 plating at, the switch, so kinda more important then.

 

[trev]

No the switches work exactly the same way mate, think about it, whether the live is at the top or bottom or L1/L2 the switch still makes and breaks the same way.
I'd not thought about three plating at the switch, I'm a dinosaur who likes that at roses/fittings

 

[Sausage]

No the switches work exactly the same way mate, think about it, whether the live is at the top or bottom or L1/L2 the switch still makes and breaks the same way.
I'd not thought about three plating at the switch, I'm a dinosaur who likes that at roses/fittings

In a one gang switch, if you put live in L1, and switch in common, and fix it back to the wall with the 'Top' marking at the 'Top', the switch will be upside down.

 

[telectrix]

no it won't. whichever way round you wire it , as long as you use C and L1, it will be right. however, i always wire L to common and s/l to L1. and i mark my cables in my own way so, should i fall out with the customer, let the next guy work it out.