Emergency lighting wiring

[dinger809]

Good morning people. Just been having a "chat" with another sparks on site regarding core usage of three core for emergency lighting. I have always (and everyone I know) has used brown as switch line and black as permanent. He has wired a whole floor of a care home opposite to me. Your views as trying to find where it may be written, I'm sure I've seen it in the regs somewhere or at least as a guidance note.
I thank you in advance

 

[andyb]

I don't know if there's a right or wrong way, but for what it's worth, I've always wired them the same as your mate with brown as the permanent live. I do smoke detectors the same way.

 

[The Ghost]

I have come across both ways often. I usually label them anyway for future and my current use.

 

[davesparks]

I would tend towards brown for permanent and black for switched, but on an existing installation match whatever has been used previously.

 

[westward10]

As long as they are correctly identified it does not matter.

 

[LankyWill]

I'm more black for permanent and brown for S/L. Doesn't matter but I always check with whom I'm working with anyway, avoids simple mistakes and fault finding.

 

[telectrix]

i tend to use black for perm. Land brown for sw/L.my reason being that the normal switch uses brown ( or blue sleeved brown) for sw/L.

 

[Risteard]

You won't have this problem if you don't use a domestic cable in a non-domestic premises!

 

[davesparks]

You won't have this problem if you don't use a domestic cable in a non-domestic premises!

Care to expand on that? I don't think there is any cable which is restricted to domestic use. And this question is not unique to a single cable type, it occurs with T&E, FP200, BS8436 type and the final flex connection to the light fittings.

 

[telectrix]

Care to expand on that? I don't think there is any cable which is restricted to domestic use. And this question is not unique to a single cable type, it occurs with T&E, FP200, BS8436 type and the final flex connection to the light fittings.

and SWA.

 

[Risteard]

Care to expand on that? I don't think there is any cable which is restricted to domestic use. And this question is not unique to a single cable type, it occurs with T&E, FP200, BS8436 type and the final flex connection to the light fittings.

LOL well the usual way is to use singles in containment. Then these can be of the correct colour throughout their length, as preferred by BS7671.

It's no secret that T&E type cables (and three-core and Earth for that matter) are designed for domestic installation. Their use in non-domestic installations is certainly not something to celebrate!

Incidentally, as much as I despise T&E, I now have to stock two different types of T&E as of this day last week. The traditional T&E was banned in the south of Ireland a week ago (although there were already certain differences such as 16mm^2 T&E had a 10mm^2 cpc instead of a 6mm^2 one).

 

[Octopus]

Brown for permanent, black (sleeved) for switched, grey, (sleeved) for neutral

 

[davesparks]

LOL well the usual way is to use singles in containment. Then these can be of the correct colour throughout their length, as preferred by BS7671.

It's no secret that T&E type cables (and three-core and Earth for that matter) are designed for domestic installation. Their use in non-domestic installations is certainly not something to celebrate!

Incidentally, as much as I despise T&E, I now have to stock two different types of T&E as of this day last week. The traditional T&E was banned in the south of Ireland a week ago (although there were already certain differences such as 16mm^2 T&E had a 10mm^2 cpc instead of a 6mm^2 one).

It is only usual when that is the best suited to the installation, to say that it is universally the best method is a very narrow minded view.

If T&E is designed for domestic installation only then why are they produced in LSF variants?

This still doesn't address all of the other cable types which are in use, FP200, bs8436, NYY-J, SWA, flex etc etc

Why do you despise T&E?

 

[dinger809]

Gents, as always, there are varied opinions. For the information of some; the electrical consultant stipulated T&E LSF throughout, otherwise containment such as conduit would have caused issues with other services. Basket was usedin part, which is fine for T&E
The only issue as always, is if one person is doing one thing and someone else the opposite, there is always the issue of fault causing. Although the regs get bigger every few years, simple things that can cause a problem seem to be down to us to decide on a day by day basis

 

[Risteard]

It is only usual when that is the best suited to the installation, to say that it is universally the best method is a very narrow minded view.

If T&E is designed for domestic installation only then why are they produced in LSF variants?

This still doesn't address all of the other cable types which are in use, FP200, bs8436, NYY-J, SWA, flex etc etc

Why do you despise T&E?

I despise T&E because it is cheap domestic cable which is widely misused. I generally install it in domestic premises because I wouldn't otherwise compete on price. But that is not to say that it has any place outside the domestic sector. As for LSF T&E, they simply produce it because demand exists for it. That doesn't mean that it is good practice. 6491B in steel trunking with steel conduit drops (or PVC conduit drops if appropriate) is the generally accepted way!

As for Hi-Tuff; SWA; FP200 et al I was being facetious about core colours to highlight a point. However in the south of Ireland remarking conductors at terminations is prohibited in almost all situations (except for the likes of 7-core or more cables from memory) - this is a better installation practice. Cores are then identifiable throughout their length.