Harmonised colours

omega · Dec 30, 2012

Hi, with regard's to the new harmonised colours, am I correct in believing that old cables with the old colours can no longer be used, even if they are wrapped with the correct colour insulating tape to identify the conductors. I've seen this practice taking place but i'm certain this is no longer acceptable under current regs

onions1066 · Dec 30, 2012

Installing old colours or altering existing wiring?

Octopus · Dec 30, 2012

omega said:
Hi, with regard's to the new harmonised colours, am I correct in believing that old cables with the old colours can no longer be used, even if they are wrapped with the correct colour insulating tape to identify the conductors. I've seen this practice taking place but i'm certain this is no longer acceptable under current regs

Have you not heard of the "cable colours warning label"???

omega · Dec 30, 2012

Yeh of course but that only relates to existing wiring and then new circuits being installed. I'm talking about actually installing the old colours, this is'nt acceptible under current regs?

Octopus · Dec 30, 2012

omega said:
Yeh of course but that only relates to existing wiring and then new circuits being installed. I'm talking about actually installing the old colours, this is'nt acceptible under current regs?

Bad practice IMHO. How old is the cable and how has it been stored?

snowhead · Dec 30, 2012

Is this brand new (old stock) Red black off new rolls being used or reusing existing?
And exactly where is it being used, Domestic, Commercial Control panels?

Guest55 · Dec 30, 2012

old colours can still be used if sleeved with new colours no problem.
even new colour cables have to be sleeved ( 3 core t&e neutral grey to blue , 3 core swa black to G/Y earth) so i really dont see the difference.

SirKit Breaker · Dec 30, 2012

You can use any colour cable you choose as long as it is in keeping with the requirements BRB page 407 Appendix 7. Enjoy.

Cheers...........Howard

GLENNSPARK · Dec 30, 2012

biff55 said:
old colours can still be used if sleeved with new colours no problem.
even new colour cables have to be sleeved ( 3 core t&e neutral grey to blue , 3 core swa black to G/Y earth) so i really dont see the difference.

tell you what though Biff.....
the amount of times i`v come across black being oversleeved with blue...
smokes n heats are a favourite for this so it seems...
i`v even had em where they`v started usin the black as the neutral....then after a bit they`v had a bit of a brainwave and decided to finish using the grey....lol...

telectrix · Dec 30, 2012

when we used red/yellow/blue, it was easy to distinguish between all 3. now these stupid new colours all look the same after a few pints, especially in winter when we only get daylight between 11.00am and 2.00pm. my main problem is i'm running out of R and Y sleeving. can still get the blue stuff though,

mhar · Dec 30, 2012

I replaced a broken switch a few months back. No sleeving on the black switched live so I put brown sleeving on and did the same at the pendant. I suppose that I should also have put a 'two versions' sticker on the cu?
Haven't lost any sleep over this!

telectrix · Dec 30, 2012

should have used red sleeving. brown is for plumbers.

Guest55 · Dec 30, 2012

GLENNSPARK said:
tell you what though Biff.....
the amount of times i`v come across black being oversleeved with blue...
smokes n heats are a favourite for this so it seems...
i`v even had em where they`v started usin the black as the neutral....then after a bit they`v had a bit of a brainwave and decided to finish using the grey....lol...

the problem is breaking the age old traditional association of black no longer being the neutral.
it was easily the biggest hurdle in introducing the new colours so it doesnt surprise me one bit folk are still sleeving it blue.
every spark will have struggled with this for the first couple of years after change over , i certainly did.

GLENNSPARK · Dec 30, 2012

telectrix said:
when we used red/yellow/blue, it was easy to distinguish between all 3. now these stupid new colours all look the same after a few pints, especially in winter when we only get daylight between 11.00am and 2.00pm. my main problem is i'm running out of R and Y sleeving. can still get the blue stuff though,

here Tel...

http://4mm Flexible PVC Sleeving - 10 mtrs - Various Colours

telectrix · Dec 30, 2012

iv'e still got a ruck of heat shrink red and black. if the IET/EU think i'm going to bin it and lose all those pennies i spent buying it, then they can stick their "harmonic colours up their respective, coll ective arses.

GLENNSPARK · Dec 30, 2012

telectrix said:
iv'e still got a ruck of heat shrink red and black. if the IET/EU think i'm going to bin it and lose all those pennies i spent buying it, then they can stick their "harmonic colours up their respective, coll ective arses.

well that links for pvc tel....they do it in 2mm, 4mm and 6mm...
they probably have heatshrink in there n all....

telectrix · Dec 30, 2012

when iv'e run out of red/black, then i'll consider buying the new crappy colours.

Silly Sausage · Dec 30, 2012

I've told you lot before about these harmonised colours.
It's to stop electricians with Red/Blue colour blindness from getting confused and wiring up things wrong.
One can always differentiate between Brown/Blue/Black.

GLENNSPARK · Dec 30, 2012

i`v even got a load of old colour sleaving i tend to keep in the toolbag.....it always comes in...

snowhead · Dec 30, 2012

I've heard Harmonisation has been so successfull they are going to harmonise traffic lights as Brown/Black/Grey

Knobhead · Dec 30, 2012

I’m bored with these colours, can’t we change them again?

Canadian?

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