Has wire marking changed - or what do you use.

[SteveG]

When I was an apprentice sparky back in the 1970's and we were rewiring houses or first fixing new houses/flats, I was taught a marking method for T&E that seemed to be common but undocumented throughout the industry.
I'm talking specifically about lighting circuits and the loop-in system.

At the ceiling rose there would be (normally) 3 twin cables. The L&N in and out would have a notch or bite taken out on the sheathing on the red side (brown now I know) and the switch wire would have a single line across it done by pliers. If there was a second light on the same switch this would have an X on it done by pliers.
At the switch; if it was a 2 way there would be 1 twin from the light and a 3 core+e (red/yellow/blue) between the 2 way switches.
The connections at the 2 way confused me at the time as to how they worked (but they did) I only worked it out much later.
The yellow would go in the common terminal and the 2 reds in SW1 and the blue and black in SW2 (and yellow in the common at the other switch.

Not done any house wiring in 35 years. Is it still done like this?

 

[Midwest]

Does that mean the ring final was open then? Daz

I was doing a kitchen refurb'. The property had had a new dual rcd CU installed year or so before, and I noted that there were two socket radials, which I thought unusual for such a property. This concealed socket was the end of both radials (and would of been the 'missing link' for the RCF). Found the cable drop while I was planning the kitchen alterations. In the end I decided to stick with the two radials, and disconnected one of the legs, and made safe the other.

 

[DPG]

Nice one. Daz

 

[freddo]

Strange, we use a nick in the side for a cable to a switch, split down the middle for a cable to a load, no marking for main in/out, if there are several sets of cables such as at a 2gang switch, a horizontal mark note which cables go together. Thermostat and smoke alarm cables get an X. I don't use a pen as the messy painters paint all over the cables.

 

[Deleted member 93172]

If I do mark cables with a sharpie, I always cover the writing with tape to protect the markings.