Quick question (live & SW)

[nicsin02]

Hi guys, i am normally a domestic spark and ive done a little of commercial and industrial work, this morning i was asked to take down and replace a flourescant light fitting wich was connected with an emergency gregg fitting, so after i had replaced the light it didnt work correctly, i was always under the impression it was brown (LIVE), black (SWITCH LIVE) and grey (Neutral)..... but i was told i got my browns and blacks mixed up, i was really suprised as the guys were adamant that i was wrong, i may well be ! am i?


thanks

 

[Plonker 3]

It doesn't matter which core you use for which cable in a 3c and earth, as long as you only use the bare copper one for a CPC, you just have to make sure all the conductors are correctly identified at each termination.

 

[telectrix]

i generally use black for L and brown for S/L. but there's no hard and fast rule.

 

[Guest123]

The additional black core of a 4 pole 'klik' ceiling rose is the permanent live with the brown being switched live as it is in the standard 3 pole version.

 

[telectrix]

and sleeve everything in boring brown.

 

[spark 68]

I have seen both conventions used, it can cause confusion on sites where different sparks have wired things differently Lol.

My own preference was to use the Brown as PL, and the Black (sleeved) as the SL, but I have worked on sites where it is the other way.

To be honest Iam not sure which is the correct way, I know the recommendation now is to use the Grey as Neutral, and was implemented to disassociate the use of black (now a phase colour) from being used for the Neutral.

 

[Johnuk]

its not all twin and earth on jobs

 

[rich.250]

I have seen both conventions used, it can cause confusion on sites where different sparks have wired things differently Lol.

My own preference was to use the Brown as PL, and the Black (sleeved) as the SL, but I have worked on sites where it is the other way.

To be honest Iam not sure which is the correct way, I know the recommendation now is to use the Grey as Neutral, and was implemented to disassociate the use of black (now a phase colour) from being used for the Neutral.

And if you think of old colours, what colour was neutral? Blue.

Red, yellow, blue.
New colours...
Brown, black, grey.

Grey neutral.

That's how I was taught

 

[Adam W]

The additional black core of a 4 pole 'klik' ceiling rose is the permanent live with the brown being switched live as it is in the standard 3 pole version.

Same with 'Flex7' connectors - black is permanent, or 'auxiliary' live.
For some reason this seems to be a matter for debate - a lot of sparks insist on using black as switched live (some even want to use the black as neutral), which causes confusion and causes stuff to not work.

 

[DaveyD]

The additional black core of a 4 pole 'klik' ceiling rose is the permanent live with the brown being switched live as it is in the standard 3 pole version.

Yep, WHY do that DO that!

 

[spark 68]

And if you think of old colours, what colour was neutral? Blue.

Red, yellow, blue.
New colours...
Brown, black, grey.

Grey neutral.

That's how I was taught

Agreed,

I can remember when the new harmonised colours first came into use, and on one site I worked at, half the sparks wired (3 core Armoured cables) the black as the Neutral (grey as Earth), and the other half wired the Grey as Neutral (could have been interesting!), luckily they were sleeved correctly and the two teams were terminating both ends of the same cable, else it would have been a very different story, and I can remember us all getting issued with an 'idiot card' showing the correct use of recommended colours.
It wasn't the individual Sparks to blame for this fiasco, we were only doing as instructed, but due to two different gaffers having their own ideas lol.

 

[rich.250]

Lol. I've seen people do that and turn on!!
Why is it tripping they ask.....
Nothin to do with the N-E direct connection