UK cable 1mm coloured red blue yellow -- what is it?

WilcoxElec · Jun 6, 2012

When replacing a lighting circuit which had been done with UK type materials in a renovation here in France I came across (and ripped out) lengths of a type of cable I have not seen before. It looked like gray twin and earth, but thinner, and had 3 separately insulated conductors of 1mm section (I think – - but I was in a hurry to get it out) The colours of the insulation on the conductors were blue red and solid yellow ....... I just wanted to ask what it was, what should it have been used for – given that it should not have been used for wiring lights in the wrong way in France ! (we don't chain the lights here - to avoid having an "always live" wire in the "DCL" ) ...I ask only because having worked in industry in the UK I get asked about the bits of DIY wiring using stuff brought over from the UK .... despite not having had much to do with UK domestic electrics (which – incidently – other than using to make a cup of tea for a UK sparky I would not touch as a professional! ).

So, anyone tell me what this red/blue/yellow stuff was?, I don't think there was also an unsheilded earth conductor as well, because otherwise I would have guessed it was a version of "4G" .. Just wondered

banj0bob · Apr 4, 2013

does anyone know how a 3 way system was wired with this cable? ie was the yellow an earth? lighting instals were,nt earthed at that time,the conduit box was the only earth.
he

Geordie Spark · Apr 4, 2013

WilcoxElec said:
We tended to use white for that, but nothing wrong with violet.

There's nothing wrong with Violet at all ............ as long as you like lasses who are a bit on the hefty side.

telectrix · Apr 4, 2013

banj0bob said:
does anyone know how a 3 way system was wired with this cable? ie was the yellow an earth? lighting instals were,nt earthed at that time,the conduit box was the only earth.
he

yellow was certainly not an earth!!!!!. that's why cables have an unsleeved cpc. all 3 colours were needed for the 2/3 way switching. google it and you'll find diagrams.

gutterball · Apr 4, 2013

What colours do the rest of Europe use? Do any of them use the "standardised" colours or is it just us as usual.

WilcoxElec · Apr 4, 2013

gutterball said:
What colours do the rest of Europe use? Do any of them use the "standardised" colours or is it just us as usual.

Conductors in Cables in the UK now match what we use Phases Brown Black and Grey, with a blue neutral and green/yellow G . In France the Lighting is wired differently, and often cables are made up in plastic conduits - in which case , other than the neutral and the earth, many different colours might be used to make life easier. On a "Va et Viens" controlled light orange or violet conductors are habitually used for the "navettes". Brown or black tends to be single returns ........