What colour do you use for neutral?

[Adam W]

I use grey.

Brown for switched live or L1
Black for Auxiliary live or COM
Grey for Neutral or L2

Then in the switch you'd have 2 browns in L1, a blue and grey (both sleeved brown) in L2, and a black in COM.

 

[needasparks]

Agree with others, It was never a good idea to muck up our system that worked fine.
On an upside it gives us a smile when you see people who have had a go at DIY.

 

[Swicade]

Always the grey as neutral (sleeved blue) and black a switch wire (sleeved brown)

On a 2 way system i use brown as common and black (sleeved brown)/grey (sleeved brown) as strappers.

New colour system sux but then again maybe years back the same might've been echo'd when they changed red/white/blue to red/yellow/blue.

 

[gutterball]

needasparks, I had a job a few weeks age where it was pick a colour any one will do. Red to brown on one cable red to grey on another. 2 bathroom and a kitchen fan every one a different colour. The whole house was more bodge than original wiring.

 

[Adam W]

On a 2 way system i use brown as common and black (sleeved brown)/grey (sleeved brown) as strappers.

Why do you do it that way?
Surely then where the feed enters the switch you'd have brown and black in L1, blue (sleeved) and grey in L2, and another brown in COM?
That's presuming you're not putting the brown and grey together and the blue (sleeved) and black together?

 

[electric will]

Black as common, brown strapper (L1). Grey strapper (L2) all sleeved of corse. Way I was shown and always done it.

 

[Adam W]

Black as common, brown strapper (L1). Grey strapper (L2) all sleeved of corse. Way I was shown and always done it.

Have you considered WHY you do it that way, or just do it like that because you were told to?

 

[electric will]

So brown is always live, don't matter what positions the switches are in. Also looks nicer the browns all being in l1 together

 

[electric will]

Also with black as comman you can leave it continuous in intermediate switches. As its one of the center cores in 3 + e

 

[electric will]

Did I pass

 

[drew35]

Grey for neutral.

Cpc always sits between live and neutral.

Why don't they just make three core with a blue!!!

 

[Guitarist]

Totally agree with Will Pickard here.

 

[SparkyJoe]

It is now recommended that grey be used for neutral. However, if you are connecting up something to the other end of an installed cable then obviously don't assume that this recommendation is used by everybody.

Seen some lovey exploding domestic interlinked smoke alarms, cos someone use the black on one :|

 

[Lucas]

Grey as neutral for me

Grey Common, Brown L1 and Black L2

 

[Swicade]

Reasons for doing it how i do regarding 2way is purely the way i've always done it....in the past red was common,yellow L1,blue L2.....is this totaly wrong and unsafe somehow,did i break the secret electricians code and deserve to be banished living the rest of my life in a black robe ringing a bell shouting 'unclean!!!' or something?

I an see your point about the browns being in 2 different connections though..hadn't thought about that before tbh. With everything sleeved they are all brown anyway but thats besides the point.

 

[Guitarist]

Sleeving sorts it all anyway. We are simply talking protocol here