Any practical reason to match hot wire colors in single phase circuits?
#1
03-04-15, 08:27 PM
Any practical reason to match hot wire colors in single phase circuits?
Member's location is Argentina.
I was adding some some lights and an outlet in one of our bathrooms today, and am absolutely fed up with the whatever random color wire was on hand wiring that runs through the entire house. Live and neutral same color, wires changing colors at junctions. PIA.
Anyway so I decided since I have everything pulled apart at the moment, I'll replace the short easy to get to runs with correctly colored wires.
What I'm wondering is if there is any practical (i.e. not related to code) reason why I should try to match the color of the hot wire to the particular phase it belongs to. The lighting and outlets in the house are distributed across the different phases in the breaker box. I'm guessing if anyone ever really needs to know it's not that hard to go check which color goes into the the breaker.
I was adding some some lights and an outlet in one of our bathrooms today, and am absolutely fed up with the whatever random color wire was on hand wiring that runs through the entire house. Live and neutral same color, wires changing colors at junctions. PIA.
Anyway so I decided since I have everything pulled apart at the moment, I'll replace the short easy to get to runs with correctly colored wires.
What I'm wondering is if there is any practical (i.e. not related to code) reason why I should try to match the color of the hot wire to the particular phase it belongs to. The lighting and outlets in the house are distributed across the different phases in the breaker box. I'm guessing if anyone ever really needs to know it's not that hard to go check which color goes into the the breaker.
#2
03-04-15, 08:41 PM
This is primarily a North American forum so you may only get a genearal answer. Here some colors are reserved for the ungrounded conductor. some colors for the grounded conductor, and some for earth. It is a code violation to mix these up. There are also within the colors allowed for ungrounded conductors certain colors customarily used for certain purposes though it is not dictated by code.
#3
03-04-15, 08:43 PM
Group Moderator
#4
03-05-15, 05:40 AM
Provided you are consciencious and rigorous, the wiring system can be easier to follow and understand when you match up colors (subject to any restrictions that code may impose).
But more often than not, you are working on a circuit and you don't have any more of the color (say, red) you want. So you use a different color (say, brown) that is compatible with code. Now the advantages of color matching are lost.
But more often than not, you are working on a circuit and you don't have any more of the color (say, red) you want. So you use a different color (say, brown) that is compatible with code. Now the advantages of color matching are lost.
#5
03-05-15, 07:00 AM
Thanks for the replies. I think I'll not worry about it since for it sounds like to have a benefit i'd have to rewire from the panel which I have no intention of doing and id have to go buy a bunch of extra wire in other colors. All the 3ph stuff is colored corectly which is what matters.
#6
03-05-15, 10:33 AM
Forum Topic Moderator
In places with multiple voltages the NEC requires the colors to be identified as to voltage and system. The same color cannot be used for different voltages.
#7
03-08-15, 12:33 PM
I'm glad I found this forum, I've been getting some great info in the last couple days, so I'll give something back, a reminder of an important life lesson, probably worth a schadenfreudic laugh
Join me in a moment of reflection on the phrase that prefaced a massive transgression against "If it aint broke, don't fix it"
Some part of the conduit on one of the pulls is beating the crap out of the insulation on the wires, I've thrown 60 dollars worth of conductors in the trash and may have just found the solution. Or maybe not.
So yeah... if it aint broke...
Join me in a moment of reflection on the phrase that prefaced a massive transgression against "If it aint broke, don't fix it"
Anyway so I decided since I have everything pulled apart at the moment, I'll replace the short easy to get to runs with correctly colored wires.
Some part of the conduit on one of the pulls is beating the crap out of the insulation on the wires, I've thrown 60 dollars worth of conductors in the trash and may have just found the solution. Or maybe not.
So yeah... if it aint broke...
#8
03-08-15, 01:46 PM
Forum Topic Moderator
Have someone feed the wires into the conduit while another pulls.
The burrs should have been removed during installation, but it may have been missed.
The burrs should have been removed during installation, but it may have been missed.
