10/10/2016 WiringColorCodes:ColorCodesElectronicsTextbook

WiringColorCodes
Chapter2ColorCodes

WiringforACandDCpowerdistributionbranchcircuitsarecolorcodedfor
identificationofindividualwires.Insomejurisdictionsallwirecolorsare
specifiedinlegaldocuments.Inotherjurisdictions,onlyafewconductor
colorsaresocodified.Inthatcase,localcustomdictatestheoptional
wirecolors.

IEC,AC:MostofEuropeabidesbyIEC(InternationalElectrotechnical
Commission)wiringcolorcodesforACbranchcircuits.Thesearelistedin
Tablebelow.Theoldercolorcodesinthetablereflectthepreviousstyle
whichdidnotaccountforproperphaserotation.Theprotectiveground
wire(listedasgreenyellow)isgreenwithyellowstripe.

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IEC(mostofEurope)ACpowercircuitwiringcolorcodes.

Function label Color,IEC Color,oldIEC

Protectiveearth PE greenyellow greenyellow
Neutral N blue blue
Line,singlephase L brown brownorblack
Line,3phase L1 brown brownorblack

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Line,3phase L1 brown brownorblack

Line,3phase L2 black brownorblack
Line,3phase L3 grey brownorblack

UK,AC:TheUnitedKingdomnowfollowstheIECACwiringcolorcodes.
Tablebelowliststhesealongwiththeobsoletedomesticcolorcodes.For
addingnewcoloredwiringtoexistingoldcoloredwiringseeCook.[PCk]

UKACpowercircuitwiringcolorcodes.

Function label Color,IEC OldUKcolor

Protectiveearth PE greenyellow greenyellow
Neutral N blue black
Line,singlephase L brown red
Line,3phase L1 brown red
Line,3phase L2 black yellow
Line,3phase L3 grey blue

US,AC:TheUSNationalElectricalCodeonlymandateswhite(orgrey)for
theneutralpowerconductorandbarecopper,green,orgreenwithyellow
stripefortheprotectiveground.Inprincipleanyothercolorsexceptthese
maybeusedforthepowerconductors.Thecolorsadoptedaslocal
practiceareshowninTablebelow.Black,red,andblueareusedfor208
VACthreephasebrown,orangeandyellowareusedfor480VAC.
Conductorslargerthan#6AWGareonlyavailableinblackandarecolor
tapedattheends.

USACpowercircuitwiringcolorcodes.

Function label Color,common Color,alternative

Protectiveground PG bare,green,orgreenyellow green
Neutral N white grey
Line,singlephase L blackorred(2ndhot)
Line,3phase L1 black brown
Line,3phase L2 red orange
Line,3phase L3 blue yellow
Canada:CanadianwiringisgovernedbytheCEC(CanadianElectric

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Canada:CanadianwiringisgovernedbytheCEC(CanadianElectric
Code).SeeTablebelow.Theprotectivegroundisgreenorgreenwith
yellowstripe.Theneutraliswhite,thehot(liveoractive)singlephase
wiresareblack,andredinthecaseofasecondactive.Threephaselines
arered,black,andblue.

CanadaACpowercircuitwiringcolorcodes.

Function label Color,common

Protectiveground PG greenorgreenyellow
Neutral N white
Line,singlephase L blackorred(2ndhot)
Line,3phase L1 red
Line,3phase L2 black
Line,3phase L3 blue
IEC,DC:DCpowerinstallations,forexample,solarpowerandcomputer
datacenters,usecolorcodingwhichfollowstheACstandards.TheIEC
colorstandardforDCpowercablesislistedinTablebelow,adaptedfrom
Table2,Cook.[PCk]

IECDCpowercircuitwiringcolorcodes.

Function label Color

Protectiveearth PE greenyellow
2wireunearthedDCPowerSystem
Positive L+ brown
Negative L grey
2wireearthedDCPowerSystem
Positive(ofanegativeearthed)circuit L+ brown
Negative(ofanegativeearthed)circuit M blue
Positive(ofapositiveearthed)circuit M blue
Negative(ofapositiveearthed)circuit L grey
3wireearthedDCPowerSystem
Positive L+ brown
Midwire M blue

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Midwire M blue
Negative L grey
USDCpower:TheUSNationalElectricalCode(forbothACandDC)
mandatesthatthegroundedneutralconductorofapowersystembewhite
orgrey.Theprotectivegroundmustbebare,greenorgreenyellow
striped.Hot(active)wiresmaybeanyothercolorsexceptthese.However,
commonpractice(perlocalelectricalinspectors)isforthefirsthot(liveor
active)wiretobeblackandthesecondhottobered.The
recommendationsinTablebelowarebyWiles.[JWi]Hemakesno
recommendationforungroundedpowersystemcolors.Usageofthe
ungroundedsystemisdiscouragedforsafety.However,red(+)andblack
()followsthecoloringofthegroundedsystemsinthetable.

USrecommendedDCpowercircuitwiringcolorcodes.

Function label Color

Protectiveground PG bare,green,orgreenyellow
2wireungroundedDCPowerSystem
Positive L+ norecommendation(red)
Negative L norecommendation(black)
2wiregroundedDCPowerSystem
Positive(ofanegativegrounded)circuit L+ red
Negative(ofanegativegrounded)
N white
circuit
Positive(ofapositivegrounded)circuit N white
Negative(ofapositivegrounded)circuit L black
3wiregroundedDCPowerSystem
Positive L+ red
Midwire(centertap) N white
Negative L black

ViewourWire&Resistor(/tools/)calculatorsinourTools(/tools/)
section.

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