4 core cable phases exact color.

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Hameedulla-Ekhlas

Hameedulla-Ekhlas

Senior Member
Location
AFG
Greeting all,
Hope you all are fine. I have one question regarding to phases.

Per NEC code THWN, THHN , four core cable which color are mostly used for specific phase.

For example phase A,B,C,N Can anybody tell me the exact color which is used for A,B,C, respectively.

1- Is there NEC mentioned color code for phase A,B,C?
2- Any information for IEC cable ( NYY type of insulation ) color code for specific A,B,C phases 4 core cable.
 
S

shepelec

Senior Member
Location
Palmer, MA
As a standard we use Black, Red Blue for 120/208

And Brown Orange Yellow for 277/480

White or Gray is for neutral identification

The NEC has not stipulated this though.

I think IEC uses red white blue for phases but I am not sure.
 
quogueelectric

quogueelectric

Senior Member
Location
new york
White is generally 120/208 where grey is generally 277/480 by me. This color coding needs work as brown green red grey are typically a problem for colorblind individuals. There are many more colors available that are not a problem for colorblind individuals. Bad job by color pickers nfpa Bad Bad!! r
 
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Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
shepelec said:
I think IEC uses red white blue for phases but I am not sure.
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It used to be red, yellow, and blue for the phases in UK until, in an act of monumental stupidity, it was changed to brown, black, grey for the phases and blue for the neutral.
 
Hameedulla-Ekhlas

Hameedulla-Ekhlas

Senior Member
Location
AFG
I have attached my cable catalog and it shows each cable phase's color. Please advise me which color should I use for which phase. Generally in the world which one color is for which phase.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Hameedulla-Ekhlas said:
I have attached my cable catalog and it shows each cable phase's color. Please advise me which color should I use for which phase. Generally in the world which one color is for which phase.
Click to expand...

In most cases the NEC does not specify what color will be used for what phase.

Green or bare are reserved for equipment grounding conductors.

White or Gray are reserved for grounded condutors.

The ungrounded conductors can usually be any other color.

They are a few specific applications where the NEC does tell us what color.
 
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Smart $

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
Hameedulla-Ekhlas said:
I have attached my cable catalog and it shows each cable phase's color. Please advise me which color should I use for which phase. Generally in the world which one color is for which phase.
Click to expand...
The cable pictured is to IEC standards and colored as Besoeker mentioned for the UK. While it has 4 conductors, one is for equipment grounding (green-yellow), the blue is for neutral (grounded, perhaps?) and the brown (L1) and black (L2) are for the phase conductors.


Here's a link to the color charts of cable types I generally see in my work. http://www.buyawg.com/colorcoding.php
At times, conductors will need to be reidentified at or near their terminations, typically using colored tape, other times using labels.
 
Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Smart $ said:
The cable pictured is to IEC standards and colored as Besoeker mentioned for the UK. While it has 4 conductors, one is for equipment grounding (green-yellow), the blue is for neutral (grounded, perhaps?) and the brown (L1) and black (L2) are for the phase conductors.
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I think it is the three phases brown, black and grey pluse a yellow/green earth.
Here, in UK, where the neutral is earthed (grounded) it is usually at the supply transformer and not elsewhere.
Incidentally, the new colours are supposed to be for the EU, not just the UK.
 
Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Hameedulla-Ekhlas said:
I have attached my cable catalog and it shows each cable phase's color. Please advise me which color should I use for which phase. Generally in the world which one color is for which phase.
Click to expand...
Here are the old and new conductor colours for the three phases and neutral.
Earth (ground) not shown, remains yellow/green.
Harmonisedcolours.jpg


It is also permitted to use black for all three phases provided they are identified as the three phases L1, L2, and L3.
This matters to us when we are using larger single-core cables inside the panels for the equipment we make.
 
Smart $

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
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Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Smart $ said:
Here's a link to the same cable on the manufacturer's web catalog:

http://www.hes.com.tr/web_2195_2/catalogue.aspx?catalogue_id=75&category_id=14&map=12.14

Of course you cannot distinctly determine the fourth conductor's color from HE's attachment, but on the web catalogue page, it certainly looks blue to me.
Click to expand...
Possibly the same type of cable with different core colours?
I dropped the link Hameedulla-Ekhlas posted into Paint Shop, cropped and zoomed to get this:
4-core.jpg
 
Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
LarryFine said:
It's incredible to me that they swapped line and neutral colors, black and blue.
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Supposed to "harmonise" with the rest of EU.
It is yet another crazy, stupid, foolish, idiotic, ludicrous, ill-advised, injudicious, imprudent, ridiculous and wasteful piece of EU bureaucratic bull sh1te.
And potentially shockingly lethal.

It doesn't sit well with me....
 
Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
zbang said:
Doesn't sit well with any of the theatrical & temp power electricians I know in the UK, either. And these are smart guys, not simple cable draggers.
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I don't know of anyone in UK who has a good word to say about it.
The ultimate irony about these "harmonised" colours is that, while we in UK are not permitted to use the old colours for new installations, I have seen the French use the old colours that we threw out. They are probably using old stock that the UK suppliers couldn't shift otherwise.
What you might call a French Farce.
 
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