Colors

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roger

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Since I would be placing a label at the service equipment I might go with Black, Red, Blue, White for the 208y/120 and Brown, Orange, Gray for the 120/240.

But that's just me.

Roger
 

goldstar

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New Jersey
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Electrical Contractor
I agree with the black-red-blue on the 3-phase color code but why would you have to color code a 1-phase service? It would be 2 blacks and a white unless you wanted to identify one of the phase conductors to distinguish it from the other in which case I would tape it red. (I.e. Look at SE cable when you strip off the jacket).
 

north star

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# ~ ~ #


"Suppose you had a 3-phase 208Y/120 volt system and a 1-phase 120/240 system on the same premises. How would you identify the conductors?"
Referring to Article 250.56 [ `14 NEC ], ...or "by other effective means"......Each end
of the conductors could be clearly marked with a weatherproof, ... vinyl, ...self
adhering, ...[ possibly ] pre-printed, ...durable label of some type & clear
language identifying the different types of voltage systems present.
Colors do not necessarily have to be used !


# ~ ~ #
 
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Sierrasparky

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Since I would be placing a label at the service equipment I might go with Black, Red, Blue, White for the 208y/120 and Brown, Orange, Gray for the 120/240.

But that's just me.

Roger

i would never use BOG for a single phase 120/240v system. It would cause significant confusion for those that associate grey as a 277v nuetral and orange as a High leg of a 240v delta 3 phase ......


Just not good.
 

iwire

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Massachusetts
i would never use BOG for a single phase 120/240v system. It would cause significant confusion for those that associate grey as a 277v nuetral and orange as a High leg of a 240v delta 3 phase ......


Just not good.

So doing code compliant work is not good because some people are clueless?
 

Dennis Alwon

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Suppose you had a 3-phase 208Y/120 volt system and a 1-phase 120/240 system on the same premises. How would you identify the conductors?


Good question George. Of course any colors would be compliant but the real question here is what colors would be less confusing. If you label the 3 phase Black-Red-Blue-White then it would seem you could not use a black wire on the single phase setup without marking it a different color. I was thinking of wire with a tracer-- Black with a blue tracer and Red with a blue tracer for the single phase. Otherwise if I marked it I would tend to use purple and maybe yellow with a gray neutral for the single phase.

I really don't see a great option
 

Sierrasparky

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So doing code compliant work is not good because some people are clueless?
Many Jurisdictions do not allow Grey as a nuetral in anything other than a 277v/480 system.
I never said anything about compliant. Just going to be confusing.

If I was forced into the label thing I would use BOY-G for the 3 phase and BBW.
Why would you want to change the single phase Scheme?

That is my humble opinion. To each is own.
 

roger

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If I was forced into the label thing I would use BOY-G for the 3 phase and BBW.
You would have to provide a label identifying the systems and branch circuits, it's a code requirement, see 210.5(C)

Roger
 

roger

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I don't think a label would make that any better. :D

Roger
 

Carultch

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Sounds great until you have to buy it.

Ok, then I'll fake it.

I'll tape each line of the single phase system with one stripe of tape. And I'll tape each phase of the three phase system with three stripes of tape. All while using the standard black-red-blue-white colors of tape, on wire that is initially black. Not sure what to do about the black-on-black.


Another option is to use the P-touch machine to apply a textual label to wire of the colors black-red-blue-white, identifying each wiring system in words.

That is what I recommended on a drawing set, where an exotic 380V delta system was used. Use BOY to identify that voltage is of a higher variety, and apply a textual label to it, to identify what there is no convention for identifying.
 

roger

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Fl
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Ok, then I'll fake it.

I'll tape each line of the single phase system with one stripe of tape. And I'll tape each phase of the three phase system with three stripes of tape. All while using the standard black-red-blue-white colors of tape, on wire that is initially black. Not sure what to do about the black-on-black.


Another option is to use the P-touch machine to apply a textual label to wire of the colors black-red-blue-white, identifying each wiring system in words.

That is what I recommended on a drawing set, where an exotic 380V delta system was used. Use BOY to identify that voltage is of a higher variety, and apply a textual label to it, to identify what there is no convention for identifying.
:blink:

Hmmmm, my method would be a lot easier.

Roger
 
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