Yellow colored conductor being used as neutral

[mcb979]

As an inspector I have recently been finding home services being installed with a 3 conductor triplex run in the mast with a yellow colored conductor or black with a yellow tracer as a neutral. When asked (usually a home owner) the installer stated they bought the wire at the local big box retailer or a local electrical supply store. No one mentioned to them that the neutral was required to be white in color. Since it is a violation, I need to disapprove the installation and they are then accessed a re-inspection fee. In some cases this also means they must wait days for another inspection and may go without power for that period.
Does anyone know the reasoning behind a manufacturer coloring this conductor yellow instead of white? I feel bad for some of these people as they are trying to save money by doing it themselves and end up paying more. I know I could be a great guy and not charge a fee but my time and gas cost me as well.
I have gone to the retailers and asked the store manager to suggest the person buy the white tape when purchasing the wire but not all of the salespeople are notified or qualified to know.

 

[iwire]

I don't know the answer to your question but may through another wrench in the works.


I suspect the conductor is direct burial cable and likely has no flame resistance listing which would mean it can't be used for an overhead service or indoors in the first place v

 

[ritelec]

Interesting. In my minds eye I thought I've seen it with a white stripe.

Googleing along it all seems to come with yellow.

Best guess is the yellow is more visible than white at night ??

 

[ritelec]

Just to ad and maybe the strip should still be white. But that wire may be used for overhead or underground service and not meant for sledging in a mast. Just a thought

 

[electricalist]

Similar to the egc thats green with a yellow stripe .

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

 

[ritelec]

From a manufacturer page. May have something to do with it

Aluminum Triplex Overhead cable is designed for use to supply power from utility lines to the consumer weather head. For service at 600 volts or lower (phase to phase) at a conductor temperature of 75°C maximum.

 

[Sierrasparky]

Utility company wire is usually like this.

 

[luckylerado]

If this is a service drop to the line side of a utility meter, does this even fall under a local inspectors jurisdiction? Seems to be outside of the scope of NEC per my interpretation of 90.2
How much was a roll of white tape when you stopped in to the supply house?

 

[norcal]

If this is a service drop to the line side of a utility meter, does this even fall under a local inspectors jurisdiction? Seems to be outside of the scope of NEC per my interpretation of 90.2
How much was a roll of white tape when you stopped in to the supply house?

A mast for a OH service is in my opinion very much in a inspectors jurisdiction, and no inspector worth their salt will not do any part of the job, they are not being paid for it.

 

[luckylerado]

Just for the sake of arguing and acknowledging that I do not have any info on this particular jurisdiction but in general:

if your mandate is to enforce NEC in your jurisdiction and only NEC, you are out of bounds at the line side of a utility owned meter unless the customer has control of the feed.
90.2 SCOPE
(B) Not Covered
(5)Installations under the exclusive control of an electric utility
where such installations
a. Consist of service drops or service laterals, and associated
metering...

 

[gaelectric]

I've installed a lot of that type URD in underground installations with no additional identification on the neutral. Never had it turned down in any jurisdiction.

I have never used it or seen it used ever in an overhead mast.

 

[iwire]

Just for the sake of arguing and acknowledging that I do not have any info on this particular jurisdiction but in general:

if your mandate is to enforce NEC in your jurisdiction and only NEC, you are out of bounds at the line side of a utility owned meter unless the customer has control of the feed.
90.2 SCOPE
(B) Not Covered
(5)Installations under the exclusive control of an electric utility
where such installations
a. Consist of service drops or service laterals, and associated
metering...

Look at the opening post, it is talking about the wiring in the mast.

Add to that the opening post states the homeowner purchased the wire in many instances.

That is after the service point and under the NEC not the utility.

 

[ritelec]

Was thinking. Had to pull over to ask. Isn't there certain line side considerations like if a mast the hub into the meter pan has to be rated for it. No other non line voltage wires can attach to a mast. Maybe other things also.

That's NEC stuff not utility. Right?

Okay. Pulling back on the road ;- )

 

[mopowr steve]

To the inspector,
even though it is common place for the triplexed cable to have a yellow stripe, the cable itself may not be non-compliant as long as it's multi listed as not just URD but also be listed as RHW also. The yellow is a manufacturing thing. The white tape is your call but I don't think you should hold up a job because of it. I don't find anyone working with electrical to mistake the conductor with yellow stripe as being the neutral especially the Power company.

 

[mjf]

If this is a service drop to the line side of a utility meter, does this even fall under a local inspectors jurisdiction? Seems to be outside of the scope of NEC per my interpretation of 90.2
How much was a roll of white tape when you stopped in to the supply house?

Around here, everything after the POA is customer responsibility.

 

[growler]

I suspect the conductor is direct burial cable and likely has no flame resistance listing which would mean it can't be used for an overhead service or indoors in the first place .

I would think this should be checked out ( type of cable ) because that is the first thing that I thought of also.

 

[ritelec]

http://www.prioritywire.com/brochures/Utility Catalog.pdf

Pages 10 15 16

 

[Sierrasparky]

Not being in an area on the 2014 NEC I see this as real issue and ridiculous problem. Someone changes a outlet for any reason and you may need to add GFCI and afci.

I was at a house a few months back where they wanted GFCI's and I could not install a feed through as there was some miswire somewhere causing a trip as soon as the device was reset.

So tell me how to tell a customer they need to rewire.

 

[ActionDave]

As an inspector I have recently been finding home services being installed with a 3 conductor triplex run in the mast with a yellow colored conductor or black with a yellow tracer as a neutral. When asked (usually a home owner) the installer stated they bought the wire at the local big box retailer or a local electrical supply store. No one mentioned to them that the neutral was required to be white in color. Since it is a violation, I need to disapprove the installation and they are then accessed a re-inspection fee. In some cases this also means they must wait days for another inspection and may go without power for that period.
Does anyone know the reasoning behind a manufacturer coloring this conductor yellow instead of white? I feel bad for some of these people as they are trying to save money by doing it themselves and end up paying more. I know I could be a great guy and not charge a fee but my time and gas cost me as well.
I have gone to the retailers and asked the store manager to suggest the person buy the white tape when purchasing the wire but not all of the salespeople are notified or qualified to know.

There are two big, black conductors and one small conductor with a stripe. Anyone that can't figure out which one is supposed to be the grounded conductor and handle it accordingly on the install side or the inspection side need not be involve with wires on any level.

 

[augie47]

Locally the big box stores have on occasion stocked a "triplex" with a yellow stripe on the neutral. In every one of those cases the cable has, as mentioned, turned out to be "URD" with no other listing and as such not suitable as a NEC conduuctor. That has been my concern as white tape can solve the identity problem.