Industrial plant building wiring

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Garysparky

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Here is the code question of the day..................................I was a construction electrician for 12 years then moved into a plant setting. I opened a 120v respectable and there was a yellow. I assumed it was 277/480v system. I was wrong. Does the code tell you what color wires to run with 120/208v, 120/240v, 277/480v systems. We have all 3 systems in our plant. I come close to the answer in article 210 but cant find where it says(if it says) what color wires to use with different voltages.
 
Garysparky said:
Here is the code question of the day..................................I was a construction electrician for 12 years then moved into a plant setting. I opened a 120v respectable and there was a yellow. I assumed it was 277/480v system. I was wrong. Does the code tell you what color wires to run with 120/208v, 120/240v, 277/480v systems. We have all 3 systems in our plant. I come close to the answer in article 210 but cant find where it says(if it says) what color wires to use with different voltages.
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215.12
(C) Ungrounded Conductors. Where the premises wiring system has feeders supplied from more than one nominal voltage system, each ungrounded conductor of a feeder shall be identified by phase or line and system at all termination, connection, and splice points. The means of identification shall be permitted to be by separate color coding, marking tape, tagging, or other approved means. The method utilized for conductors originating within each feeder panelboard or similar feeder distribution equipment shall be documented in a manner that is readily available or shall be permanently posted at each feeder panelboard or similar feeder distribution equipment.

Grounded conductors and ground conductors are color specific, others need to follow pattern throughout as noted.

Brown,Orange,Yellow "BOY" is common for 480/277
 
Garysparky said:
... but cant find where it says(if it says) what color wires to use with different voltages.
Click to expand...

That is because it does not.:)
Other than grounded conductors and EGCs, the only required color is for a high leg.
Beyond that you are only required to adopt a consistent system (which need not use color) and to post that system somewhere.



Tapatalk!
 
Closet thing you will find is 215.12, 210.5(C), and 200.6.
Because many of the industries in this area have/had 240/120 high-leg systems where the high-leg was required to be orange, there were some local rules prohibiting orange for anything but a high-leg and the 480 colors in these parts are often brown-purple-yellow (Southwire actually offers that in their MC),
Note, where mandated, the Code states 'identified" so distinct colors is only one option.
 
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