NEC 200.6(A) Anybody know why?

[michael a noakes]

Can anybody tell why in Austin, TX they have adopted the color code brown,purple, yellow? The only time I have used purple was for travelers or switch legs

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[jaggedben]

What voltage and phasing do they use that for?

 

[electrofelon]

Can anybody tell why in Austin, TX they have adopted the color code brown,purple, yellow? The only time I have used purple was for travelers or switch legs

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Actually IMO that makes more sense than BOY because orange is used to identify the high leg. Doing a project right now that as 120/240 high leg and 277/480 service, used BPY.

 

[michael a noakes]

What voltage and phasing do they use that for?

277/480 volts

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[Carultch]

Actually IMO that makes more sense than BOY because orange is used to identify the high leg. Doing a project right now that as 120/240 high leg and 277/480 service, used BPY.

Too bad it didn't evolve with one voltage system as Brown Orange Yellow (BOY), while another voltage system as Gray-Indigo-Red-Lavender (GIRL).

I suppose if you have an exotic voltage system like 320/185V WYE, you could mark it that way. Good luck finding Indigo and Lavender tape.

 

[George Stolz]

There's dry humor, and then theres...

 

[jumper]

Can anybody tell why in Austin, TX they have adopted the color code brown,purple, yellow? The only time I have used purple was for travelers or switch legs

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Can anybody tell me why in Austin, TX they use the color code brown, purple, yellow ?

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People in Texas are nuts would be my guess, but that is just a non PC personal opinion, no actual facts support such an opinion.

There is however a slightly questionable solar engineer I could mention.......

 

[electricman2]

I can't speak for him but my opinion (especially if you have a smaller neutral then grounded conductor where permitted) that if you can't tell what is hot and what is not maybe you better call someone that knows what they are doing. I have run into hundreds of improperly identified grounded conductors over the years yet was able to look at how it was connected and say to myself that better be a grounded conductor or we have a problem, or something along that kind of story line.

For those that open a panelboard and see all black incoming supply conductors and are lost because they have absolutely no idea what voltage to expect on what conductors need to take a good hard look at if they are cut out for this career - JMO. Seems obvious to me the one landing on the neutral bus is very likely going to be the neutral, if it is a 250 volt max design panelboard, it is probably 120/240 or 208/120. If it is 277/480 design panelboard it is likely 277/480 but could be lower voltage (but very rarely is). If there are still questions get your meter out and do a little more investigating, it isn't that hard if you have any interest at all in this trade.

:thumbsup:

 

[K8MHZ]

I worked for a company years back that would put black tape on the black conductor on three phase circuits. The reasoning was that if one of the blue or red tapes came off, one wouldn't have to guess which of the remaining un-marked conductors it was supposed to be on.

I didn't make the rules, I just followed them and put black tape on black conductors.

 

[big john]

...The reasoning was that if one of the blue or red tapes came off, one wouldn't have to guess which of the remaining un-marked conductors it was supposed to be on....

See a lot of utility MV cable terminated with red, white, blue for that reason.

 

[kwired]

See a lot of utility MV cable terminated with red, white, blue for that reason.

Also correlates to lead colors used on rotation meters.

 

[jaggedben]

For what it's worth, in San Francisco they evidently had a long traditional of marking the high leg purple, and they even have a local amendment to the NEC for that, though it's not always enforced. Some places just have traditions that go way farther back than the national consensus or NEC requirements.

 

[tom baker]

One explanation for the SOS six or smaller rule is that sizes 4 and larger are not typically changed during remodels, so those can be re-identified. Until recently, most of the wholesale houses only had 6 and larger in black, but that has now changed, most have 6 and 4 in colors, that can be purchased by the foot.