120 volt color coding

[Evergrey_J]

Good Day:smile:
Quick queastion? We are replacing all of our lighting in the building, and have found just 2 colored wires, not the typical black, white, green. And there is no ground in any of these boxes. I am looking for some insight on what the code states? Is this actually a code or just a starndard? I have looked at 110.15, 200.6, 200.7, 210.5, 215.8, 230.56, and 310.12
Also I was told by our onsight engineer, that no ground was required in the pipe because it goes to the panel, but I thought that both ends of the pipe had to be bonded for that to be true? Thanks

 

[mdshunk]

I guess it's possible that the lighting in question was served at 240 or 208 at some point in history, and changed around for 120V. Thus, no white wire. The phase conductor can be pretty much any color but white or green, but there should be at least a white. Common to find what you found, but a violation just the same. Stay on your toes.

 

[ItsHot]

Green!

Green!

I've worked old commercial stuff that they used green for the current carrying conductor!:-? And in other sitiautions used the red for ground when there was black, red and white in a raceway!:-?:-?

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

your new lights will likely be 120 or 277. white or gray = neutral. If building has 480/277 and 120/208 the normal is 277 brown orange yellow BOY and gray neutral for 120 white and black red blue. Howeverer nec lets yoy pick any hot colors other than green,whit and gray.There are other choices on some fixtures 240 or 208. hope that helps some.