200.6 / 200.7 phase tapping

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The electron man

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In 200.6 and 200.7 talks about phase taping

For the grounded conductor 6# and small has to be white or gray or have 3 white stripes on the whole length of the cable

4 # and larger you can phase tape at the point of termination


The ungrounded conductors you can only phase tape 4# and larger


But what about the grounding conductor

Can I take a black 4# and larger and phase tape it green ?
 
Someone will correct me if I’m wrong no doubt, but I don’t believe there is any limitation on taping phase (ungrounded/hot) conductors.

For example, you could phase tape the high leg orange on a #8 if you wanted, or put some yellow tape on a #12 to mark it for some circuit.
 
The electron man said:
In 200.6 and 200.7 talks about phase taping

For the grounded conductor 6# and small has to be white or gray or have 3 white stripes on the whole length of the cable

4 # and larger you can phase tape at the point of termination


The ungrounded conductors you can only phase tape 4# and larger


But what about the grounding conductor

Can I take a black 4# and larger and phase tape it green ?
Click to expand...
Art 200 is about grounded conductors. Rules for identifying equipment grounding conductors are similar, but that content is in art 250.
 
Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:
Someone will correct me if I’m wrong no doubt, but I don’t believe there is any limitation on taping phase (ungrounded/hot) conductors.

For example, you could phase tape the high leg orange on a #8 if you wanted, or put some yellow tape on a #12 to mark it for some circuit.
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This is correct for AC Circuits. 215.12 / 210.5

In some cases, it might be required where different voltage systems exist.
 
infinity said:
Yes a black conductor in those sizes can be re-identified. {250.119(A) Conductors 4 AWG and Larger.}
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I once got asked if a Red #4 could be reidentified with green tape. And if a blue #10 could get reidentified.

I said no to the #4 and yes to the #10. Boy did I get that wrong.

Would you guys allow someone to reidentify a colored wire, #4 or larger, like blue, red, yellow, orange, or white? Or would you only allow it if the wire had a black outer finish?
 
Elect117 said:
I once got asked if a Red #4 could be reidentified with green tape. And if a blue #10 could get reidentified.

I said no to the #4 and yes to the #10. Boy did I get that wrong.

Would you guys allow someone to reidentify a colored wire, #4 or larger, like blue, red, yellow, orange, or white? Or would you only allow it if the wire had a black outer finish?
Click to expand...
Charlies rule applies - the code says what it says. Red (or any other color) #4 used as an EGC with green tape on it is permitted by the language of the code.
 
Elect117 said:
I once got asked if a Red #4 could be reidentified with green tape. And if a blue #10 could get reidentified.

I said no to the #4 and yes to the #10. Boy did I get that wrong.

Would you guys allow someone to reidentify a colored wire, #4 or larger, like blue, red, yellow, orange, or white? Or would you only allow it if the wire had a black outer finish?
Click to expand...

It's permitted, it's just outside of convention. What one chooses to do with that is up to them I guess.
 
I don't think there are any rules on the Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC) color in 250 just equipment grounding conductors (EGC) (250.119).
So I imagine you could use any other color other than white or gray for a GEC.
 
The electron man said:
In 200.6 and 200.7 talks about phase taping

For the grounded conductor 6# and small has to be white or gray or have 3 white stripes on the whole length of the cable

4 # and larger you can phase tape at the point of termination


The ungrounded conductors you can only phase tape 4# and larger


But what about the grounding conductor

Can I take a black 4# and larger and phase tape it green ?
Click to expand...
if you are asking about identifying a conductor as a grounded conductor or an EGC that is correct. If you are talking about re-identifying a black conductor as a blue, or red, or yellow, or any other color other that white or green there is no restriction related to the conductor size.
 
tortuga said:
I don't think there are any rules on the Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC) color in 250 just equipment grounding conductors (EGC) (250.119).
So I imagine you could use any other color other than white or gray for a GEC.
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There was a rule in the code that prohibited you from using the same color for both a grounding electrode conductor and an ungrounded conductor, but it was hidden away and few knew of it, and those that did know ignored it.
(2017) (C) Ungrounded Conductors.
Conductors that are intended for use as ungrounded conductors, whether used as a single conductor or in multiconductor cables, shall be finished to be clearly distinguishable from grounded and grounding conductors. Distinguishing markings shall not conflict in any manner with the surface markings required by 310.120(B)(1). Branch-circuit ungrounded conductors shall be identified in accordance with 210.5(C). Feeders shall be identified in accordance with 215.12.

(2020) (C) Ungrounded Conductors.
Conductors that are intended for use as ungrounded conductors, whether used as a single conductor or in multiconductor cables, shall be finished to be clearly distinguishable from grounded and equipment grounding conductors. Distinguishing markings shall not conflict in any manner with the surface markings required by 310.8(B)(1). Branch-circuit ungrounded conductors shall be identified in accordance with 210.5(C). Feeders shall be identified in accordance with 215.12.
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These rules were in 310.110 in the 2017 and 310.6 in the 2020 code.

If you used black for the GEC, which is a very common practice, the rule in the 2017 would not have permitted using black as an ungrounded conductor because it would not have been clearly distinguishable from a grounding conductor. The term "grounding conductor" included both GECs and EGCs.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
The term "grounding conductor" included both GECs and EGCs.
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I'm not seeing the Art 100 definition saying a GEC and EGC are the same thing.

It does say a grounding conductor (EGC) does connect to the grounded conductor or to the grounding electrode conductor or both. I take that to mean there is three different things here each with it's own definition, which Art 100 does have separate definition for each of them.

Beyond that it goes back to the topic of this thread - art 200 tells us about grounded conductors including how to identify them.
250 part VI tells us about equipment grounding conductors including how to identify them.
250 part III tells us about grounding electrode conductors but never mentions anything about identification of them.

Many think a GEC has to be bare, green or identified with green if #4 or larger, I don't think there is any code section to fully back that up. That said I have marked them with green tape multiple times because it wasn't worth fighting over with the inspector, but did try to make them at least think about it when it does come up.
 
tortuga said:
Always follow color codes but never blindly trust them
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Yes. Plant I once used to do work in (no longer operates now) was originally wired by a guy back in the 1960's or even late 50's. Was new enough that everything was thermoplastic insulation anyway, mostly TW and THW for anything original. Was pretty common to find green conductors used as ungrounded conductors in that place. Everything was in metal raceway and no wire type EGC pulled in them - so if you did encounter a green conductor you kind of assumed it was ungrounded until proven otherwise.
 
kwired said:
I'm not seeing the Art 100 definition saying a GEC and EGC are the same thing.

It does say a grounding conductor (EGC) does connect to the grounded conductor or to the grounding electrode conductor or both. I take that to mean there is three different things here each with it's own definition, which Art 100 does have separate definition for each of them.

Beyond that it goes back to the topic of this thread - art 200 tells us about grounded conductors including how to identify them.
250 part VI tells us about equipment grounding conductors including how to identify them.
250 part III tells us about grounding electrode conductors but never mentions anything about identification of them.

Many think a GEC has to be bare, green or identified with green if #4 or larger, I don't think there is any code section to fully back that up. That said I have marked them with green tape multiple times because it wasn't worth fighting over with the inspector, but did try to make them at least think about it when it does come up.
Click to expand...
The generic undefined term "grounding conductor" was used in the code for many years to include all types of grounding conductors. I think this was one of the last code sections that sill used that undefined term.
 
kwired said:
Yes. Plant I once used to do work in (no longer operates now) was originally wired by a guy back in the 1960's or even late 50's. Was new enough that everything was thermoplastic insulation anyway, mostly TW and THW for anything original. Was pretty common to find green conductors used as ungrounded conductors in that place. Everything was in metal raceway and no wire type EGC pulled in them - so if you did encounter a green conductor you kind of assumed it was ungrounded until proven otherwise.
Click to expand...
The first code that actually said you could not use conductors with green insulation as an ungrounded conductor was the 2005 code. Prior to that 250.119 specified green for the EGC, but did not prohibit it from being used as an ungrounded conductor.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
The first code that actually said you could not use conductors with green insulation as an ungrounded conductor was the 2005 code. Prior to that 250.119 specified green for the EGC, but did not prohibit it from being used as an ungrounded conductor.
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I guess I was aware of that but pretty much everyone thought you couldn't use a green for anything else but equipment grounding and assumed GEC's were also included with EGC's.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
if you are asking about identifying a conductor as a grounded conductor or an EGC that is correct. If you are talking about re-identifying a black conductor as a blue, or red, or yellow, or any other color other that white or green there is no restriction related to the conductor size.
Click to expand...
Got it so #4 larger can be phase tape to identify a grounded conductor or egc, but if i want to reidentify a ungrounded conductor lets say black to any color besides green or white there is no restrictions, like i can take #12 black and phase tape it red ? Also for black 4# and larger if i want to reidentify it as an egc i would also have to tape it at every accessible point as stated in 250.119A correct??
 
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