# 6 ground wire has to be green, not taped.

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don_resqcapt19 said:
Greg,
I really have no idea. In my opinion a qualified person does not need the color green to tell him that the conductor is an EGC. If he can't tell by the termination point, he has no business working on electrical systems.
Don
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Agreed....
 
I agree with Don, too. If someone is going to ignore where the wire is terminated, they will also ignore the color. While I don't consider it a conspiracy, I do think it penalizes the small shop that doesn't have a lot of use for #8 or #6 green. Or white for that matter.
 
as with many things in "the book",I enforce them because it says so, not because I agree. to me, it does makes sense for #10 & smaller. If those sizes were generally allowed to be taped it would be labor intensive on both electricians and inspectors to check every j box and more so, those eq gr being the same size as the phases they might be more likely to be mistaken. Once you progress beyond a #10 phase conductor the eq gr sorta stands out by size.
 
wirebender said:
I do think it penalizes the small shop that doesn't have a lot of use for #8 or #6 green. Or white for that matter.
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Small shops don't have to stock it, when needed get a cut from the supply house.
 
Never been turned down for this and I RARELY see #6 or #8 green wire on installations.

I am aware of the rule and will use green when practical.

Examples:

I am pulling in some #8 conductors next week for some parking lot lighting so I simply ordered the proper colored wire.

If I am pulling a 200 amp panel feed I will simply order the proper colored conductor along with the feeders.

If I am in the field, I only stock a roll of #8 and #6 black on my truck and I will identify the conductors as necessary.

It's a code I knowingly and frequently violate. No harm, no foul.
 
Untill you get caught. Which I cite on a regular basis in DC.
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I'll keep that in mind in case I move there :grin:


It is one of those stupid things that I would comply with if forced to. Like I said, they always overlook it here. I didn't even know about it until an inspector pointed it out a few years ago (but didn't red tag it).
 
wirebender said:
Yeah, right. For that matter small shops and one man ops don't really deserve a level playing field with the big boys, do they?
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I'm missing your point. Are you saying theres a problem getting a cut?
 
would it be code compliant??

would it be code compliant??

To use a large green sharpie to identify the wire green? It is permanant marking as I see it.
 
quogueelectric said:
To use a large green sharpie to identify the wire green? It is permanant marking as I see it.
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#6 and smaller.........you are going to sharpie the insulation continuous? This is from a raceway not a cable assembly.
 
A sharpie aint gonna mark a black conductor green.


DC. If you saw a wire that you suspected had been spray painted green all the way into the conduit, would you require them to pull it out so you could see the entire length?

If you saw a bare ground all the way into the conduit and you suspected it had only been stripped at the ends, would you make them pull it out?

Just curious.
 
220/221 said:
A sharpie aint gonna mark a black conductor green.


DC. If you saw a wire that you suspected had been spray painted green all the way into the conduit, would you require them to pull it out so you could see the entire length?

If you saw a bare ground all the way into the conduit and you suspected it had only been stripped at the ends, would you make them pull it out?

Just curious.
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Nope.....just trust that they know the code. I am more into education in the future inspections and not ripping things out due to lack of code education on a present inspection. I hope that made sense.
 
I don't know guys, even though I can't think of good reason for the requirement, I don't see a problem with it either.

We use geen 8 and 6 all the time and don't have a problem with it taking up extra room, of course we buy mostly 2500' spools of # 12 and # 10 wire too.

I would still just strip it bare if I didn't have green available.

Wirebender, I don't think there is a conspiracy behind it. :grin:

Roger
 
I don't understand the griping over buying green insulated wire, but then the proposals (albeit, hypothetical) to use a marking pen or spray paint to color a wire green. Isn't your time and labor worth something?

And IMHO, a sharpie or paint would both be considered impermanent. Paint can flake off (and probably will if applied to the plastic wire insulation) and "permanent" ink can wipe off, rub off, or fade.
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
Did they give a reason for rejecting ?
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I certainly don't know why, but I can fathom a guess. It's easier to to a good taping job on large wire. Plus large wire is not subject to tight bends the way small wire is. I suspect that there would be too many cases of poorly adhered tape wraps on small wire or the small-radius bending of the small wire can make the tape lose its hold. Perhaps they believe that tape on small wire is not a reliable method of marking. Another possible reason is that as you get into larger conductors, the smaller size of the ECG helps distinguish the ground (in addition to the tape).

In any case, I think this could be looked at as a blessing for the installer. It gives him the leverage to demand he be supplied with green wire instead of being given a roll of green tape and told to tape every small wire connection. What a pain in the arse that would be!
 
I don't understand the griping over buying green insulated wire
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It's not about buying it, it's about stocking it.

On a service truck, for the few times you use it, it only makes sense to stock one roll of #6/#8. For the smaller contractors it just makes more sense to use multi purpose black conductors and mark them accordingly.

If you are ordering wire for a specific job it is easy to buy the proper colors.


What if the code required residential recep boxes to be blue and switch boxes to be gray? You COULD comply with it but it is a lot easier and more logical to use the same color all around.
 
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