A non-black wire as the base for all phases

[mtnelect]

I am going to recycle about 100 pounds of copper this week. Will post what I have got.

 

[ppsh]

I've seen plenty of old installs with red feeders phased out. 90% of feeds I see 100a or larger are black wire phase taped. Colored wire is nice but the lead times don't always work.

 

[Charlypt]

What's wrong with that? I call that smart, I like saving money.

That's your prerogative, I wouldn't hesitate.

So if you had a few hundred feet of 300 KCMIL you would sell it for a fraction of it's real value.

Nobody's "using the code" to cheapen a job, they're being efficient in the use of materials. "Workman Like Manner" is in the eyes of the beholder and the Style Manual actually lists the term as likely unenforceable

 

[Charlypt]

I am going to recycle about 100 pounds of copper this week. Will post what I have got.

Oh, when you say “recycled”, you say like scrap metal. I thought you want to save money, recycling the wire for other uses. My bad.

 

[tortuga]

There is a mill around here that has 12.5Y/7.2kv primary service and 600Y/347, 480Y/277, 240D/120, 240Y/139 and a 208Y/120, the color code for all systems is L1 = Black, L2 = Red, L3 = Blue, white = neutral, except the 240 delta which has orange B phase.
They only seem to care about color coding for phasing. The voltage is labeled on the panelboards and xformers.

 

[mtnelect]

I love controversy ... It will always produce a solution.

 

[readydave8]

Silliest thing I've heard so far this morning is criticism of guy wanting to use orange and mark phases, of course is still early

 

[Joethemechanic]

I work on so much crazy foreign machinery, and plants that have been hacked up for 50 years by maintenance guys, that I have learned never to trust colors. I don't trust any conductor until I test it myself

 

[tom baker]

I work on so much crazy foreign machinery, and plants that have been hacked up for 50 years by maintenance guys, that I have learned never to trust colors. I don't trust any conductor until I test it myself

Which is exactly why the NEC removed color code requirements

 

[electrofelon]

I would never do it, even if the "Code" says it is allowed. How would you feel it you came upon it ?. Like, who did that ?

So you always use fully colored conductors for your feeders and services? What about when you use cable assemblies? Do you order custom colored runs?

 

[tom baker]

So you always use fully colored conductors for your feeders and services? What about when you use cable assemblies? Do you order custom colored runs?

What if it’s Friday and you need black red blue but you have black red yellow on the truck? The customer is expecting the new RTU to be working for the Sat grand opening.

 

[rc/retired]

I would never do it, even if the "Code" says it is allowed. How would you feel it you came upon it ?. Like, who did that ?

It is code code code compliant. Period.
When I became an inspector, I had to approve jobs I would have fired an apprentice for.
There is no issue with the OP's installation.

Ron

 

[hbiss]

Just don't use yellow with a green stripe...

-Hal

 

[tom baker]

Just don't use yellow with a green stripe...

-Hal

LOL, thanks Hal

 

[mtnelect]

Just left the recycler, here is the results.
All the copper is gone.

 

[LarryFine]

Since you brought it up, how much did all of that wire cost you?

 

[mtnelect]

Since you brought it up, how much did all of that wire cost you?

Good question. All that wire recycled today was accumulated during the past 3 months. Which was already included and paid for on past projects.
So ... It was a "Winn Fall".

 

[Charlypt]

Good question. All that wire recycled today was accumulated during the past 3 months. Which was already included and paid for on past projects.
So ... It was a "Winn Fall".

So you decide to recycle the leftover wire and earn, say, $500. In other hand, you have enough cable to complete another project without spending another $2000 on cable. Which option is better?

 

[mtnelect]

So you decide to recycle the leftover wire and earn, say, $500. In other hand, you have enough cable to complete another project without spending another $2000 on cable. Which option is better?

When I estimate a project ... I estimate by the spool, anything left over is recycled. No more 100's of spools left over wires or cables to choose from.
It's gone in 30 seconds !

 

[Charlypt]

When I estimate a project ... I estimate by the spool, anything left over is recycled. No more 100's of spools left over wires or cables to choose from.
It's gone in 30 seconds !

Good for you. But what happens if a project is canceled and you already bought the wire, for example, or you get a roll of wire at a ridiculous price, or for any other reason you have a lot of wire. So you're going to tell me that recycling it is better.