Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

[joe tedesco]

2005 NEC Rule 250.119 Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors.

Unless required elsewhere in this Code, equipment grounding conductors shall be permitted to be bare, covered, or insulated.

Individually covered or insulated equipment grounding conductors shall have a continuous outer finish that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes except as permitted in this section.

Conductors with insulation that is green, green with one or more yellow stripes, or identified as permitted by this section shall be used only as an equipment grounding conductor.
[ROP 5?1, 5?220]

Does this new rule make it a violation to use green, or green with a yellow stripe to identify the GEC?

[ July 29, 2003, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: joe tedesco ]

 

[dereckbc]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

Joe I do not know the answer to your question, but look forward to an answer. I use four different color schemes in my designs. Green, green/white, green/yellow, and green/red.

 

[kevin]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

From a grammatical standpoint, the proposal is sloppy. The subject "conductors" is plural, while the object "an EGC" is singular. "Conductors" should be replaced with "A conductor".

Aside from that objection, the answer to your question is clearly in the affirmative. The GEC would not be permitted to be covered with green, etc., insulation.

 

[wildman]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

window air conditioning unit operating on 240 volts... want to replace unit with 120 volt unit.the three conductor cable #12 with colors red, white, black will need to be replaced with #12 black, white, and bare. code will not allow to remark wires with marking tape on #6 or smaller
at termination points...true or false?

 

[websparky]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

wildman,

False - 250.119

 

[wildman]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

thanks websparky for the reply.
250.119 B Multiconductor cable...where the conditions of maintenance and supervision insure that only qualified persons service the installation.... in my jurisdiction, the homeowner is allowed to do his/her electrical work. the definition for qualified person according to the nec suggest skills, knowledge, and safety training in the electrical field. Some of the residential homes I have been called out to repair "homeowner mess-ups" suggest to me a little more homeowner training is needed.
As long as a "qualified" person knows the red wire with green tape is being used as a grounded conductor, then all is well. Otherwise, a black,
white, and bare conductor cable will have to do.
did not mean to be so long. thanks again.

 

[roger]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

Strip the red or black bare to the shield.

Roger

 

[ryan_618]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

Originally posted by wildman:
As long as a "qualified" person knows the red wire with green tape is being used as a grounded conductor, then all is well.

I do hope you're refering to the equipment grounding conductor and not the grounded conductor

 

[wildman]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

thanks Roger and Ryan_618 for your replys.
Yes Ryan, the EGC. appreciate the correction.

 

[hillbilly]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

Use the black for the ungrounded conductor ( most homeowners know that the black wire is hot), the white for the grounded conductor and strip the exposed insulation from the red conductor and use it for the grounding conductor

 

[stamcon]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

Joe, I say the GEC can't be insulated green.

"...shall be used only as an equipment grounding conductor."

The word "shall" prevents green from being used anywhere other than an EGC.

 

[websparky]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

stamcon,

I agree.

However, we can still use a bare conductor or one with a insulation color that is not white or grey.

[ August 01, 2003, 11:35 PM: Message edited by: websparky ]

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

websparky,
I disagree. If the proposed change makes it into the 05 code, you will not be permitted to use a bare conductor as a GEC. Any method of identification that is premitted to be used for EGCs, by 250.119, will not be permitted to be used for any other purpose. Bare is a permitted identification for EGCs and the new wording would restrict the use of bare conductors for any other purpose.
Don

 

[websparky]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

Don,

"....shall be permitted to be bare, covered, or insulated."
as opposed to
"....shall be bare, covered, or insulated."

If you are basing your opinion solely on the above proposal, I'm sorry, I'm not seeing where the wording substantiates your point.
Please help me understand the logic.

Dave

 

[gregory]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

I understand that the wiring to street lights is color coded red, yellow and green for the conductors that feed the lights. this would sure could mess up the code for street lights

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductors

Dave,

Conductors with insulation that is green, green with one or more yellow stripes, or identified as permitted by this section shall be used only as an equipment grounding conductor.

In my opinion the phrases "with insulation that is green, green with one or more yellow stripes" and "identified as permitted by this section" are use as adjectives to describe the word "conductors". This means that any method of identification that is permitted to be used for the identification of an equipment grounding conductor is reserved exclusively for that purpose. Bare is a permitted identifier for equipment grounding conductors and therefore cannot be used to identify the grounding electrode conductor.
Don