Lighting Relay Panel

[skylink]

I recently pulled lighting conductors for a relay panel. Since it was my first time dealing with a relay panel, I wasn’t sure about what colors to use. One circuit fed multiple relays. I asked and was told by my foreman to match the color to the relay numbers. Now months later after the completion of the wire pull I’m told by others this was done incorrectly.

I’m now told the color is to match the circuit number and not the relay number. What practices/standards do you follow when it comes to lighting relay panels and why? Thanks!

 

[don_resqcapt19]

There is no code color requirement for circuits or the relays. The only time there might be a code color requirement is where there is more than one voltage system in the building and you are using wire colors to identify the conductors by phase and voltage as required in 210.5(C).

 

[hbiss]

I asked and was told by my foreman to match the color to the relay numbers.

What colors would match the relay numbers??

-Hal

 

[tank728]

What colors would match the relay numbers??

-Hal

I think he means if circuit 5 feeds relays 1-4, then relays 1-4 wires should blue (assuming C phase is blue).

Depending on the setup, I would like to keep the relay wire the same color as the circuit that feeds it. But in a commercial or larger setup you could end up with a conduit filled with all the same color. It is cumbersome to pull let's say 12 yellow wires with a few neutrals. I think it is a great place to eat up some used rolls of wire by spreading it the colors.

 

[skylink]

I think he means if circuit 5 feeds relays 1-4, then relays 1-4 wires should blue (assuming C phase is blue).

Depending on the setup, I would like to keep the relay wire the same color as the circuit that feeds it. But in a commercial or larger setup you could end up with a conduit filled with all the same color. It is cumbersome to pull let's say 12 yellow wires with a few neutrals. I think it is a great place to eat up some used rolls of wire by spreading it the colors.

Yeah, that's correct.

 

[James L]

Numbers are more important than colors

 

[zbang]

Definitely numbers. Any color scheme will be destroyed sometime in the first few changes.

 

[hbiss]

Remembering my days building electronic equipment, I was waiting for someone to reply to my question of "what colors" with:

Black, brown, red, orange, green, blue, violet, gray, and white. Then, using each of those as a base wire color and adding a tracer color (or two) you have an almost infinite number to work with.

-Hal

 

[LarryFine]

Black, brown, red, orange, green, blue, violet, gray, and white.

You left out yellow between orange and green.

 

[readydave8]

You left out yellow between orange and green.

"Young "

 

[infinity]

I’m now told the color is to match the circuit number and not the relay number. What practices/standards do you follow when it comes to lighting relay panels and why?

As stated it doesn't really matter as long as you employ a system that will ensure that the correct conductor goes with the correct relay. I would lean towards using the correct circuit color and number markers to differentiate between them.