NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

[cadman]

I would to get a copy of the current NEC Wire Color Abbreviations. I have quite a few electrical drawings to create and I need to abbreviate the wire colors to make more room on the drawings.

Thanks for your help.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Perhaps I'm not understanding you, but why do you include wire colors on your plans?

 

[cadman]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

The manufacturing plant I work at requires wire colors on all interconnecting wiring diagrams.

 

[bennie]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

You will quickly run out of colors. Try to get your company to use numbers. You will never run out of them.

Very few colors are assigned for a particular purpose. The reason is the limited number of colors.

 

[jim dungar]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

There are no such things as "NEC Wire Color Abbreviations".

There are also no such things as NEC wire color codes for phase/hot/line conductors (except orange must be used on wild/high legs).

There are, however, requirements for ground and neutral conductors.

 

[bphgravity]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

I generaly use:

BK for Black (1)
BL for Blue (2)
RD for Red (3)
BR for Brown (1)
OR for Orange (2)
YL for Yellow (3)
WH for White (grounded)
GR for Green (grounding)

It is really only common sense use of the main letters. It can be expanded to other non-typical colors as well. However, since there is not an established "code" for this, a legend would be strongly suggested when abbreviations are used on plans.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Originally posted by bphgravity:
I generaly use:

BK for Black (1)
BL for Blue (2)
RD for Red (3)
BR for Brown (1)
OR for Orange (2)
YL for Yellow (3)
WH for White (grounded)
GR for Green (grounding)

Bryan, I notice that you use brown orange yellow, in that order which, in my neck of the woods is standard for phase A,B,C on 480/277. I then noticed that you use black blue red. Here in Utah we usually use black red blue for 208/120. Is that how phasing is typically done in Florida?

[ July 08, 2003, 06:39 PM: Message edited by: ryan_618 ]

 

[bphgravity]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

No, just an error on my part, Thanks!

 

[ryan_618]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Ahh...Just curious

 

[cadman]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Thanks to everyone for their help with the wire color abbreviations. That's all I needed.

 

[brian john]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

BR for Brown (1)
OR for Orange (2)
YL for Yellow (3

This is one issue that drives me bonkers other than green and white, colors don't mean a damn thing to me. I hear electricians argue BYO no BOY, I could care less. They better have the rotation right and keep the color coding straight through the whole job, seperating 208/120 and 480/277.

I've seen electricians reverse rotation because "it should be BOY no BYO" or vicesa versa. AGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[ryan_618]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Hello Brian John. As I stated, I was just curious. I agree that electrons don't care what color of tape is around them, but I find it interesting how other parts of the country do things.

 

[brian john]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Heck in our area a local utility uses GREEN as a phase conductor.

 

[sparky46514]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Yu are correct Brian in that the rotation needs to be correct for a 3 Phase motor.

We usually use :

Blk
Red
Blu
Wht
Grn
for 120/208/240


Brn
Org
Yel
Gry
Grn

for 277/480

also Org for High Leg identification per NEC

 

[sparky46514]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

That is also WHY you should check rotation when power is available AND the appropriate other trade so that they can verify rotation as well.Always cover your Butt.

 

[peter d]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

In a building without 480/277, what would prohibit you from using B-O-Y for phase colors? Nothing that I can see. In a building with only one voltage system, any color could be used for phase (except green, white, gray of course) without violating the NEC.

 

[abtad]

Re: NEC Wire Color Abbreviations

Cadman,
Are you possibly speaking of the colors according to the Uniform Drawing System(UDS) recommended by the Construction Standards Institue? If so you may get some help here:

http://www.csinet.org