Re identifying conductors
- Thread starter pedro1200
- Start date
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician (retired)
What markers are you referring to, tape?
Attachments
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician (retired)
That looks like it's for small conductors that are inside of a cable. Often those conductors have no markings as the sheath has the required information so using the marker won't violate anything. For larger conductors re-identified with tape utilizing a candy cane stripe should not obscure all of the markings.
I think they make them for larger conductors
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
You don't need to reidentify the entire exposed length of conductor. Stop marking where the data is.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician (retired)
Yup, one circle of tape around the conductor is all that's required. I've seen guys use 1/2 a roll of tape to make it look pretty.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
One circle of tape or short length of marker is all I have ever done. As mentioned conductors within a cable assembly often have no markings on them either. It is conductors that are in a raceway that are required to have those markings. Also when it comes to re-identifying a white conductor it pretty much needs to be part of a cable assembly or you generally are not allowed to re-identify it anyway.
One little township inspector ( no state license ) only accepted paint or heat shrink tubing to identify conductors.The NEC should require wires to be marked at least every 12 to 18" in panels. We had over 35 84 circuit panels that were at least 6' high and contractor only marked the grounded conductor with a wrap of cheap white tape that feel off after a few months.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Other than maybe if you have corner grounded delta and are running the grounded conductor through breakers, contactors, etc. I feel that white tape is a little overkill anyway, if the conductor lands on a neutral bar it is sort of obvious to anyone that knows what they are doing that it is a neutral conductor and that it is nearly always a grounded conductor for NEC applications. I've also said similar about a white conductor with black tape landed on a breaker- 99.99% chance it is not a grounded conductor tape is there for the untrained and even there at least half of them still don't know why the tape is there.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
You have a few days left to try to make that change for the 2029 code. The NFPA is accepting Public Inputs for the 2029 code through 5pm Eastern time on April 9th.
If its 6 or smaller does it not require the entire conductor to be re-identified?
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
IIRC< if it's 6 or smaller you're not allowed to re-identify at all (except for conductors in flexible cords, like turning a white conductor red).
I think your allowed to barber pole the entire conductor with tape, or at least you were.
many decades ago when I was very young and green on a job, a night job during a plant shutdown, power had to be back on by 06:00 or the sky would fall. There was not much for me to do so someone thought it was cheaper to have me pull a #6 out and wrap it with gray tape rather than leave it and return another day with some #6 gray. I was probably just being 'hazed', but I remember it had to be the entire length
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Going down that rathole-
I don't seen anything in 2023 that would allow re-coloring a 6g wire to white/gray - (200.6 (B)(4) allows it "at time of installation" for 4G and larger, no such language in (A) for 6g and smaller.
Article 250.119(B)(1) for 4g and larger allows marking another color as green at the time of installation, nothing for 6g and smaller.
I don't seen anything in 2023 that would allow re-coloring a 6g wire to white/gray - (200.6 (B)(4) allows it "at time of installation" for 4G and larger, no such language in (A) for 6g and smaller.
Article 250.119(B)(1) for 4g and larger allows marking another color as green at the time of installation, nothing for 6g and smaller.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Phase identification you can do about anything you want. where there is more than one voltage system on the premises you do need to post the method used to identify system and phase.
Re-identifying a white as an ungrounded conductor where permitted or identifying 4 AWG or larger grounded conductors or EGC's only requires a tape, paint, etc. to encircle the conductor near terminations - one ring of tape around the conductor is acceptable here.
6 AWG and smaller grounded and equipment grounding conductors must be white/gray/green/green with yellow stripes/bare (whichever applies to the conductor in question) for the entire length of the conductor. Grounded conductors can have colored tracers in them but must be primarily white or gray in finish if 6 AWG or smaller.