Red and black cables

Remember it was originally a Euro standard. White and black were already in use in some countries. So it may have been a question of using as few colours already in use as possible. If only to avoid the 'Germany has got its own way again' or whatever that you'd inevitably get on here.

If you reduce light blue and brown to monochrome, the difference is obvious. Dark blue might have looked the same as brown.

My view is those who chose the eventual colours did so with considerable skill after looking at all the alternatives. And that it's impossible to satisfy everyone.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)
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Arguably, they should have been harmonised at the same time as flex colours.

But the 'how dare they interfere with our heritage' brigade probably kicked up a stink. After all, they'll have had half a reel of house cable lying around which would get wasted.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I think I'd have cut two lengths and pulled through a new bit of brown with the green/yellow in the length I was using. That would probably work with up to 25cm of flex or so.

Reply to
Roger Hayter

Which now (for different reasons) sells at a premium on ebay for people who want old colour cable.

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

Interesting observation. I have some in my garage that's probably about 30 years old. Does it deteriorate with non-use?

Reply to
Scott

Train drivers too.

Reply to
Andy Burns

Or does not know better.

Reply to
ARW

I was not aware that the cores had a specific RAL

Reply to
ARW

Green sleeving, rather than green/yellow on earths with still exist in plenty of 60's/70's houses, though the fact that it's sleeving on a bare conductor is a bit of a giveaway.

I pushed an image with swatches of the old/new wiring colours through various colour-blindness simulations, the columns are NORMAL, PROTANOPIA, DEUTERANOPIA and TRITANOPIA

Both red and brown seem to suffer similar distortion, so I don't really see how brown/blue can be argued as better for colour-blind electricians than red/black.

Reply to
Andy Burns

I would.

Reply to
ARW

Can we pinch that for the wiki, looks like it could be interesting in the cable colours section...?

Reply to
John Rumm

Let me knock up a better version then ...

Reply to
Andy Burns

? Could you explain what RAL is, please?

I think I found the background to the colour change at .

It seems the UK was way out of line with the other European countries, especially when the colours are shown clearly - see But the UK and Switzerland were the only countries to show 3-phase colour differentiation. It seems to me the only way the UK could get the other countries to change 3-phase colour was to itself change.

Reply to
Jeff Layman

The one I asked did. ;-) He just said 'Well it works, doesn't it?'

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Reichs-Ausschuß für Lieferbedingungen

Reply to
Andy Burns

No problem sir.

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What colour blue did you want?

Open up a drum of T&E from different manufacturers and the blue core ranges from light blue to mid blue (I suppose it depends on your view of what is a mid/dark blue).

Cheers

Reply to
ARW

Yes, but remember that the daft sods drive on the wrong side of the road no matter what coloured car they drive:-)

Reply to
ARW

Danke!

Reply to
Jeff Layman

Flexes were changed first because electrical appliances were being sent to different countries.

Reply to
harry

Which is one reason I'd advocate changing the shapes of the lamps.

For example, octagonal red for stop - like physical stop signs. Vertical bar for amber. Round or arrows for green. Or something like that. Now we have LEDs, it should be a doddle to achieve.

Reply to
polygonum

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