Dumb question I know, especially since it seems reasonable to have different colours for things that are "permament" rather than "temporary" but it has been bugging me. Any ideas? I tried google-ing it but came up with no satisfactory answer, although learned a bit about eletrical safety. Many thanks in advance.
As far as I understand it, the colours in flex were harmonised a while back with the European standard (ie brown phase, blue neutral and G&Y earth) and the colours for fixed wiring were not. This is shortly to change and the colours for fixed and flexible domestic wiring will be the same. Maybe it has already. Any electicians on the group would probably know better.
Will
In theory you can get the new colours now, and you are allowed to use them. In practice, I've yet to see anyone supplying them -- neither the likes of B&Q nor either of the wholesalers I use have the new colours (well, I haven't actually asked, but if you just ask for a drum of cable without specifying, you get the old colours).
They used to be the same, until 'we' were forced to change flex colours for something more sensible by the need to standardise across Europe. But we don't import/export ready made houses, so being the usual small minded 'british' decided not to change permanent wiring at the same time. As a minor concession, the green of earth sleeving *was* changed to green/yellow, though.
Once upon a time, they weren't different - "flex" wires were Red=Live, Black=Neutral and Green=Earth - then along came harmonisation. Germans had brown for earth! We've ended up with a compromise, Brown, Blue and Green/Yellow. As you're unlikely to take your house to Germany, compared to say, your kettle; the 'fixed' cabling hasn't changed -just got specified in metric units. The changeover was in the seventies?
Hmm, so simply by looking at the colours it won't be obvious that it's not before part P...
The latest Screwfix catalogue that came this week has cables in the new colours
At my PoW we have been supplied with cable in the new colours. Didn't ask for it specially - it just arrived with the new colours.
Recipe for disaster if you ask me - we now have old circuits coloured blue
- phase, black - neutral; and new circuits coloured brown - phase, blue - neutral, all in the same distribution board.
RS have been selling what they call 'harmonised colours' since the start of the current catalogue. Look up (for example) SKU 468-1912 on the web site.
My experience too. Everybody wants to clear their old stock first.
No, the Germans used to use RED for earth. Add to that the fact that red-green colour-blindness is quite common and the need to harmonise on something other than the old British system isn't hard to see. Apparently it took about 12 years discussion in CENELEC to reach agreement on the brown-blue-green/yellow system -- and another 34 years for the UK to come in line on fixed wiring colours! (But the IEE did succeed in introducing grey as the third phase colour .)
I asked in WF about that recently
They have T&E and singles in new colours.
On this very subject or one close to it, I read today that John Redwood has been appointed to the shadow cabinet with deregulation as his portfolio. Richard S. mentioned it as well.
I've written him an email suggesting that Part P should be near the top of the list.....
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
Is that good?
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
Not looked in that detail in the sheds as I buy my cable by the drum from CEF. Last one I bought, 2.5 T&E a couple of weeks, ago was new colours. I asked if they had any old and they said no all they supply is new now.
What, the third phase colour? Definitely! Imagine living in a country where you can't tell the phase rotation of the mains from the colours of the wires ;-)
Supplementary question: does anyone know whether the supply industry has any intention of changing to brown-black-grey phase colours? I bet not. Reckon they'll stick with their red, yellow and blue discs for a long time yet...
Oh I see.
I thought that the individual phase conductors are supposed to be numbered in this case.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
I have to ask for the old colours if I want them. My wholesalers (the 2 I have accounts with) supply new colours as standard (apart from the 3 core and earth). I
Adam
surely it is easier to differentiate between red/yellow/blue in a dark dirty hole than brown/black/grey? Plus the colours look a lot nicer :o)
No disrespect to colour-blind people, but are they really the ideal candidates to be wiremen?
I know of a guy who until recently was a TV service engineer and is red- green colour-blind. When adjusting sets for customers he asked them when the colour looked right for them.
And as for replacing resistors.... :-)
I thought that until I tried it. There's not much to choose actually. Remember that if the light level's really low your colour vision goes anyway and it's the luminance that matters.
True - but it's too late to be having this discussion.
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote | As a minor concession, the green of earth sleeving *was* changed to | green/yellow, though.
Which was a *good* thing IMHO, as green on its own was often a bit sludgy and not easily distinguished, and the most prominent form of colour-blindness is red/green.
Owain
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