Using red+black in new circuits?

In article , David Robinson scribeth thus

Umm ... people usually use it to pretend that it was pre part P ....

No

No

Sorry

Adam

Sell it on eBay - it commands a premium !

AWEM

Yes you can use it. The requirement is that a cable shall be identifiable at its terminations.......... So red and black cable correctly sleeved is within the regulations.

Regards Bruce

No way

Adam

No way

Adam

I use the new colour cable for things I am allowed to do and the old colour cable in the garage is getting used up slowly for other odds and ends.

Nope

Use it as is...

but not in this circumstance!

Now there's a good boy! I have a similar stash of material available for appropriate use. :)

There's way to much to wade through there, but where does it say that you can't use red and black as long as it's sleeved?

SteveW

First and second paragraph of

Cheers

Adam

that's easy, simply crimp a bit of new color on each end of it.

The BCO wont be excavating your walls and ceiling voids.

... AKA things you're *not* allowed to do! ;-)

David

Sell the pre-harmonised colour cable on Ebay. It used to sell very well and at a premium, tick "Completed" to see what sells, what price, what demand.

Then use harmonised cable, indeed slowly migrate the house if you wish over the next 20yrs as you redecorate etc.

Personally I think the enforced "must use harmonised" is slightly irritating when you have lots of old colour pre-existing multi-core. For example a three way SWA junction box with 5 core Brown Blue Black White Ge/Ye and then 4 core Red Black Blue Yellow. It would be simpler to use old colours in this situation.

Beware some nutters thinking pre-harmonised has to be removed, it does not, a notification label is all that is required.

That says that the new cable colours must be used. It doesn't say that the cables must be that colour for their entire length, it repeated says colour identification of conductors - which could be read as saying that coloured sleeves at the termination points complies. Compare with black singles used as a switched live with red sleeving.

You could note the departure from BS7671 on the installation completion report.

Print out

JGH

With respect Adam I believe you are wrong. The web links you provided date from and refer to amendments to the previous version of 7671. When the latest version was issued it is as I said that the 'terminations' are the important bit. This has been discussed before on the IET site, but having just got in I have not looked up a link. Regards Bruce

The only departure from BS7671 that you could put on an installation certificate where you have used the old colour cables is "I ignored the BS7671 advice/guidance"

Paragraph 2 of

Black singles were never allowed with red sleeving as a switched live. They have been used for that but it was never within the regs.

Cheers

Adam

Actually I believe the were allowed in the 13th edition.

Adam

Electrical Installation Certificate: "blah blah blah ... in accordance with BS 7671, amended to... except for the departures, if any, detailed as follows:"

Periodic Inspection Report: "does not comply with BS 7671 (as amended). This does not imply that the electrical installation inspected is unsafe"

JGH