Wiring in conduit, colours?

[Darren Cutler]

What colour wires should be used for the switched live in 1 and 2 way
switching,
when run as singles in conduit?
Is red allowed for all, or should I use blue and yellow for the 2 way?

Out of interest, does the colour of 3 core & earth, 2 way switching cable
change to black,
brown and grey, as part of this European harmonisation thing?

Thanks,
Darren

[BigWallop]

Post by Darren Cutler
What colour wires should be used for the switched live in 1 and 2 way
switching,
when run as singles in conduit?
Is red allowed for all, or should I use blue and yellow for the 2 way?
Out of interest, does the colour of 3 core & earth, 2 way switching cable
change to black,
brown and grey, as part of this European harmonisation thing?
Thanks,
Darren

http://www.iee.org/oncomms/pn/betnet/IEE%20Wiring%20matters%20Spring%202004.pdf

This link to the IEE .pdf document should answer your question. (you'll
need a "portable document file" reader like Adobe Acrobat or the like to
view it correctly)

And remember that just because you read it, it doesn't make you an
electrician. :-))


---
http://www.basecuritysystems.no-ip.com

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.673 / Virus Database: 435 - Release Date: 01/05/04

[Andy Wade]

Post by Darren Cutler
What colour wires should be used for the switched live in 1 and 2 way
switching, when run as singles in conduit?
Is red allowed for all, or should I use blue and yellow for the 2 way?

[Old colours] Red is required. Blue or yellow may be used, but must be
marked at the ends with red sleeving.

Post by Darren Cutler
Out of interest, does the colour of 3 core & earth, 2 way switching
cable change to black, brown and grey, as part of this European
harmonisation thing?

Yes, you can buy it now.

If mixing old and new colours remember the requirements for marking /
labelling. See
http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/cablecol.cfm
and in particular
http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/Cable%20Colours%20Leaflet.pdf.

[Dave Plowman]

Post by Darren Cutler
What colour wires should be used for the switched live in 1 and 2 way
switching,
when run as singles in conduit?
Is red allowed for all, or should I use blue and yellow for the 2 way?

I don't think it matters. Provided every wire that might be live is red,
identification is a matter of choice for you. Cable markers are cheap.

[Paul C Lewis]

Post by Darren Cutler
What colour wires should be used for the switched live in 1 and 2 way
switching,
when run as singles in conduit?
Is red allowed for all, or should I use blue and yellow for the 2 way?
Out of interest, does the colour of 3 core & earth, 2 way switching cable
change to black,
brown and grey, as part of this European harmonisation thing?
Thanks,
Darren

You might as well use any colour you fancy (except green/yellow), as
since our masters have now graciously harmonised our colour coding,
no-one in the future will ever know which colour code you were working
to, so will HAVE to examine the terminal connections of a conductor to
deduce it's purpose. (the contradictory changes to the colour coding
mean that it's purpose will now no longer be unambiguously identified by
it's colour!)

[Z]

Post by Darren Cutler
What colour wires should be used for the switched live in 1 and 2 way
switching,
when run as singles in conduit?
Is red allowed for all,

Until 2006 red or brown is not just allowed it is obligatory at least at
the terminations.

Post by Darren Cutler
or should I use blue and yellow for the 2 way?

No

Post by Darren Cutler
Out of interest, does the colour of 3 core & earth, 2 way switching cable
change to black,
brown and grey, as part of this European harmonisation thing?

Brown, brown and brown.

Post by Darren Cutler
Thanks,
Darren