color coding cables and wires

[Anonymous]

Posted by: Noel (old forum transfer)
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2002 11:37 am

While I have been doing this rewiring work, I have been using different colors of electrical tape to identify romex calbes with. I've mostly used purple, orange, and blue. I probably have used red to indicate the cable from the panel box. I have used black only for remarking white wires, and yellow to mark the traveller in my 4 way switch wiring.

Besides when using black, is there any code or conventions used in regard to colored tape?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Posted by: Wgoodrich
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2002 3:02 pm

The NEC stands mute concerning any color marking of nonmetallic sheathed cable on the sheathing of that cable.

The NEC declares that green can only be used to identify an equipment grounding conductor.

The NEC declares that white concerning new installations is the only color that can be used to identify a grounded [aka neutral] conductor. There are a couple of exceptions that allow different color of strips ran the full length of a white grounded [aka neutral] conductor if there is more than one system in a cable or conduit.

The NEC recognized the color of gray but only concerning existing installations as a method of identifying a grounded [aka neutral] conductor. Again gray can no longer be used to identify a grounded [aka neutral] conductor concerning new installations.

A white wire is allowed to be re-idendtified as a hot conductor when only re-identified outside the cable sheathing only in switch legs and 220 volt dedicated branch circuit and only in nonmetallic sheathed cable.

No single white conductor may be used as a hot conductor no matter of any method of re-identifying that white conductor if that white conductor is not in a cable sheathing unless that single white conductor being used as a hot coductor is used for a switch 3 or 4 wire switch system.

Green is never to be used as a grounded [aka neutral] conductor or as a hot conductor no matter of any method of reidentification used.

All other colors of the rainbow is considered as a hot conductor other than white, gray, or green.

Be careful marking with orange. Three phase 4 wire delta system's high legs are required to be marked as orange per the NEC Article 110.15 and 215.8 and 230.56.

Hope this helps

Wg