Old 4 Core Wiring Colours

New vs old wiring colours.

Old 4 core wiring colours.

Prior to harmonisation with other european countries the united kingdom s electrical wiring system used. Old uk wiring colours the changing of colour coding standards for electric cables is of the most significant changes for the electrical industry in modern history. If your home has old wiring it is worth getting it checked by a qualified electrician to make sure it is in safe working order. Wiring regulations saw a change to harmonise the uk wiring colours with european cable colours for consistency and to avoid confusion.

Before this change old wiring colours in the uk for 2 core wire were red live black neutral and earths are either bare or yellow and green whereas with 3 core cable live red blue neutral additional yellow and earth either bare or yellow and green. Cores should be marked as follows. Green yellow earth sometimes bare wire without a sleeve. While varying somewhat by area of the country in the u s latin america europe and other areas there are recognizable generations of electrical wiring knob tube greenfield armored cable or bx wiring plastic or nm.

The wire is 4 core brown black grey and then a single in covers copper cable. Neutral conductors old and new conductors. It does not normally cover the transmission or distribution of electricity to them. The guide below is for uk british electrical wiring if you live in another country the colours may be different.

The old electrical colours were phased out in 2006 but as you can imagine old wiring still exists in many houses and appliances. It s important that properties get their wiring checked to see if the wiring colours are out of date have deteriorated over time and to check if they comply with bs 7671 wiring. In 2006 amendment 2 of 17 th edition bs7671 wiring regulations saw a change to harmonise the uk colours with the european cable colours for consistency and to avoid confusion. We illustrate a variety of types of electrical wiring found in older buildings.

I am now going to get electrician in to fit for me but i am a curious person and wondered what each colour was and how it should have been fitted to a light with live neutral and earth. The old wiring colour codes did not account for proper phase rotation therefore most of europe now abides by iec international electrotechnical commission for single phase and. The old cable plug colour codes did not account for proper phase rotation therefore most of europe now abides by iec international electrotechnical commission wiring colour codes for ac circuits. N line conductors old and new conductors.

Electrical wiring in the united kingdom is commonly understood to be an electrical installation for operation by end users within domestic commercial industrial and other buildings and also in special installations and locations such as marinas or caravan parks.