# Color marking of conductors.



## Huntxtrm (Apr 3, 2012)

Can anybody tell me the code re reference for color coding of 120/208-240 and 480v systems. And proper phase order by color code? Only thing I have ever seen is orange for a high leg. And grounding conductor, and grounded conductor id. Just got a spanking for B-O-Y on 480. I know some use purple, he says orange is a code violation. I know AHJ has the right. Not questioning that. Purple - L1. Brown - L2. Yellow - L3. Maybe, I just need to study up, but I have never seen this. I'm used to good ole "BOY"


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## Fibes (Feb 18, 2010)

Generally speaking (there are a few requirements) there is no NEC mandated color coding for conductors.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Color code requirements were written out of the NEC in the 1978 edition.


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## Huntxtrm (Apr 3, 2012)

Fibes said:


> Generally speaking (there are a few requirements) there is no NEC mandated color coding for conductors.


As in, what I mentioned?


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## Huntxtrm (Apr 3, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Color code requirements were written out of the NEC in the 1978 edition.


So it is a localized requirement, by the AHJ. That's what I thought. But, I thought maybe I could be wrong also. I don't have a cape on my back.


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## Fibes (Feb 18, 2010)

Huntxtrm said:


> As in, what I mentioned?


There are some color requirements in 400 and 424 for example as well as 517.160, but these are specific to their articles.


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## one hertz (Mar 6, 2014)

480sparky said:


> Color code requirements were written out of the NEC in the 1978 edition.


Any idea why?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

one hertz said:


> Any idea why?



It became more a design issue than a safety issue.


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

nevermind


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## Ultrafault (Dec 16, 2012)

If you have multiple separately derived systems. Check out 210.5c.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Ultrafault said:


> If you have multiple separately derived systems. Check out 210.5c.


That doesn't require different colors, although colors is an option and the most commonly chosen one.


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## Salvatoreg02 (Feb 26, 2011)

But, your suppose to match the existing coloring that's being used within the system.. Is that in the NEC?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Salvatoreg02 said:


> But, your suppose to match the existing coloring that's being used within the system.. Is that in the NEC?


They can all be the same color. But they must be marked to identify the system they're on. This can be tagging, etc. As long as there's a legend somewhere on premises to explain it.


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## Mich drew (Mar 3, 2013)

All above are correct. Color coding in my area has been standardized as
480 v 3phase - brown, orange, yellow, gray neutral
208/120 volt 3phase- black,red,blue, white neutral
240/120 volt 3phase-black, orange( high leg),blue, white neutral
240/120 volt single phase-black,red, white neutral

Different areas use different standards and pocos can have their own unique standards.


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## theJcK (Aug 7, 2013)

Mich drew said:


> All above are correct. Color coding in my area has been standardized as
> 480 v 3phase - brown, orange, yellow, gray neutral
> 208/120 volt 3phase- black,red,blue, white neutral
> 240/120 volt 3phase-black, orange( high leg),blue, white neutral
> ...


 i second this. how i have seen it.. heard of purple, never seen it.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

When I see Brown Orange Purple, I just always assume someone that worked on the Alaskan Pipeliine or an oil job in Texas brought this back with them and it stuck as past practice.
Our sister local, 728 was kind of a suitcase local for a while and we see this all over Broward County. 
Local 349, Miami, is a rock solid Brown Orange Yellow.


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## Carultch (May 14, 2013)

theJcK said:


> i second this. how i have seen it.. heard of purple, never seen it.


From what I've heard, a purple B-phase is supposed to indicate it is a WYE system, in contrast to an orange B-phase indicating it is a DELTA system.

Never seen that in practice though. I've seen all 277/480 systems colored BOY.


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## Carultch (May 14, 2013)

Huntxtrm said:


> Can anybody tell me the code re reference for color coding of 120/208-240 and 480v systems. And proper phase order by color code? Only thing I have ever seen is orange for a high leg. And grounding conductor, and grounded conductor id. Just got a spanking for B-O-Y on 480. I know some use purple, he says orange is a code violation. I know AHJ has the right. Not questioning that. Purple - L1. Brown - L2. Yellow - L3. Maybe, I just need to study up, but I have never seen this. I'm used to good ole "BOY"



There are very few requirements of how you actually need to identify ungrounded wires.

GroundED and groundING wiring, by contrast, has very clear requirements throughout the NEC. GroundED = white or gray, groundING = green.

The only examples I can think of for ungrounded wires are:
1. High leg of a 120/240 delta system = ORANGE
2. New 2014 NEC: Ungrounded DC+ = RED or text reading "positive"
3. New 2014 NEC: Ungrounded DC- = BLACK or text reading "positive"

I'm not surprised that it is red and black. Personally, I'd pick red and yellow, and let black remain a generic ungrounded conductor (until taped otherwise).


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

Carultch said:


> From what I've heard, a purple B-phase is supposed to indicate it is a WYE system, in contrast to an orange B-phase indicating it is a DELTA system.
> 
> Never seen that in practice though. I've seen all 277/480 systems colored BOY.


BOY, OYB, YBO, BYO, OBY, YOB and where I have seen purple used it was always on a 480/277 distribution system.


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## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

Never seen purple around here. I have always added an extra color (other than green) to candy stripe the high leg. Anything you can do to make the high leg stand out is ok in my book. So for me that would be black, orange/red, blue for low voltage with a basterd leg.


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## Awg-Dawg (Jan 23, 2007)

Carultch said:


> There are very few requirements of how you actually need to identify ungrounded wires.


 
I saw this a while back.


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## Carultch (May 14, 2013)

cabletie said:


> Never seen purple around here. I have always added an extra color (other than green) to candy stripe the high leg. Anything you can do to make the high leg stand out is ok in my book. So for me that would be black, orange/red, blue for low voltage with a basterd leg.



Is there such a thing as a high-leg delta at 550 Volts phase-to-phase, with A&C phases split at 277/277, and the B-phase being at 480 Volts phase-to-neutral?


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## david cavagnaro (Aug 24, 2014)

Huntxtrm said:


> Can anybody tell me the code re reference for color coding of 120/208-240 and 480v systems. And proper phase order by color code? Only thing I have ever seen is orange for a high leg. And grounding conductor, and grounded conductor id. Just got a spanking for B-O-Y on 480. I know some use purple, he says orange is a code violation. I know AHJ has the right. Not questioning that. Purple - L1. Brown - L2. Yellow - L3. Maybe, I just need to study up, but I have never seen this. I'm used to good ole "BOY"


120/208-240 Black Red Blue Stinger Orange
277/480 In most cases now Brown Orange Yellow but, purple in some counties in San Francisco Bay Area is Purple instead of Orange. The order of the colors is not what the colors are for it is for voltage. We want to put, them on in order on Distribution panels but, on 3 phase power for rotation purposes sometimes two wires have to be reversed. I had this problem with and inspector and won the argument. The colors are for voltage not phase.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

david cavagnaro said:


> ... The colors are for voltage not phase.


If you have more than one voltage system in the building, the ungrounded branch circuit conductors are required to be identified by *phase and voltage*. 210.5(C).


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

david cavagnaro said:


> 120/208-240 Black Red Blue Stinger Orange
> 277/480 In most cases now Brown Orange Yellow but, purple in some counties in San Francisco Bay Area is Purple instead of Orange. The order of the colors is not what the colors are for it is for voltage. We want to put, them on in order on Distribution panels but, on 3 phase power for rotation purposes sometimes two wires have to be reversed. I had this problem with and inspector and won the argument. The colors are for voltage not phase.


They even call out the for the single phase resi. wiring to be black/red.....


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

david cavagnaro said:


> ...The colors are for voltage not phase.



Anyone care to point me to the Code reference for this?

...... Unless it's some silly Califunky thing.


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## Jhellwig (Jun 18, 2014)

There is nothing in the code to keep you from making all the ungrounded conductors orange even on a 120/240 delta.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Anyone care to point me to the Code reference for this?
> 
> ...... Unless it's some silly Califunky thing.


Local code amendment for the City of San Francisco only:

Phase identification colors shall be:
(1) 120/240 volt single phase systems "A" phase black, "B" phase red; 120/208 volt 4-wire 3-phase wye systems – "A" phase black, "B" phase red, "C" phase blue; 120/240 volt 3-phase delta systems – "A" phase black, "B" (high leg) phase purple, "C" phase red; 277/480 volt 4-wire 3-phase wye systems – "A" phase brown, "B" phase orange, "C" phase yellow. Ungrounded conductors for other voltages shall be identified by different color coding, marking tape, tagging, or other approved means.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Switched said:


> Local code amendment for the City of San Francisco only:
> 
> Phase identification colors shall be:
> (1) 120/240 volt single phase systems "A" phase black, "B" phase red; 120/208 volt 4-wire 3-phase wye systems – "A" phase black, "B" phase red, "C" phase blue; 120/240 volt 3-phase delta systems – "A" phase black, "B" (high leg) phase purple, "C" phase red; 277/480 volt 4-wire 3-phase wye systems – "A" phase brown, "B" phase orange, "C" phase yellow. Ungrounded conductors for other voltages shall be identified by different color coding, marking tape, tagging, or other approved means.



So if I wire a 120/208 3-phase panel, left to right with the mains, red-blue-black, would that pass?


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

480sparky said:


> So if I wire a 120/208 3-phase panel, left to right with the mains, red-blue-black, would that pass?


As soon as you switched the colors around!:laughing::laughing:

They seriously will enforce this stuff with a vengeance too.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

We added a circuit to a high rise condo unit for an electric heater. The panel was enclosed in a concrete wall in the entry closet, with all the circuits piped and encased in concrete. 

They called us on having the panel in the closet, no longer to code, you have to bring it up to date the minute you add another circuit.

We took the door off the closet, removed the shelf and hanger bar, passed the inspection. As soon as the inspector left, it was back to a closet again.:laughing::laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Switched said:


> As soon as you switched the colors around!:laughing::laughing:
> 
> They seriously will enforce this stuff with a vengeance too.


The colors were switched because the phases were switched. Circuits 1+2 are B phase, Cts. 3+4 are C, and 5+6 are A.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Circuits 1/2 would have to be "A", 3/4 would have to be "B", and 5/6 would have to be "C".....

Have fun attempting to be funny with them and you have no fun at all....tried that once.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Here is a link to their local amendments: (Tried the link, it didn't work)

It is actually nice to work there. Most of the inspectors are pretty cool and knowledgable. They will work with you and HO's on things.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Switched said:


> Circuits 1/2 would have to be "A", 3/4 would have to be "B", and 5/6 would have to be "C".............


Where is that in the Code?


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Where is that in the Code?


You won't find it. They are the AHJ, and even at the top, they enforce their interpretations. I think they assume it would be implied.


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## Carultch (May 14, 2013)

Switched said:


> We added a circuit to a high rise condo unit for an electric heater. The panel was enclosed in a concrete wall in the entry closet, with all the circuits piped and encased in concrete.
> 
> They called us on having the panel in the closet, no longer to code, you have to bring it up to date the minute you add another circuit.
> 
> We took the door off the closet, removed the shelf and hanger bar, passed the inspection. As soon as the inspector left, it was back to a closet again.:laughing::laughing:


I thought that installations are in general, allowed to remain, compliant with the codes that they were once compliant with. Whereas, existing violations that were violations when they were built, aren't allowed to be continued because they were always wrong.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Switched said:


> You won't find it. They are the AHJ, and even at the top, they enforce their interpretations. I think they assume it would be implied.


I'm glad the inspectors I work with aren't all azzholes.


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## That_Dude (Feb 13, 2012)

Brown, Purple, Yellow for Rocky Mountain Power in Utah. Ogden only allows those colors on Wye systems.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Carultch said:


> I thought that installations are in general, allowed to remain, compliant with the codes that they were once compliant with. Whereas, existing violations that were violations when they were built, aren't allowed to be continued because they were always wrong.


Their viewpoint is that we altered the panel by adding the circuit, therefore we have to bring it to current code standards.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

480sparky said:


> I'm glad the inspectors I work with aren't all azzholes.


I get the idea behind why the want it done so it doesn't bother me......they have other things that get under my skin.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

Switched said:


> Circuits 1/2 would have to be "A", 3/4 would have to be "B", and 5/6 would have to be "C".....
> ...





480sparky said:


> Where is that in the Code?


Given the standard panel board construction, you will find that in 408.3(E).


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## bartstop (Sep 30, 2012)

Electricity knows no color.


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

bartstop said:


> Electricity knows no color.


I like Green and I ain't talking about apprentices or grounds, COLD HARD CASH:thumbup::thumbsup:


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