# Purpose of "purple" phase tape?



## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

You won't see a high leg delta very often in residential but they do exist alot in commercial. The high leg os the system is supposed to be identified orange, but I see way more purple high legs than I do orange.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

There is no national standard for the colors used to identify voltages.

In my area black red blue white is common for 208 volts and Brown Orange Yellow Gray for 480 but some areas use purple for one phase of 480.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

I get tons of purple for jap-wrap. It's the only color we don't use for phasing, and it keeps people from wasting stuff like Super 33+ for tying extension cords and whatnot.

-John


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## power (Feb 27, 2012)

Yes, and thanks for all your responses! We have "high-leg" here in Canada too, however, I am not sure if we connect them same way the US does.

Is a "high-leg" a center tapped winding on a delta transformer? If so, is this center tapped winding grounded? What phase winding is typically center tapped? If it is the "B" phase, what are the voltages present from this center tapped conductor (purple, or orange) to the "A" phase winding, and the "C" phase winding?


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

Speaking of tape, I think the crappiest I have ever made the mistake of buying is Commercial Electric's brand.


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

My old boss began using purple for 480 V B-phase because orange is specifically mentioned in the code for marking high legs. When asked why, he said we might as well reserve orange for just that and use another color in 480.


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## raider1 (Jan 22, 2007)

InPhase277 said:


> My old boss began using purple for 480 V B-phase because orange is specifically mentioned in the code for marking high legs. When asked why, he said we might as well reserve orange for just that and use another color in 480.


When I started as an apprentice this is the reason that I was given for using Purple instead of orange for a 3 phase 480/277 volt system. Our typical color coding for 480/277 was Brown-yellow-purple. To this day that is the most common phasing for a 480 volt system in my area.

Chris


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

BBQ said:


> There is no national standard for the colors used to identify voltages.
> 
> In my area black red blue white is common for 208 volts and Brown Orange Yellow Gray for 480 but some areas use purple for one phase of 480.


 
That's pretty much the same as the places I have worked in the NY-NJ area as well.


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## carryyourbooks (Jan 13, 2010)

i'm from houston. we used to use brown orange yellow (boy) on all 480v systems, but since orange is for high leg, they converted it to brown purple yellow. if you go to anahuac which is just east of houston, they use orange only on c phase. the adj makes them use it this way.


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## bgleason (Mar 3, 2012)

Everywhere I worked, we used red, blue, black for 208/120 with white neutral and brown, orange, yellow for 480/277 with gray as neutral. Then I moved to Texas and all of a sudden purple was being used for one of the phases for 480.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

New OSHA rules want labels on panels declaring what colors are what voltage.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Here in Dade County, we are Brown, Orange, Yellow. The next county up, Broward County, they are Brown, Purple, Yellow.

I think that they were pretty much a suitcase local and all worked in a jurisdiction that did that. I was thinking of areas of Texas and Alaska for industrial work.
Anybody here work in Alaska? Are they purple up there?


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## ratrod56 (Jan 21, 2011)

we have to follow these guidelines:

208Y/120 3phase A-Black B-Red C-Blue

120/240 3phase A-black B- Orange(high leg) C-Blue

480Y/277 3phase A-Purple B-Brown C-Yellow 

120/240 1phase A-Black B-Red


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Only two things come from Texas, Steers and Violet tape


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## BennettElectric (Jul 7, 2011)

Here in rochester we do a lot of work for kodak (actually, it's more like renovating old kodak buildings for new customers). Anyway, kodak had their own code that had 277 phased brown, violet, and orange. No idea why, but seems like a lot of big industrial customers like to have their own codes.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Zweigle hot dogs- Rochester, NY. My wife's is related to them.


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## BennettElectric (Jul 7, 2011)

Yeah, zweigles are the best. I send a few packages of white hots to my dad every year.


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## open short (Oct 12, 2010)

BennettElectric said:


> Yeah, zweigles are the best. I send a few packages of white hots to my dad every year.


 
what colors do they use.:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

open short said:


> what colors do they use.:laughing::laughing::laughing:


white and red-- white hots and red hots. I thought white can't be used as a hot. :laughing:


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## open short (Oct 12, 2010)

Dennis Alwon said:


> white and red-- white hots and red hots. I thought white can't be used as a hot. :laughing:


yeah!! so purple tape to re-identfy:laughing::laughing:


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## NoSparkSparky (Mar 5, 2012)

the owner of my company uses it to mark his tools. He LOVES the color purple


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## thegr81 (May 26, 2011)

Switch leg identification for switches rated at 75A ( #6) or higher =P


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

BBQ said:


> There is no national standard for the colors used to identify voltages, *but i agree with 360 there should be*
> 
> In my area black red blue white is common for 208 volts and Brown Orange Yellow Gray for 480 but some areas use purple for one phase of 480.


:laughing::laughing::thumbup:


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-phase_electric_power

And I quote:

Alternative practice (usa):

L1: Brown
L2: Orange (delta), Violet (wye)
L3: Yellow

Notice Canada being mandatory?


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> That's pretty much the same as the places I have worked in the NY-NJ area as well.


 same here.. I dont think ive ever even seen purple being used for anything..


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

To mark conductors?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

We had every color known to man on control job. Pink,purple,striped, yellow striped grounds, gray neutrals you name it.


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## Prometheus (Jul 16, 2012)

The Bay area uses BOY for 277/480v WYE.

277/480v Delta high legs are marked purple, and are mainly put on the "C" phase.

120/208v installations with a 208v high leg have the high leg marked orange on the "B" phase.

Palo Alto, which has its own utility wants 120/208v Wye (no high leg) marked Brown, purple, yellow. When I asked the inspector why, she said that under certain lighting conditions - such as red light - yellow and orange can look the same color, where as yellow and purple will still look different.

Red light is used some times so that when white light is switched back on, then the eyes do have to adjust, from one intensity, to the other --- (especially when the dancing girls come on...).


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Prometheus said:


> The Bay area uses BOY for 277/480v WYE.
> 
> 277/480v Delta high legs are marked purple, and are mainly put on the "C" phase.
> 
> ...


 

I love strippers too.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Prometheus said:


> ...When I asked the inspector why, she said that under certain lighting conditions - such as red light - yellow and orange can look the same color, where as yellow and purple will still look different....


 Maybe, but then under red light purple and brown will look like the same color, too. :laughing:

-John


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

BBQ said:


> There is no national standard for the colors used to identify voltages.
> 
> In my area black red blue white is common for 208 volts and Brown Orange Yellow Gray for 480 but some areas use purple for one phase of 480.


:jester::jester:NEC:jester::jester:
Why won't they make it code for typical voltage systems in the USA
(yeah, I know, its a design issue).


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## e_auge (Oct 6, 2012)

jrannis said:


> Only two things come from Texas, Steers and Violet tape


You left out the third. LOTS of work.


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## e_auge (Oct 6, 2012)

110.15 high leg marking. 4 wire delta with midpoint of 1 phase is grounded the conductor or busbar having the higher voltage shall be marked with orange. 
I have questioned why Houston and other Texas cities are using violet to replace the orange. I'm not for sure but I imagine its to not mislead someone into thinking its a high leg delta?


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## big2bird (Oct 1, 2012)

I built 2 post offices in the early 90's. They have their own color code in their specs. One phase is purple, I just don't remember which voltage/phase.:blink:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

The san francisco electrical code requires the use of violet [purple] instead of orange for the high leg.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

I see violet used for marking the travelers on a three way switches.


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

BennettElectric said:


> Here in rochester we do a lot of work for kodak (actually, it's more like renovating old kodak buildings for new customers). Anyway, kodak had their own code that had 277 phased brown, violet, and orange. No idea why, but seems like a lot of big industrial customers like to have their own codes.


Old "Lucent technologies" in reading pa had violet but dont rem which phase!


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

This was in a plant i did work in, the also had blk grn white on a 480v vfd output!


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## Amish Electrician (Jan 2, 2010)

Where the rest of the trade has the practice of brown-orange-yellow for 480, our San Francisco friends mandate, by city ordinance, brown-violet-yellow.

Personally, I use violet for marking switch legs and travellers. While not a code requirement, I'll use violet for switch legs from 'blue' circuits and pink for switch legs from 'red' circuits. Or, if I have the lights in a room divided between two switches, one switch leg will be pink and the other violet.


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## danielplace1962 (Mar 24, 2014)

Palm Beach County, Fl.

Was always Brown Orange Yellow for 277/480 but they decided the orange could be mistaken as a high leg of 120/240 system so they replace the Orange with Purple instead.

277/480Y

A phase BROWN
B " PURPLE (this one always used to be orange)
C " YELLOW 

120/240
A Phase BLACK
B " RED
C " ORANGE High Leg


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## RandyM (Apr 5, 2012)

Here in Lincoln NE its Brown Orange Purple Gray (University) or Brown Orange Yellow gray. 

Yellow was used for emergency , exit lights before battery backup fixtures came about.

Then, black, Red, Blue, White for 120/208.

120/240, high leg is Orange. Then the other phases are black & Blue. 

This is typical, but test it.


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## Cl906um (Jul 21, 2012)

On a three way I use purple for travelers and pink for switched. If I don't have the wire, I use the next color in black red blue, or brown orange yellow and put a wrap of pink or purple tape at junction or switch to denote each with thes colors. Guess its not as common as I thought..


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## Cl906um (Jul 21, 2012)

TOOL_5150 said:


> The san francisco electrical code requires the use of violet [purple] instead of orange for the high leg.


And a rainbow flag with a bear in leather with a ball gag. :laughing:


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

I see purple occasionally for 480V three-phase wiring. Mostly in branch circuits, though.


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