Brown and blue where plus. Wire colors - a hint for the correct connection

If the contacts are connected incorrectly by color, this can cause such adverse consequences as human injury. electric shock And .

The main purpose of color coding is to create safe conditions electrical work, as well as reducing the time it takes to find and connect contacts. Today, according to the PUE and existing European standards, each core has its own insulation color. About what color the wire is phase, zero, earth, we will talk further!

What does grounding look like?

According to the PUE, the insulation of the "earth" should be painted in a yellow-green tint. Please note that the manufacturer also applies yellow-green stripes to the ground wire in the transverse and longitudinal directions. In some cases, the shell may be pure yellow or pure green. On the wiring diagram grounding is usually denoted by the Latin letters "PE". Very often, "ground" is called zero protection, do not confuse it with zero worker (zero)!

Appearance Graphic image on the diagram

What does neutral look like?

In a three-phase and single-phase electrical network, the zero color should be blue or light blue. On the electrical circuit, "0" is usually denoted by the Latin letter "N". Zero is also commonly called a neutral or zero working contact!

Standard color Indication of the neutral on the wiring diagram

What does a phase look like?

The marking of the phase wire (L) by the manufacturer can be carried out in one of the following colors:

• the black;
• White;
• Gray;
• Red;
• Brown;
• Orange;
• purple;
• pink;
• turquoise.

Most often, the color of the phase wire is brown, black and white.

Sheath color Wiring diagram

It's important to know!

The color coding of wires in electrics has many features and often beginners are faced with questions such as:

• "What is the abbreviation PEN?";
• “How to find grounding, phase, zero, if the insulation is colorless or has a non-standard color?”;
• “How to independently indicate the phase, ground, zero?”;
• "What other standards exist for the color of the insulation?".

To all these questions, we will now briefly give a simple explanation!

What is PEN?

Today's outdated system grounding TN-C involves the use of a combination of neutral and ground. The advantage of such a system is the ease of electrical work. The disadvantage is the threat of electric shock at either the apartment.

The color of the combined wire is yellow-green (like PE), but at the same time, at the ends, the insulation has a blue color, characteristic of the neutral. On the electrical circuit, the combined contact is indicated by three Latin letters - "PEN".

Indication "PEN" on the wiring diagram

How to find L, N, PE?

So, you are faced with the following situation: during the repair of a household electrical network, it turned out that all the conductors were of the same color. How in this case to find out which wire means what?

If a single-phase network is presented without a "ground" (2 cores), then all you need is a special indicator screwdriver. With its help, you can easily determine where is 0 and where is the phase. About what we talked about. First, turn off the power supply on the shield. Next, we clean the two conductors and breed apart from each other. After that, turn on the electricity supply and carefully determine the phase / zero using the indicator. If, upon contact with the core, the light bulb lights up, this is a phase, respectively, the second core is zero.

In the event that the wiring has a ground wire, equipment such as a multimeter must be used. This device has two tentacles. First you need to set the measuring range alternating current over 220 volts. Next, we fix one tentacle on the phase contact, and with the help of the second tentacle we determine zero / ground. When in contact with 0, the multimeter will display a voltage value within 220 volts. If you touch the "ground" - the voltage will definitely be a little lower. A more intelligible one was provided in the corresponding article, which we recommend that you read!

There is another way to determine. If there is no multimeter and an indicator screwdriver at hand, then you can try to determine what color the wires L and N are by their insulation. In this case, remember that the blue shell is always ZERO. In any non-standard marking, the color of the zero does not change. The other two strands will be a bit more difficult to identify.

Associations first. You see the remaining color and black or white contact. In the old good times the ground was marked with black or white insulation. It is quite reasonable to assume that it is she, the remaining color - phase (L).

Second option. Zero, again, we immediately recline, there remains a red and black / white wire. If the insulation is white, then according to the PUE, this is a phase. So the remaining red is earth.

Please note that this method is extremely dangerous. If you decide to use it, be sure to make notes for yourself so that you don’t get an electric shock during either the outlet!

I would also like to note the very important nuance — in DC circuit color coding plus and minus is represented by black (-) and red (+) insulation color. As for the three-phase network (for example, on transformers), here all three phases have their own individual color: phase A is yellow, B is green, C is red. Zero, as usual, is blue, and ground is yellow-green. In the 380V cable, wire A is white, B is black, C is red. Zero working and protective conductors do not differ from the previous version of marking in colors.

How to specify L, N, PE yourself?

In the event that there is no visual designation or differs from the standard one, it is recommended to indicate all the elements yourself after repair work. To do this, you can use colored electrical tape or a special product - a heat shrink tube, also called cambric. According to requirements of the PUE, GOST and generally accepted recommendations, the indication of the cores must be carried out at the ends of the conductor - at the points of its connection with the bus (as shown in the photo).

Small notes on colors will facilitate repair and maintenance for both you and the electrician, who will probably repair the home electrical network after you! About that, we told in a separate article.

Existing Factory Standards

The designation of insulation changes slightly every decade, so it is possible this information You'll need it.

Until 2000, the following color marking of wires was used:

• white - N;
• black - PE;
• bright - L.

A few years after this standard, a significant change was made: PE was "repainted" in yellow green color(like now).

Thus, the products began to look like this:

• yellow-green wire - ground;
• black (and sometimes white) - neutral (N);
• bright - phase.

Color solutions

If for any reason you are confused between contacts, we bring to your attention detailed transcript marking of wires and cables by color, which today complies with European and domestic standards:

Wiring in buildings consists of insulated aluminum and copper wires. For convenient wiring, as well as for further cable maintenance, manufacturers use different colors to mark current-carrying cores in an electric cable.

Mounting wire

What colors are found

According to the Electrical Installation Rules (PUE), the insulating wiring material must have a color and be easily recognized by the master. The electrical cable usually has a three-core structure (phase, zero, ground), each wire is painted in a certain color. Now it is hard to believe that not so long ago the insulation of cable cores had only two colors: black and white. But, fortunately, with the introduction of new rules, color scheme changed drastically. Basically, the following colors are used for electrical wiring: white, black, red, blue (blue), yellow-green, brown shades. Let us consider in more detail which conductor corresponds to a particular color.

An illustrative example of colors for electrical conductors.

neutral

Zero conductor (neutral) usually blue or blue color. In the junction box, this wire is connected to the zero bus, which is marked with the Latin letter N. All blue wires. It should be noted that the zero wire combines two functions: working and protective zero. Protective wire zero too of blue color, and at the ends, i.e. at the joints, there are yellow-green stripes. Connects to the bus marked REN. It should be noted that generally accepted rules allow green stripes throughout the wire with blue terminations.

Scheme of a closed electrical circuit.

Ground wire

The ground conductor is yellow or green, or marked with stripes of that color throughout the cable. This conductor is connected to switchboard to the ground plate. In the junction box, the ground conductor is connected to ground wires coming from sockets and electrical appliances, such as lamps, for example. The earth conductor is not connected to the residual current device.

What does the ground wire look like?

Wire phase

The core responsible for the phase in electric wire, colored in different colors. It can be: black, brown, red, gray, purple, pink, white, orange, turquoise. Each manufacturer of electrical wires has the right to designate a phase conductor in one of these shades. Simply put, the main task of an electrician during the installation of the wiring of the room is to first determine the neutral wire and the ground wire, and the remaining wire will be the phase. In order to avoid electric shock, an electrician must check the wires with a special probe, most often it is presented in the form of a screwdriver.

What color are the wires in the cable?

How to color-code wires yourself

There are times when the wires have a non-standard color that differs from those listed in the PUE. In such situations, you can independently color-code the cable cores. To do this, we use colored electrical tape, which we mark the ends of the wires in the switchboard. Also for such purposes there is a special heat shrink tube, it is sometimes called cambric. After that, do not forget to write down your designations so that there is no confusion in the future.

Colored electrical tape to identify wires.
Heat shrink tube for wire insulation.

Video. What does a junction box look like in a residential area. How the color marking of wires has changed since the times of the USSR

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IN Lately color coding of wires has become very great importance during electrical work. The use of color codes for phase, zero or ground plays a very important role, as it reduces the possibility of incorrect wiring during repair work, as well as the possibility of injury due to electric shock.

Colors of electrical wires - how to figure it out?

There is some confusion among electricians now due to the constant change in the color marking of wires. For example, in the late 90s, the earth was designated in black, then this color began to denote zero. Now the reorientation to European designations of wires by color is in full swing. Therefore, we present them:

• Earth - indicated by a yellow-green wire (these colors can also be used separately)
• Zero - indicated in blue
• Zero, aligned with the ground - indicated by yellow-green and blue colors
• Phase - indicated by any other color, but most often white

In a three-phase network, tires and wires are marked in a slightly different way. Tires are indicated by the following colors: Phase A - yellow, phase B - green, phase C - red. Well, traditionally, the zero or neutral wire is indicated in blue, and the ground is yellow-green (in some cases, this bus can be painted black).

What color plus and minus

Another problem is determining the color marking of the plus and minus wires. In our country and in Europe, a black wire is always considered a minus, by default, respectively, white or red or any other shades are a plus. However, in the USA, the marking is completely opposite, where the white wire is a minus. Thus, if you want to determine where the plus is and where the minus is, you should look at the country of the manufacturer, or even better, ring each of the wires.

Additionally, it should be said about the modern letter and color designation of the phase, zero and earth. If you have a single-phase network, then the phase will be denoted by L by the first letter English word line. Zero is marked with the letter N (neutral), and the ground is marked with PE (Protect Erth). In cases where the neutral wire and ground are combined, it is designated PEN.

Note that color coding of wires by color throughout the entire length is not mandatory. To apply a clear marking, it is enough to mark the wire at the junction with the correct color. This can be done using multi-colored shrink tubes, which are simply mounted and last up to 20 years.

Although there are some problems with the accurate identification of wires at this transitional stage, color coding is already useful. In the future, if everyone adheres to the uniform GOST and PUE standards, everything will become even easier. So, now you can install the wires by color, and not engage in constant ringing to determine the phase and zero.

More clearly about the disconnection of cores electrical wires and their marking, see the video:

Modern installation of electrical wiring is impossible to imagine without the use of insulated wires. different colors. Color marking is not done for beauty, it is urgently needed in the electrification of objects. Color marking not only indicates the purpose of each individual wire in a common bundle for ease of connection, but also reduces the risk of wiring errors. Helps prevent the possibility short circuits during test switching on or electric shock during service and repair work on the network.

A certain choice of color marking is not accidental, but corresponds to the main standard - PUE. They are prescribed to identify wire cores by color or alphanumeric characters.

Color coding of electrical wires

Installation of lighting networks and power distribution to sockets is carried out using a cable with three conductors.

Multi-colored marking is applied to the entire length of the conductor. It is also possible to identify the ends of the cores and switching points using a multi-colored heat-shrinkable tube (cambric) or colored electrical tape.

We propose to consider how the color marking of conductors is carried out in electrical networks single-phase, three-phase and direct current.

The grounding conductor must be marked yellow-green. In switchboards (RShch), the "ground" must be connected to the ground bus, to the body or the metal door of the shield. In junction boxes, the connection is made to the ground wires of the fixtures and to the ground contacts in the sockets. The conductor of the "ground" does not need to be connected to a residual current device, therefore, the RCD is recommended to be installed only in those in residential premises where the "old-fashioned" wiring is made with two conductors.

Ground conductor

Zero (neutral)

The "zero" conductor is marked in blue. In the RSH, it is always connected to the zero bus, denoted by the Latin letter N. All blue conductors are connected to this terminal. The zero bus is connected to the electrical input through a metering device (electric meter) or directly, without additional use circuit breaker. In the junction box, all conductors (except the conductor from the switch) of blue color (neutral) are connected together and do not take part in switching the voltage. For three-pole sockets, blue conductors are connected to the contacts marked with the Latin letter N, marked on the back of the socket.

Conductor "zero"

Phase

To designate a "phase" wire, brown, black, red, or even white colors. In the house switchboard, the phase conductor going to the load consumer is connected to the bottom contact of the RCD or circuit breaker. In switches lighting fixtures the phase conductor is switched, when turned on, the contacts close and the voltage is supplied to the consumer. In phase sockets, the black wire must be connected to the contact marked with the Latin letter L.

With regret, it is worth noting the fact that at present, many electricians, when conducting wiring, are guided by old standards. After that, other electricians, when carrying out service or repair work, have to look for "phase" and "zero" using probes.

Phase wire designations

If it is not possible to purchase conductors of the required colors, cables of various colors can be used. It is important that at the ends of the strands they are correctly marked using heat shrink tubing or colored electrical tape.

Watch a video about the types of wires and cables:

To facilitate the installation of electrical wiring, the cables are made with multi-colored wire markings. Installation of a lighting network and power supply to sockets involves the use of a cable with three wires.

The use of this color system significantly reduces the time for repairs, connecting sockets and. Also, this scheme minimizes the requirements for the qualification of the installer. This means that almost any adult man is able to carry out, for example, the installation of a lamp.

In this article, we will look at how ground, zero and phase are designated. As well as other color markings of wires.

Ground Color

The color of the ground wire, "ground" - almost always marked in yellow-green, windings are less common as completely yellow color, and light green. The wire may be marked "PE". You can also find green-yellow wires marked "PEN" and with a blue braid at the ends of the wire at the attachment points - this is grounding combined with neutral.

In the switchboard (RSH) it is worth connecting to the ground bus, to the body and the metal door of the shield. As for the junction box, there the connection goes to the ground wires from the lamps and from the ground contacts of the sockets. The "ground" wire does not need to be connected to the RCD (residual current device), in connection with this, the RCD is installed in houses and apartments, since usually the wiring is done with only two wires. Grounding designation on the diagrams:

Conventional ground(1) Clear ground(2) Safety ground(3) Chassis ground(4) DC ground(5)

Color zero, neutral

Zero wire - must be of blue color. In the switchboard, it must be connected to the zero bus, which is indicated by the Latin letter N. All blue wires must be connected to it. The bus is connected to the input by means of a meter or directly, without additional installation machine. In the distribution box, all wires (except for the wire from the switch) of blue color (neutral) are connected and do not participate in switching. To the sockets, the blue “zero” wires are connected to the contact, which is indicated by the letter N, which is marked on reverse side sockets.

Phase color

The designation of the phase wire is not so clear. It can be either brown, or black, or red, or other colors. except blue, green and yellow. In the apartment switchboard, the phase wire coming from the load consumer is connected to the lower contact of the circuit breaker or to the RCD. In the switches, the phase wire is switched, during shutdown, the contact closes and voltage is supplied to consumers. In phase sockets, the black wire must be connected to the contact, which is marked with the letter L.

How to find ground, neutral and phase in the absence of a designation

If there is no color marking of the wires, then it is possible to determine the phase, upon contact with it, the screwdriver indicator will light up, but not on the neutral and ground wires. You can use a multimeter to find ground and neutral. We find the phase with a screwdriver, fix one contact of the multimeter on it and “probe” the other contact of the wire, if the multimeter showed 220 volts, this is neutral, if the values ​​\u200b\u200bare below 220, then grounding.

Letter and number wire markings

The first letter "A" denotes aluminum as the core material, in the absence of this letter, the core is copper.

The letters "AA" denote a multi-core cable with an aluminum core and an additional braid of it.

"AC" is indicated in the case of an additional lead braid.

The letter "B" is present if the cable is waterproof and it has an additional double-layer steel braid.

"Bn" cable braid does not support combustion.

"B" PVC sheath.

"G" does not have a protective shell.

"g" (lowercase) naked waterproof.

"K" control cable wrapped with wire under the top sheath.

"R" rubber sheath.

"HP" non-flammable rubber sheath.

Wire colors abroad

The color marking of wires in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Singapore, Kazakhstan, China, Hong Kong and in the countries of the European Union is the same: Ground wire - Green-yellow

Neutral wire - blue

phases are marked with different colors

The neutral designation is black in South Africa, India, Pakistan, England, but this is the case with old wiring.

currently neutral blue.

In Australia, it can be blue and black.

In the USA and Canada it is designated as white. Also in the USA you can find gray markings.

The ground wire is yellow, green, yellow-green everywhere, and in some countries it may be without insulation.

Other wire colors are used for phases and may be different, except for the colors indicating other wires.