Colour code the switch lines in lighting circuit
- Thread starter Sureitsoff?
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Here’s an actual photo of that regulation.
See how easy it is to provide proof to support a statement when it’s not just made up?
All literally true but, in many situations, a circular argument which makes it all a bit silly, in practice - since, in those situations (like light switches), the concept of the colours and/or oversleeving is probably only going to be understood by those who do not actually need the information which those 'identifications' provide.
... it's a bit like those (in my opinion) silly stickers warning about "colours to two different versions of BS7671". Those who understand what it means do not need to be told/warned, whereas very few others have a clue as to what it is talking about, so that the 'warning' means nothing to them
Kind Regards, John
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Mine was a screenshot of a PDF, so almost as good as a photo to demonstrate how easy it is to 'prove' something!
Kind Regards, John
All literally true but, in many situations, a circular argument which makes it all a bit silly, in practice - since, in those situations (like light switches), the concept of the colours and/or oversleeving is probably only going to be understood by those who do not actually need the information which those 'identifications' provide.
... it's a bit like those (in my opinion) silly stickers warning about "colours to two different versions of BS7671". Those who understand what it means do not need to be told/warned, whereas very few others have a clue as to what it is talking about, so that the 'warning' means nothing to them
Kind Regards, John
My opinion is that a blue sleeved brown may make even the most inexperienced person just stop and think for a moment that the sleeving must be there for a reason whether they understand it or not, rather than just seeing a blue wire which they automatically assume to be a neutral.
Again the two colours sticker being absent when is required is a non compliance and would be recorded on the EICR but again the report would also reflect that this no compliance does not make the installation unsafe.
One of the first things I was taught at uni was that, in the real world, almost any statement containing words such as "may" and "might" was very likely to be true (and statements containing words like "always", never", "all", "none" etc. were very unlikely to be true!) - so, on that basis, I cannot disagree with you.
However, your statement would not be relevant to anyone remotely 'experienced' (let alone 'trained'), so are you now suggesting that, at least in some situations, the requirement only exists because of 'the inexperienced'?
Whilst I agree with all that, I still think that, in this case, the requirement (well, the wording of the stickers) is verging on the ridiculous - since those who might benefit from being 'warned' are the very same ones who won't understand what it is saying. The wording might at least have been required to mention red/black vs. blue/brown, rather than "colours to two editions of BS7671", since everyone (including those who 'might need the warning') would at least then have understood what they were talking about!
Kind Regards, John
This could be read to mean that a "colours to two editions of BS7671" sticker should be placed at every interface where red/black meets brown/blue.
Please provide proof you did not make that and print it yourself.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Requirements-Electrical-Installations-Regulations-Eighteenth/dp/1785611704
You can buy your own copy here and see for yourself.
You can buy your own copy here and see for yourself.
It's a bit unclear what it means (given that, as below, there is a general requirement for all conductors to be indentified, at least at their terminations), but the regulation relating to the "two colours label" explicitly (and only) requires that the label "... shall be affixed at or near the appropriate distribution board with the following wording: ...". I'm therefore not really sure what it means!
HOWEVER, I have just now realised that RF and myself have been quoting the wrong regulation, with the effect that EFLI, RF and myself have probably been mis-representing what the regs actually say...
Regulation 514.1.3 (which talks about "except when there is no possibility of confusion"), quoted by RF and myself and implicitly referred to by EFLI, relates specifically (and only) to the interface between wiring in old and new colours.
As far as I can see, there is no corresponding "except when there is no possibility of confusion" clause in any of 514.4 or its sub-parts (which is the section relating to identification of conductors).
It therefore seems that, with the possible exception of interfaces between old and new colours (which, as above, would seem strange/confusing) there is, in general, NO actual provision in the regs for omission of identification of conductors "when there is no possibility of confusion".
My apologies for having been part of the creating of this confusion and possible 'mis-information'.
Kind Regards, John
However John, the brown sleeve on the blue conductor indicates this is functionally aLine conductor. Just look at 514.3.1(i) followed through to 514.4.4. FYI, if not present, I'm with RF and code it C3.
True professionalism.
Idiot yet again.
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