Colour standard for 2 way switch

[johnny2007]

Out of curiosity.
Recently I have opened quite a few 2 way switches and never found the same setup colour wise.
Some have Brown-Common, Grey-L1 and Black-L2.
Others Black-Common, Brown-L1 and Grey L2.
And any other possible combination.
I suppose that as long as Black and Grey are sleeved in brown and all wires are matching in both switches, it doesn't matter.
But is there an official standard in the regulations?

 

[EFLImpudence]

But is there an official standard in the regulations?

No.

Wires just have to be 'identified'.

I would use Brown/Red for the Permanent Lives throughout but other people do not even seem to do that.

 

[johnny2007]

I suppose that anyone looking for a permanent live would use a multimeter rather than rely on colours
Or maybe not...

 

[EFLImpudence]

I suppose that anyone looking for a permanent live would use a multimeter rather than rely on colours
Or maybe not...

Well, yes you have to.

Even if there were a standard, you still would not be wise to rely on it having been followed.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

I have also come across blue cables with black sleeving ???..........

 

[JohnW2]

I have also come across blue cables with black sleeving ???..........

I suppose one could just about understand the thinking behind that it a predominantly 'old colours' installation !

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

I have also come across blue cables with black sleeving ???..........

Neutrals in an old colour system, I would hope.

 

[SUNRAY]

I would use Brown/Red for the Permanent Lives throughout but other people do not even seem to do that.

I alway install with brown permanent live when possible but other seem to drift towards brown common.

 

[SUNRAY]

Neutrals in an old colour system, I would hope.

Or 3 phase

 

[SUNRAY]

No.

Wires just have to be 'identified'.

I would use Brown/Red for the Permanent Lives throughout but other people do not even seem to do that.

I came across one electrician who used the black/blue for perm line on switch drops to leave the red/brown as SL. I couldn't fault his reasoning but I wouldn't do it.

 

[JohnW2]

I came across one electrician who used the black/blue for perm line on switch drops to leave the red/brown as SL. I couldn't fault his reasoning but I wouldn't do it.

What exactly was his "reasoning"? Provide the black/blue is appropriately over-sleeved, both approaches are equally acceptable to the regs.

Many of us adopt conventions for (our own) 'convenience', but there are no rules. Like EFLI, I find it more logical (hence my personal convention) to use red/brown for the conductor which is 'always live', but others (like the person you mention) may feel that the opposite is more appropriate.

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

What exactly was his "reasoning"? Provide the black/blue is appropriately over-sleeved, both approaches are equally acceptable to the regs.

Many of us adopt conventions for (our own) 'convenience', but there are no rules. Like EFLI, I find it more logical (hence my personal convention) to use red/brown for the conductor which is 'always live', but others (like the person you mention) may feel that the opposite is more appropriate.

Kind Regards, John

Just that the colours of the pendant flex matched the fixed wiring.

 

[JohnW2]

Just that the colours of the pendant flex matched the fixed wiring.

Oh, fair enough - I suppose that is reasonably logical at that location. I think 'my convention' is more related to what happens at the switch end - when it seems more logical to me that the conductor which is 'always live' (which I might, for example, want to link to another switch) should be brown. However, as said, it really doesn't matter.

Kind Regards, John

 

[johnny2007]

I came across one electrician who used the black/blue for perm line on switch drops to leave the red/brown as SL. I couldn't fault his reasoning but I wouldn't do it.

Yes, I've seen this myself, without any sleeves.
Easy to see in a ceiling rose though, but still, I wouldn't do this and I'm not an electrician.

 

[ericmark]

I remember two red cores and earth, think there was a three red core and earth, but when the colours changed have not seen twin brown or three brown and earth although they would be the correct colours, but having the phase colours even if the installation is single phase does allow one to follow the colours switch to switch although all should have brown or red sleeves.

In the UK we had red, yellow, blue, in rest of Europe it was brown, black, black, when we harmonised and we got the grey wire not sure if it helped or hindered the European electrician as they had not bothered with keeping the phase rotation, and I know I have been caught out using a phase rotation meter when the rest of the factory was wrong.

But you can't have a colour code for the correct three brown wires, they are all the same colour, so when one uses the wrong colours you clearly also can't have a colour code, personally I am glad we use three colours for two way switching, it does make it easier, but not sure on using blue for the switch wires, so many people jump to the conclusion it must be neutral when its not.

Fitting sleeves or numbers and letters is all well and good when using ferrules so they can't fall off, but without the ferrule one must realise they will fall off unless shrink is used, and domestic electricians don't tend to have hot air guns or ferrule crimpers in their tool kit.