Wiring old colours

UK electrical wiring colours have changed in the past so it is essential you can tell difference between old wiring colours and new colours. In this easy follow guide learn about the different types of electric cables and the new standard wiring colours and what each old black and red wire colour has now changed to. When terminated at lights sockets etc.

If you have old electrical wiring your colours will be different from current colours. There may be times when you need to know what colour is live.

Some years ago the colours on the live and neutral changed from .

The Amendment will specify new cable core colours for all new fixed wiring in electrical installations in the UK.

Full details of the changes can be found. The fixed installation colours of red phase and black neutral are replaced by brown phase and blue neutral, respectively. The new (harmonised) colour cables . Diagrams showing old colour wiring for UK electric plugs. UK, AC: The United Kingdom now follows the IEC AC wiring color codes.

Table below lists these along with the obsolete domestic color codes. For adding new colored wiring to existing old colored wiring see Cook. This is the standard format that will be used for the vast majority of your lighting circuit. They are wired so that operation of either switch will control the light. This arrangement is often found in stairways, with one switch upstairs and one switch downstairs or in long . The diagrams below shows the old cable colours.

If the cables in your circuits are Brown . COM or Common is the terminal to which the live core wire is attached - this is the brown wire (formerly red). The earth wire (whose yellow-and-green colour is unchanged) should be fixed to the earthing terminal of the light . Additional secondary sockets are wired off the master as shown above, the colour codes shown are the standar but may differ in some existing installations . During the transition perio either the old or new cable colour code, but not both, may be used. The flex to the lampholder will probably be brown and blue, as flex has been manufactured in . Cables used in domestic installation in the UK. The different types of domestic electric cables - colours , etc. This brings the UK more closely in line with three phase wiring practice in mainland Europe.

Please note that all electrical wiring and installation details given on diydata. An extension, alteration or repair to an existing single-phase installation should be wired in the colours of brown, blue and green and yellow. If any of these changes are made to an installation that in both the old and new wiring being present, a warning notice must be affixed at or near the appropriate distribution . Stocks of the old colours will be . For domestic installations the warning would be . Wiring is subject to safety standards for design and installation. Allowable wire and cable types and sizes are specified according to the circuit operating voltage and . Terminals, Wires colours of new style plastic line cord. T White wire to, B B B Red wire.

T Red wire to, B B B White wire. T Green wire to, B B B Blue wire . Some old appliances may have the old Black, Red and Green cable colours in the flex. These old cable colours should be connected thus:.