ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades International Wire Colour Codes

bonsoir pauluk

if you are talking about hardwired version?? if so in usa the colour codes are the same for both flex wire and hardwires. but flex wire are useally use the common colour codes

i will run it quick here for usa version: volia ici

120/240 v
L1=black
L2=red
L3=bleu
N=white
(note: for 240 delta will be marked orange colour on wild leg)
120/208 volts
same as above

277/480 volts system
L1=brown
L2=orange (sometime purple)
L3=yellow
N=grey or white(if white will marked 277vn)

for delta sans (without ground ) same as above with proper voltage as listed

for delta avce(with)ground
240v
L1=black
L2=red
L3=white (somecase will marked also)

480 v with ground
L1=brown
L2=orange or purple or yellow
L3=white or grey

those two item i mention above for delta ground it is grounded on "B"phase

merci marc

ps if i find more usa colour i will post it more or other member can help here too


merci marc

Sorry -- I didn't make my question clear enough. We already have just about all North American systems listed in the technical reference area.

I was asking Trumpy to add the fixed cable colors for Australia and NZ.

Australian fixed wiring colour code is as follows:
Single phase:
Red = Line/Active/Phase/Hot
Black = Neutral
Green/yellow = Earth/ground

3 Phase:
Red = L1
White = L2
Blue = L3
Black = Neutral
Green/yellow = Earth

I assume the same code applies in NZ, but you would need to check with Trumpy.

In older 3 phase Australian installations L2
is coloured yellow (like current UK standard), I don't know when the change to white was made.
Also green was used as earth on older installations.
Hope this is of help.

I have posted this information before but for the record South African fixed wiring is exactly as described for Australia by Dave.

Flex for single phase is the brown (live), blue (neutral), green/yellow (earth). As for three phase flex, I am not sure.

A note on conduit wiring. Black is always neutral and earth is either green or bare. Red is usually phase but I have seen brown used. For switched feeds and travellers, I have seen used brown, blue, white, yellow and pink.

opps sorry paul i didn't mean to go overboard about this one sorry about that and thanks for very instering colours codes with other countries


merci marc

One more addition to this endless thread: I got some info from a Swiss sparky on their color coding.
Current Swiss color coding:
Phases: all colors but blue and yellow-green
Neutral: Blue
Ground: Yellow-green.
Old colors:
Phases: all colors but yellow and yellow-red
Neutral: Yellow
Ground: Yellow-red
Swiss, is that correct?

Old Italian color coding: Whatever you feel like. Think a pink phase with blue polka dots is beautiful? Go for it!
Common agreement seems to be: L red, N green, Ground yellow.

Nah, pink phase with blue polka dots was in fashion last fall. The latest from Milan is blue phase with green stars...

Ok, let's go and find a manufacturer!

I got another, more detailed information on swiss color coding. Until about 1970 Phases red (R), green (S) and dark blue (T). N yellow. PE yellow-red until the 1950ies, later yellow-green. Phase after fuse often red. Switched phase often blue or green. Got you the following colors to a light fixture: Green, yellow-green and yellow. 3way travelers often white.
In the ca. 90ies introduction of blue neutral, ban of blue phase. Yellow seems to have died out. Phases red, black and white, after fuse often black. Switched neutral whatever, for example green, travelers green as well.

This really does go to show just how many different ideas there were about color coding, and probably on how the system with which we grew up always seems to be the most logical.

It's still quite incredible to most of us in the Anglo-Saxon world that anyone could conveive using red as ground, for example.

Here is the Russian colour code: (courtesy Igor Nikanov)

L1-yellow
L2-green
L3-red
N-blue
PE-yellow-green
PEN - blue-yellow-green