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I think what wireman ment was that there is know code that say you must use certain
colors for 120 to 480
the only thing on colors is for high legs
grounded and grounding conductors.
I could use brown for 120 and red for 480volt if i what two

Peter.


We have, but I do not agree it makes things easer.

Try having all the right color combinations on hand.

Brown, Orange, Yellow.

Brown Gray

Orange Gray

Yellow Gray.

Etc.

Nick


210.4(D) only applies to the conductors of a multi-wire circuit, not to the building as a whole.

Straight three phase circuits, two wire circuits or feeders are not required to be identified at all.

It happens when we pipe and pull we do color code everything, but in general there is no requirement to.

Bob

Bob,
True, but a vary large portion of a building fits the multi-wire branch circuit definition. I don't think I have ever seen it followed. And I agree doing this in MC cable is an inventory nightmare. I have had to do it per spec. Sorry to get off topic.

Nick go off topic all you want, it is all electrical as far as I am concerned.

A lot of our work is multiwire branch circuits, and if done in MC the requirement gets ignored just as you say.

Bob

And by the way, nice PVC work.

No offense meant, but this shouldn't happen. I'm a bit worried by the opinions in this thread: "It's 277V" is no excuse. It should be no different compared to a 120V system. If things like this happen from time to time, something is seriously wrong.

C-H No offense taken at all.

But I do not understand your statement.

Are you saying mistakes should not happen?

Or that the breaker should open quicker?

What would be your solution to either of these?

Bob

Bob,

I should have said "easier to identify." It just seems like a great idea (color coded MC cable) but apparently not easy to implement. Oh well...

Peter

Hi Peter, it does sound great at first but it is tough to have the right cable always on hand.

We have some strict company rules, one of these is the color coding and marking of all junction boxes.

As an example all 277 lighting J box covers will be yellow, 120 lighting green.

A J box cover with 277 emergency lighting inside will be 1/2 orange 1/2 yellow.

We have a list of about 7 colors we use to identify deferent voltages and systems.

We also use a sharpie to write the panel and circuit on the cover.

Bob

iwire you go around painting boxes?
that is a good way to do things for you and your company. Most of the time the specs
will say how thay want it done .Like on my job i have to paint all fire alarm boxes
red and also the pipe.What i would like to know is do you give the owner's a copy of what the colers stand for?

As an example all 277 lighting J box covers will be yellow, 120 lighting green


Green is for ground can you paint the box that color? I seen someware that if you
used a green wire nut on hot conductors
that it would not be to code. So would that be saying it is all grounds inside?

Generally we spray paint a ton of box covers ahead of time.

We always have spray paint, the same colors are used to paint the circuit numbers on the floor where cables need to be pulled to.

When te cables are pulled and coiled at the ceiling waiting for walls the coils are tagged and yes hit with the color spray paint.

By the way the tags on the cables with circuit numbers are made of colored electric tape matching the color code.

No inspector I am aware of has a problem with green box covers and I do not know of any NEC rule that prohibits this.

No I do not think the color code gets turned over but with the circuit numbers on the boxes 'breaking the code' is not rocket science.

Bob