With all the talk of the new European color code, I thought it might be fun to come up with some un-harmonized (dischordant? ) color codes as a little light relief.

What I have in mind is devising a new color code which will create the maximum amount of confusion for everybody concerned.

Let's see, Anglo-Saxon countries have always used red as a phase, while Germanic-influenced areas associate it with ground. I propose, therefore, that red should be our new color for neutral, as neither group will expect that!

How about black as the protective earth? British areas assume it to be neutral while almost everywhere else uses it as a phase, so that should make for some interesting mistakes.

I think phase colors would be ideal if based around green. All of Europe uses green/yellow as an earth now, so clearly that should be a phase color in the new standard, and I propose plain green as the second phase to confuse those of us who grew up with that. The third phase should ideally be something which is difficult to distinguish from the others in dim lighting. How about green with a white stripe?

So, I propose:

Ground = Black
Neutral = Red
Phases = Green/yellow, green, green/white.

Let's hear some more suggestions!

Green phase is not confusing enough for the Swiss. HV distribution colors in Switzerland once were red, green and blue. Switched 220V phases were green too. And 15kV distribution stuff in Germany/Austria used to have yellow purple and green.
Why not a purple ground?
You could have yellow, yellow-green and green as phase colors. In fact such a combination could be seen in Switzerland, but it's confusing enough. (A light fixture could have green switched phase, yellow neutral and green-yellow ground).
The Russians had black grounds and the French had white ones.

All this talk of different colours is divisive and not politically correct. It is not right that certain tasks are reserved for exclusively for one shade or hue and I therefore propose that all wires used in electrical reticulation are a uniform grey. No-one needs to feel, snubbed, shunned or rejected and an added side effect is that it will raise the average IQ of Europe by removing from the gene pool those Euro-citizens who are no longer too sure about what they were doing.

Those expert electricians who could still cope with this chromatological equality could probably charge considerably more for their services as DIY would become less popular and there may be fewer practicing electricians.

Gray is acceptable as a neutral in the NEC though, this would give North American electricians an unfair advantage.

With regard for the DIY darwin mob also..I propose bare for phase and neutral,(separate PVC conduits obviously) but due to the use of bare for ground/earth in many places, it can't be used in the confusing standard, therefore I propose clear insulated grounding wires with bare phase and neutral...

and 3 phase?.. too simple, all commercial/industrial supplies will now be DC only...

Assymetric DC, mind you: 145-0-225V

ROTFL!

And some systems will have a +145V side and a -225V side while others will be -145 and +225, just to keep everyone on their toes!

LOL! You lot...Honestly!!

I propose 'rainbow' conductor sheaths and grey outer. All the colours of the rainbow ( within reason ) changing throughout the length of the cable - so you haven't a "£$%^& clue what colour it will be at any one point that you cut into the cable!

Now THAT would be interesting

As a girl i propose a lovely shade of baby pink for phase how about that much more pleasing to the eye. annemarie

In fact in most countries you could just do that if you find pink wire anywhere. Only yellow and green are outright banned because they could be confused with yellow/Green. I faintly remember 7-conductor flex with colours such as orange and pale pink (think pink mentos).