New consumer unit - Necessary to replace existing grey tails ?

vwes59 · Apr 19, 2022

Hi,
I'm getting conflicting stories about this, I wonder if someone could put this to bed once and for all.

I'm replacing a consumer unit in the next few days, and it currently has the common grey tails going from the isolator to the existing consumer unit, one is ,marked "L" then other marked "N". Inside the consumer unit it has the old colours showing of Red for Line and Black for Neutral.

Some have told me that I have to replace these tails with newer brown and blue tails, others have told me it's fine to leave as is, and yet a third has said there isn't an explicit regulation in BS7671 that covers this, except they have to be clearly identifiable.

I'll be honest and up front, that in the past I've left them as is, if they have been clearly identified with tape, letters and so on, if not I've labelled them or put coloured tape on, and only replaced them if the consumer unit has moved position or they were damaged.

If anyone could help with this that would be great, and if there is a specific reg or EICR requirement. I don't recall there being one.

SagaCU29 · Apr 19, 2022

Cant see a problem done it myself many times, correctly colour coded and not damaged so as to impair integrity then fine.

westward10 · Apr 19, 2022

They are existing conductors so the fact they are black and red is not important you do not have tape or sleeve them blue and brown.

richy3333 · Apr 19, 2022

Rubbish advice (not from the forum). Theres no need to change the tails unless you need to do so e.g. too short or the customer asks.

pc1966 · Apr 19, 2022

vwes59 said:
if there is a specific reg or EICR requirement. I don't recall there being one.

There is not. In fact the Best Practice Guide #4 on EICR explicitly states that "old colours" is not something that merits any code.

Yes, they should be identified correctly in some manner, and have to be suited to the new CU in terms of being long enough to fit without stress, etc.

Also you ought to use a proper gland for clamping (in no other clamp in the CU) but that is irrespective of the old/new argument!

snowhead · Apr 19, 2022

If there was a Reg that required all Red and Black tails to be replaced then that same reg would mean that all Red and Black wiring would also need to be replaced.

Get whoever says that the tails need to be replaced to show you the reg that applies.

brianmoooore · Apr 19, 2022

There's no problem installing NEW tails in the old colours, as long as they are identified by new colour sleeving at each end.

richy3333 · Apr 20, 2022

brianmoooore said:
There's no problem installing NEW tails in the old colours, as long as they are identified by new colour sleeving at each end.

Just curious as to who would do this? Who would have old 25mm tails after all this time?

brianmoooore · Apr 20, 2022

As it happens, I have. I have a 100m reel of 25mm2 grey/red that still has 20m or so left.
About 95m of 3mm red sleeving as well.

UNG · Apr 20, 2022

richy3333 said:
Just curious as to who would do this? Who would have old 25mm tails after all this time?

I've still got a bit of cable in various sizes in the old colours lying round some people might call it hoarding some might take as an indication of a developing medical condition

telectrix · Apr 20, 2022

UNG said:
I've still got a bit of cable in various sizes in the old colours lying round some people might call it hoarding some might take as an indication of a developing medical condition

nah, just a desire for the good old days when common sense overruled stupidity. brown/black/grey all grey in the dark. is it that the new colours are "gender neutral"? or some other fad created by the moronic society thay we are forced to live in these days?

7029 dave · Apr 20, 2022

I wish we could return to Red Black and Red Yellow Blue.
But then again not the way the domestic regime is, best leave the old colours in better days gone by.