UK cable 1mm coloured red blue yellow -- what is it?

[WilcoxElec]

could it by any chance be the 3 core red/blue/white of the 70s which had no cpc(earth),maybe the white has discoloured a bit.clutching at straws but that most definetly had no earth.

No, definitely solid yellow - that is what attracted attention, we use loads of different colours for live and returns in France when wires are put in ICA/ICTA tubing in the structure of buildings (the multicoured runs can look quite pretty) , but yellow is not one of them, we can use white so long as we call it Ivoire (Ivory coloured) - and older electriciens like to use lots of that for old times sake... (white and blue is like your red and black to the old hands ).

 

[Engineer54]

No, definitely solid yellow - that is what attracted attention, we use loads of different colours for live and returns in France when wires are put in ICA/ICTA tubing in the structure of buildings (the multicoured runs can look quite pretty) , but yellow is not one of them, we can use white so long as we call it Ivoire (Ivory coloured) - and older electriciens like to use lots of that for old times sake... (white and blue is like your red and black to the old hands ).

So much for the European cable/wire colour harmonization then ...lol!!!

 

[WilcoxElec]

So much for the European cable/wire colour harmonization then ...lol!!!

Well, the cables colours are harmonised --- now that the UK uses the same as averyone else - yellow/green light blue brown grey black .... :smiley2:

 

[telectrix]

So much for the European cable/wire colour harmonization then ...lol!!!

what harmonization? it's only the UK that abides by stupid european rules. i say get out of the EU, flood the tunnel,
raise the drawbridge.

 

[Des 56]

How they came up with Brown/Black/Grey boggles the mind

In my opinion Red/Yellow/Blue would be the choice of Electricians actually tasked with using these strange,unsuitable shades of gods knows what they have lumbered the industry with
What numpties I wonder chose Grey has a phase colour ?:90:

 

[telectrix]

and black

 

[Engineer54]

How they came up with Brown/Black/Grey boggles the mind

In my opinion Red/Yellow/Blue would be the choice of Electricians actually tasked with using these strange,unsuitable shades of gods knows what they have lumbered the industry with
What numpties I wonder chose Grey has a phase colour ?:90:

Agree, ....at least you could easily distinguish between the old phase colours in bad/low lighting conditions, that's now neigh on impossible!! lol!!

 

[Engineer54]

Well, the cables colours are harmonised --- now that the UK uses the same as averyone else - yellow/green light blue brown grey black .... :smiley2:

we use loads of different colours for live and returns in France

​

So what's this all about then?? Where's the harmonisation here?? ...lol!!

 

[Victor]

It would be interesting to see the French version of our BS7671 Wiring Regs!

How good is your French, I can send you a copy if you wish.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Thanks for the offer Victor.
My French is virtually non existent, but, I assume it's a virtual copy, please send.
I might be going over soon so I can take it with me.
The locals do some lovel cider where this house is.

 

[WilcoxElec]

​

So what's this all about then?? Where's the harmonisation here?? ...lol!!

Cables cannot be buried into the structure of buildings - so ICT/ICTA tubing is used with runs of single conductors (H07) for the circuits. 2.5mm section for sockets 1.5 for lighting 6mm for cookers and hot plates and so on. For a new-build the tubing is prewired at a workshop and so you get junction boxes to go into the loft space with a number of ICTA tubes running off which are run down inside the walls - which we call an octopus (pieuvre) .... Hopefully the wires are all well labelled - but when you are making up runs yourself - if you have various coulours you can make life easier and faster. Most use violet and orange pairs for the wires which run between the two poles of two two way switches say, and black and brown for the returns from switches to lights or from push buttons to telerupteurs or whatever.... leaving red and blue to be used as the supply live and neutral.

 

[WilcoxElec]

We French electriciens are used to working in the dark. :cheesy:

 

[Victor]

We were quite happy with Black & Red wires until.......

We still are here in France.........They are both live

 

[Victor]

So much for the European cable/wire colour harmonization then ...lol!!!

Harmonization!!!!!! don't be silly, this is France, they do what they want when they want, not even Mme Merkel can tell them what to do

 

[Engineer54]

Harmonization!!!!!! don't be silly, this is France, they do what they want when they want, not even Mme Merkel can tell them what to do

I know!! lol!! I was on the Saudi MOH regional GH150/200 bed hospital project where the main contractor for several of these remote hospitals were French!!

All i can say is that they had to pull out an awful lot of initial wiring very early on in the project. They completely disregarded the contract specifications and wired to what THEY considered was correct. They didn't even follow their own submitted and subsequently approved for construction drawings ...lol!!

They did learn very quickly though, ...that they weren't going to get away with the usual French contract intimidation, that they always seem to try on at the start of projects. It cost them a good few bob getting it done right and almost cost them late stage penalty charges... lol!!

 

[Engineer54]

Cables cannot be buried into the structure of buildings - so ICT/ICTA tubing is used with runs of single conductors (H07) for the circuits. 2.5mm section for sockets 1.5 for lighting 6mm for cookers and hot plates and so on. For a new-build the tubing is prewired at a workshop and so you get junction boxes to go into the loft space with a number of ICTA tubes running off which are run down inside the walls - which we call an octopus (pieuvre) .... Hopefully the wires are all well labelled - but when you are making up runs yourself - if you have various coulours you can make life easier and faster. Most use violet and orange pairs for the wires which run between the two poles of two two way switches say, and black and brown for the returns from switches to lights or from push buttons to telerupteurs or whatever.... leaving red and blue to be used as the supply live and neutral.

Sorry, but that is NOT under any stretch of the imagination, a harmonized cable/wire colour identification system. On a building wiring installation, the recognised colour coding should be utilised throughout, not left to workshop personnel or the on-site electrician to decide what colours to use for what!!

Your ''Octopus'' wiring system for domestic installations came and went in the 70's in the UK!! lol!! I do like and approve of your push button operated pulse relay lighting systems. Trouble is that to incorporate in the UK, would mean substantially larger and adaptable CU/DB's that in many domestic instances, would prove difficult to accommodate...

 

[WilcoxElec]

recognised colour coding should be utilised throughout, not left to workshop personnel or the on-site electrician to decide what colours to use for what!! ..

Quite right! But it is what I learnt --- choice of colours depends on what spools got loaded into the van...... - within the constraints of what is permitted... actually spools of colours other than red blue green/yellow -- I have noticed -- are often a few centimes cheaper - .......

 

[Victor]

Quite right! But it is what I learnt --- choice of colours depends on what spools got loaded into the van...... - within the constraints of what is permitted... actually spools of colours other than red blue green/yellow -- I have noticed -- are often a few centimes cheaper - .......View attachment 12838

I hate to say this, but this phote does not meet French regs as there is only one Interrupteur Differential (RCD). I have just been picked up on a Consuel inspection for only having 3 on a house of over 100sqm. The inspector said that there should be 4, even though it was a 3 phase installation.

Totally over the top if you ask me.

 

[Engineer54]

Anyone fancy a CU/DB approaching this sort of size in their house?? lol!!!

Just trying to work out why you would need two socket outlets mounted in the DB?? lol!!

 

[nickblake]

thank god i live in the uk lol thought violot was for cables up to 50 volts