What colour panel lamps to indicate phases?

[Mark42]

I’m making breakout (‘Distro’) boxes to distribute power from three phase sockets in my workshop to clients’ temporarily-installed single phase equipment.

My question, given that I want to have pilot lights on the boxes to both confirm supply and to indicate from across the room which sockets are which, is what colour lamps would you use?

The Red Yel Blu I’ve used so far looks pretty, but feels so retro as to be wrong. Brn Blk Grey is silly (!) and all one colour doesn’t give an indication from afar which phase is in use.

What do others do these days, on big distribution panels and the like?

 

[Pete999]

I’m making breakout (‘Distro’) boxes to distribute power from three phase sockets in my workshop to clients’ temporarily-installed single phase equipment.

My question, given that I want to have pilot lights on the boxes to both confirm supply and to indicate from across the room which sockets are which, is what colour lamps would you use?

The Red Yel Blu I’ve used so far looks pretty, but feels so retro as to be wrong. Brn Blk Grey is silly (!) and all one colour doesn’t give an indication from afar which phase is in use.

What do others do these days, on big distribution panels and the like?

View attachment 56121

Three white lamps if you see one out investigate, why bother with colours, (can you get black, brown or grey coloured lamps? lol)

 

[Mark42]

Three white lamps if you see one out investigate, why bother with colours, (can you get black, brown or grey coloured lamps? lol)

Sorry, I didn't explain in full. This is a remote building with a limited supply.
I rent it on a day rate to specialist engineering companies for research and trials. They bring in loads of single phase tools and gear. I have to be careful with load balancing across the phases so the whole lot doesn't trip because too much is plugged into one individual phase.

When helping set up, it's useful to see what is plugged into what phase just by glancing across the room, hence the distro boxes and pretty lamps.

 

[Strima]

I'd just go with RYB.

 

[ruston]

Yes , a brown black and grey lamp will be very impressive and clear.

 

[Mark42]

I'd just go with RYB.

That, of course, is exactly what I did.
But I just know some annoying bloke is going to say on-site, 'That's wrong, you've used the old colours'...

 

[ruston]

That, of course, I exactly what I did.
But I just know some annoying bloke is going to say on-site, 'That's wrong, you've used the old colours'...

Just tell them you had the new colours but you can't find them.

 

[snowhead]

Use White and write 1, 2, 3 behind the lense (so it won't rub off) with black marker.

 

[static zap]

, 'That's wrong, you've used the old colours'...

Mention you suspect he is a bit naff at science / engineering
How are we going to get Black Light -- (UV .. just confusing )
A complete contradiction .....

(insert mathematician missed safety/simplicity point & got flattened on zebra proving Black and White stripes are equal)

 

[freddo]

You could do it in the new colours, use 3 white lamps and fit an appropriate colour thin paper disk under the lens. The black one might look a bit strange though....

Stick with the cool old colours!
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Out of interest, what are the enclosures you are using? The handle is a nice feature.

 

[h901]

Use mini LEDs and
Have one LED for one
Two LEDs for two
Three LEDs for three

 

[davesparks]

Out of interest, what are the enclosures you are using? The handle is a nice feature.

Rubber boxes like that are available from a few places, essential supplies or distribution zone off the top of my head.
Pre-made distribution boxes are available from rubber box or a number of other companies

 

[Mark42]

Out of interest, what are the enclosures you are using? The handle is a nice feature.

Rubber boxes like that are available from a few places, essential supplies or distribution zone off the top of my head ...

Spot on! I got them from Distribution Zone. Not cheap at fifty quid a pop, but nice quality. It's a lot cheaper to make your own distro boxes than to buy ready-made.
I added an appliance inlet so there's no permanently-attached lead and they hang on the wall nicely. You then plug in a long or short extension lead as needed, to act as the supply cable. And boxes can be daisy-chained if needed as well.

Distribution Zone: Empty rubber boxes
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Use mini LEDs and
Have one LED for one
Two LEDs for two
Three LEDs for three

That's an imaginative solution, I like it.

I don't like it enough to actually do it though , as I still prefer the familiarity and simplicity of RYB, but it's a nice idea, especially if the L3 three were in a triangle, so there's a pattern to recognise as well: Spot - Line - Triangle.

 

[davesparks]

Spot on! I got them from Distribution Zone. Not cheap at fifty quid a pop, but nice quality.

We use distribution zone a lot, they are only about 1/2 hour down the road from us and the couple who run the company are great people.