Circuit color coding

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tkirk911

Member
277/480 Volt 3 Phase Service. Taped conductors Brown / Orange / Yellow as any normal idiot would do. Inspector bounced it stating Orange is to only be used for "High Leg" only.

I was allowed to remove orange tape and leave black or tape another color.

Other than A.H.J. is there any other viable reason prohibiting per N.E.C.?

[ May 04, 2004, 07:12 AM: Message edited by: tkirk911 ]
 
charlie

charlie

Senior Member
Location
Indianapolis
Re: Circuit color coding

230.56 Service Conductor with the Higher Voltage to Ground. On a 4-wire, delta-connected service where the midpoint of one phase winding is grounded, the service conductor having the higher phase voltage to ground shall be durably and permanently marked by an outer finish that is orange in color, or by other effective means, at each termination or junction point.

The inspector was correct (I just had to say that) . . . as long as the service was "a 4-wire, delta-connected service where the midpoint of one phase winding is grounded". A 480Y/277 volt service is not this animal. Therefore, using BOY to mark the phasing is permitted by the NEC. :D
 
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bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Re: Circuit color coding

You can identify the high-leg with any color you want or leave it black and tag it "high-leg". As long as you effectiviely have identified it as "different" than the other two legs. Thats what "other effective means", means. On systems that are not 4-wire delta-connected, any and every color combination is allowed. (save green, white, etc...) BOY, and Black, Red, Blue are an industry wide practice, but not a requirment nor or they prohibited. :)
 
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jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Re: Circuit color coding

There are NEC usage restrictions only for these colors (not counting stripes):
White, Natural Gray, Grey, and Green.

230.56 says if you have a high-leg it must be orange (unless you have a precedence in your facility).

All school buses are yellow vehicles but not all yellow vehicles are school buses.
 
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tkirk911

Member
Re: Circuit color coding

Originally posted by charlie:
230.56 Service Conductor with the Higher Voltage to Ground. On a 4-wire, delta-connected service where the midpoint of one phase winding is grounded, the service conductor having the higher phase voltage to ground shall be durably and permanently marked by an outer finish that is orange in color, or by other effective means, at each termination or junction point.

The inspector was correct (I just had to say that) . . . as long as the service was "a 4-wire, delta-connected service where the midpoint of one phase winding is grounded". A 480Y/277 volt service is not this animal. Therefore, using BOY to mark the phasing is permitted by the NEC. :D
Click to expand...

[ May 03, 2004, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: tkirk911 ]
 
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tkirk911

Member
Re: Circuit color coding

Charlie---I think you may have misunderstood me. I have a 277/ 480 volt system....B.O.Y. was not accepted.Orange had to be removed..
 
brian john

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
Re: Circuit color coding

277/480 Volt 3 Phase Service. Taped conductors Brown / Orange / Yellow as any normal idiot would do.

Why would you say an idiot? I have seen BOY, YBO, BYO and does that make the person not following your BOY an idiot? As I have stated here before rotation, rotation, rotation...and try to keep the colors the same through out.

I have been involved in too many projects where the electricians make distribution system changes and rely on their NEC mandated color scheme (One I seemed to have missed) when equipment does not operate We find the ROTATION wrong.

Earlier this summer a contractor I do work for was installing a UPS with full maintenance bypass (also refered to as a wrap around bypass) they went for color and did not test for rotation and phasing. When they turned on the UPS bypass....well it was costly for them.........

What happened up stream another contractor at sometime had changed color and the two different sources ( from same service) were out of phase/rolled.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Re: Circuit color coding

Brian, they closed the bypass without ever doing some simple voltage checks, as in line to load on each phase of the bypass. :roll:
 
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jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Re: Circuit color coding

Tom,

I knew that natural gray was changed in the 2002 cycle, but some areas use older versions.
 
brian john

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
Re: Circuit color coding

There excuse was they did not have a Fluke/multimeter. I explained to them that their good old wiggy was more that adequate for the task. About a $10,000 mistake not including my after hours service call, freight to overnight the CB and labor to install.
 
C

cormier_paul

Member
Re: Circuit color coding

The 2005 NEC is adding in a new article 215.12 wich will include a chart for system color codeing. ROP#2-289
 
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