Can You Connect a Blue and White Wires Together
Solved! What 12 Different Electric Wire Colors Really Mean
Wiring a low-cal fixture or new appliance? Don't be dislocated by the number of electrical wire colors you lot find—nosotros've got just the guide to aid you decipher their color coding.
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Q: I'm replacing the heating chemical element in my electrical water heater. The wires running to the element are black and white, but the white wire is wrapped with red record. I'm confused—I thought white was always considered a "neutral" wire. What do these electric wire colors mean, and what would the red tape indicate?
A: You lot're right, white sheathing does generally indicate a neutral wire, simply it'due south non always so simple to decipher. In this case, your water heater is probably wired with two-wire flexible armor-clad "BX" or "MC" cablevision—that'southward a factory-made cablevision with a metal jacket protecting a black, white, and blank copper wire. Thehot or "alive" conductor sheathed in blackness typically carries ability to a 110-volt light or receptacle, while aneutral conductor would carry energy away and a bare copper ground wire can conduct any excess energy that might otherwise exist a stupor or fire hazard.
However, when sized appropriately for the load, two-wire armored cables tin can also be used to provide power to 220-volt appliances like a h2o heater or well pump, which is where things get catchy. Since those appliances don't require a neutral but use two current-conveying conductors and a ground wire, an electrician may repurpose the white to behave the secondary stage (as well chosen a "secondary leg") of the 220-voltage. That'southward allowed past code as long equally the wire is marked with red or orange tape or paint to alert future service people, electricians, or knowledgeable do-information technology-yourselfers that the wire is not a neutral but rather a current-carrying conductor.
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In newer homes, you lot'll discover more instances of types of electrical wires that would seem to disregard the traditional meaning behind electrical wire colors. That's non a mistake: New constructions are oft wired with pre-made cables and, while more than user-friendly, they come in fewer wire color options. As seen with the electric water heater, electricians oft accept to repurpose the white wire to human action as current-carrying conductors and should color-code accordingly depending on the new designation.
Before pre-made cables were the norm, though, electricians would run empty tubing between the main panel and the wall and ceiling boxes and filled the tubing with a multifariousness of different wire colors similar blue, red, orange, yellow, brown, and violet—a setup still seen in older homes today.
What The Private Electric Wire Colors Point
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Green, green with a xanthous stripe, and bare copper wires can only be used for grounding purposes.
A ground wire can never be used equally a neutral, fifty-fifty though it connects to the same bus at the main panel—that's a huge safety violation that can crusade electrical daze, serious injury, or expiry. Still, many older homes don't have neutral wires, and some inexperienced practise-it-yourselfers will connect the white neutral wire from a new switch to the ground conductor to make do. Don't make this mistake. If you come across a footing wire connected to a current-conveying screw or terminal on a switch or outlet or to a white, black, or any other color wire, stop immediately and call an electrician to sort it out.
White and greyness wires are usually used equally neutral conductors.
The 2011 National Electric Lawmaking required a neutral in every switch box to accommodate new devices like move sensors, occupancy sensors, home automation switches, and dimmers. If your switch box doesn't have a neutral wire, detect a device that doesn't require a neutral or have the box rewired by a professional electrician.
White and gray wires may be repurposed as current-carrying conductors if they're marked at both ends with tape or pigment.
The new color should follow the mutual industry practices outlined here, but exercise be sure to include a notice at the chief electric console or sub-console indicating what the markings mean.
Black wires are used to provide power in the circuit.
Ever assume black wires are alive.
Red or orangish wires are often used to provide the secondary phase voltage in a 220-volt application.
E'er assume that a carmine or orange wire (in addition to the black wire, which provides the principal stage voltage) is alive. You'll find blackness and red or orange wires connected to 220-volt appliances like electrical h2o heaters, well pumps, and older electric ranges. However, those aforementioned 220-volt appliances can be wired with a black and white wire, where the white wire had been marked with black or red tape at both the appliance and in the primary console to indicate that it has been re-purposed as a current-carrying wire. In that wiring scheme, assume the blackness and re-marked white wires are live.
Red or orange can also be used as a second "switched" power wire in a 120-volt application.
When installing a ceiling fan, you'll often find that the black wire coming from the wall switch provides switched ability to the fan motor. If your new ceiling fan has a lite, a ruddy wire from a 2nd switch in the same wall box can provide switched power to the fan's light. Assume the ruby and black wires are live.
Red can likewise be used as a "point" or "trigger" wire in iii-wire interconnected fume detector applications.
The trigger wire is used to activate all the interconnected fume detectors the instant one detector senses smoke or fire. In that wiring setup, the fume detectors get power and neutral from the blackness and white wires, while the ruby-red wire connects each hardwired detector. Each detector make and model series uses a different signaling technique and voltage, then refer to the manual when connecting. Always assume the red wire in those applications is live.
Blue, xanthous, violet, and brown wires oft deed as the "travelers" to transfer power betwixt the switches in iii-way and four-way switch applications.
In other words, blue, yellow, violet, and brown wires come up into play when you have multiple wall switch locations—two in a three-way switch or 3 in a 4-manner switch—that control the same set of lights. Since they carry current betwixt each of the switches, you should always assume those colored wires are alive. Alternatively, wires in these colors can also be used to comport power in 220-volt applications; here, too, you should always presume they're live.
Safe Tips for Working with All Types of Electrical Wires
Proceed with circumspection when observing and interacting with wires, no matter the colour. The National Electrical Code contains strict wire color rules for grounding and neutral conductors, but it's less rigid when it comes to other colors. We've listed the typical uses for wire colors based on common manufacture practice, just you shouldn't assume that the wiring in your habitation was done correctly past a professional person electrician. To protect yourself:
- You mustclose off power to the circuit (or the entire firm) and presume that all wires are alive fifty-fifty if this guide says they're non.
- Always apply your electrical tester to confirm that the power is really off at each wire before disconnecting any wires.
Some jobs are better left to the pros
Get gratis, no-commitment estimates from licensed electricians near you lot.
Source: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/electrical-wire-colors/
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