Is blue wire the same as black?

In 2018, Australia introduced a new set of standards to replace the old wiring colours in Australia. This was mainly done to better reflect the global standards for wiring colours. As a result, your current electrical wire colours may reflect the old standards. However, don’t worry too much – the functionality for each wire remains the same.

In this article, we’ll provide an overview of the old wiring colours in Australia, and the new set of standards that were recently introduced with the AS 3000 standard.

Current electrical wiring colours Australia

Depending on the year in which your circuits were installed, and the types of wires being used (single-phase or three-phase), your wire colours may be different to that of your neighbours.

As of 2021, the colours used in current Australian electrical standards for single-phase wiring are:

• Active – Brown
• Neutral – Blue
• Earth – Green & Yellow

As indicated above, each wire colour corresponds to the state of the wire. For example, if a wire is actively being used to provide power to your house, it would be a brown colour.

Similarly, there were a new set of standards introduced for three-phase wiring. The colours used for these types of wires include:

• Phase 1 – Brown
• Phase 2 – Black
• Phase 3 – Grey
• Neutral – Blue
• Earth – Green & Yellow

As you can see from the lists above, the colour standards for the neural and earth state are largely the same – the main difference lies with the individual phase wires, which helps to indicate which type of wire is being used.

Old wiring colours in Australia

If your electrical wiring system was installed prior to 2018, the colour of your wires will most likely be different. Thankfully, Australian standards dictate that even though the colour of your electrical wires may be outdated, they still remain safe and usable.

The colours used for single-phase wiring in Australia, prior to 2018, include:

• Active – Red
• Neural – Black
• Earth – Green

The colours that were used for three-phase wiring, prior to 2018, include:

• Phase 1 – Red
• Phase 2 – White
• Phase 3 – Blue
• Neutral – Black
• Earth – Green

The main issue with having an outdated electrical wire colour is that it may cause some confusion. For example, if you intend to hire someone to perform some home renovation that involves your electrical circuit system, the colours used in your home may not match the modern standards that are present in online articles and diagrams.

There is also the potential threat of unknowingly handling live wires, which can be very dangerous for the average person.

Having said that, most professionals are aware of the recent changes to wire colours in Australia, so this is usually no cause for concern. Also, check out test and tag colours in Australia.

The Australian electrical wire colour code is a standard for identifying conductors in an electrical wiring system. These wire colour codes ensure your safety and avoid confusion in residential and commercial wiring systems.

Australian Standard specifies that for most installations, the electrical wiring colours to use are black for a live conductor, brown or blue for a neutral conductor, green or yellow-green for an earth (ground) conductor, and red or orange for a signal wire.

The only exceptions are when brown, green or green-yellow is used as the earth wire (ground) and blue is used as the neutral conductor.

What is the Australian Electrical Wiring Colours Coding Standard?

The wiring colours coding standard was initially made in 1894 and were a voluntary code, which only members of an authorised organisation could use. However, in 2000 the codes were made an officially regulated code. Australian electrical wiring colour codes have evolved over the last 100 years with the inclusion of colour coding.

This can give power users an instant understanding of the wiring for their home or business. The Australian Standard for the wiring in a residential home is AV1. These Australian electrical wiring codes don't go into depth about either insulation or bonding but are somewhat restricted to the core electrical wiring in a residential dwelling.

There are only three wires in the wiring system in a typical Australian home: Live, Sub (ground), and Ether. Each wire must be located at least one meter away from the ground wires. On the outside of a home, the live wires are usually located in the roof to receive incoming and outgoing power.

Three wires inside the house can transmit power to the power plug on the wall: the inner two wires (power) and the neutral wire (ground). The grounding wires in an Australian home are provided by some variant of an electrical conductor called an earth wire. This is the primary negative terminal wire that connects the homeowner to the Australian electrical system.

How to Use the Wire Colour Code Standard

The following sections are not technical and are meant only to provide basic information for regular residential and commercial customers.

A colour code is a guide to assist you in identifying electrical wiring colours. Do not mix electrical wires. For example, wiring colour can help you not plug a yellow wire into a red wire or vice versa. Because the wiring colours do not stand for anything, there is no need to mark wires with the electrical wiring colours code.

However, when preparing for a do-it-yourself (DIY) installation, the colour codes help you safely identify between live and ground wires.  A construction worker installing the wires and connections for a room installation should be familiar with the colour codes. In a wireless installation, the colour code is divided into thirds and assigned to the different legs of the installation (floor, walls, and ceiling).

It is crucial to have a safe and reliable electrical circuit in your home. To ensure that your home is safe, the Australian Standards require that all wiring in your house should be labelled, and it must be easy for everyone to understand. The Australian wire colour codes are based on a strategic plan designed to reduce electrical fire risk when using electricity at home.

The idea is this: if there's an electrical fault, it's much easier for a professional electrician to fix the problem with just one glance if all of the wires are coloured-coded. Wiring colour codes are a way for electricians to identify the type of wire and its function.

The colours of the wires are commonly used to differentiate between electrical current carrying power, signal, and grounding wires. The following is a list of different wire colours and their meanings:

• Green: Grounding or Earthing

• Brown: Protective Earthing (PE)

• Blue: Earth Return (ER), Earth Line (EL)

• Orange: Live or L1

• Red: Live or L2

• White: Signal Wires or General Wires

• Black: Neutral Wires

Australian electrical wire colours are used as a standard for wiring of electrical circuits in Australia. This system is designed to make it easy to identify the function of each wire, which helps in understanding the circuit and troubleshooting electrical faults.

The colour code is not very complicated, and it consists of two parts: a number or letter, followed by one or two colours. These first two digits show the wire's size, while the second part tells you what type of wire it is. By following these simple rules, you will always know which wires are live and which ones are neutral.

What Does Each Wire Colour Mean?

Colour codes have been developed with care for your safety and endorsed by the Australian Standards Association (ASA).

Live Wire

Red is used as live wire for twisted pair, single-fibre, and four-fibre conductors. Orange is also used for live conductors that carry a voltage when connected to a socket but not when grounded.

Ground and Neutral Wires

The ground wire is almost always green or yellow. It is marked with a single coat of paint or a pair of wires connected in parallel with another neutral wire. The neutral wire is usually stud style, with studs coming out of each end, one at each stud rail. For underground installations, neutral and earth wire are generally in a grounded style, so brown or black are usually used. Neutral is marked with two thin coats of brown-field grounding.

Signal Wire

Signal wire connects a point to the primary grid. If the system is grounded, it also needs to be connected to the primary grid. As such, it will have a different colour code from the other wiring systems. Designers must ensure that the signal wire colour code is applied to the wiring system being designed in a colour that both workers and residents will see.

For example, if the signaling wire colours are white, some residents may not be able to identify the wiring systems installed in the house. These are the significant areas of concern when it comes to the proper use of the code.

Original Purpose of the Electrical Wiring Colour Codes

The use of different electrical wire colour codes for the different conductors was originally to indicate their "lifespan." For example, the colour yellow meant a conductor that would reach a specified wire length and then be connected to an earth wire. The colour red would indicate a conductor intended to continue its journey beyond that length and had the opportunity to connect to a signal wire.

In practice, this system has not been successfully used. It has led to several issues such as misinterpretation, multiple colour coding violations, and a shortage of necessary colour spots on the ground wire. Therefore, a new system was created by the Australian government in 2002 to improve the functionality of the Australian system.

The wiring colour code regulations stipulate that specific signals may not be split. If they are, it has to be controlled. Connections that are permanently connected are most likely to experience a problem. The first rule of thumb is to use only one terminator colour.

Most commonly, it is red. In all other cases, one terminator colour will suffice. Be aware of your lighting system and ensure that all the working points are protected. Avoid using white (untraceable) wire in large electrical boxes. For homes, use low voltage colouring for the neutral section of the feeder and distribution wire.

Wire Colour Coding and Your Electrical System

The Australian electrical code, EJ8, is a good starting point for maintaining a sound electrical system. It is easy to follow and easy to remember. It is important to remember that as the standards become more demanding and more people install electrical systems, more training and certification will be required. However, that is an excellent excuse to start improving your home's electrical system.

It's essential to keep in mind that even though an electrician can wire up an entire house to a building's electrical system, these wires are the responsibility of the electrician or someone he's allowed to hire to assist him. If you don't have someone local or know someone that knows how to wire the entire house, you'll need to call a certified electrician to ensure that any wiring done in the house is done safely.

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