Euopean wire colored cables Revisited

Pierre

Lifetime Supporting Member
Join Date
Apr 2002
Location
Montreal
Posts
1,669
Tell me where I'm wrong.

When we purchase almost any cable like SOW/3C or the likes, here in North America, we don't even have to mention the color. They will most likely come in White/Black/Green.

This is our standard.

You guys in Europe , when you do the same thing will it come in Blue/Brown/Yellow-green?

When I ear 'bout standard like "Well this is difficult and rare 'cause it's a european standard" is it not exactly what it mean?

"IT'S STANDARD" FOR CHRISS SAKE

Soooooo, if I was living in say Germany and I would phone a cable distributor I should expect to be able to get this darn standard like hot cakes, would'n I? Should it not be ON THE SHELF ?

I can find the european standard 5 conductor blue/brown/yellow-green/black/black 22 gage cable BUT THEY HAVE TO BUILD IT FOR ME IN EUROPE (1000M minumum order)or in here with a 10 000 feet min order .

We only want to build nice systems with colors not changing every junctions.

Who is the Mister BIG of european cable distribution?
 
Hi Pierre

Here in Isreal and in Europe you do need to mention it.
You can get numbered cabel with Yellow/Green or colored.
The numbered become very populare at this time I dont know why.
What I can say they cheaper then the colored.
I looked yesterday in German manufacturer catalog the most cabels are numbered the rep in Isreal told me if I want colored it special order and price but no limitation on quantity.
 
ArikBY said:
...I want colored it special order and price but no limitation on quantity.

OK, That's the trick... number is the standard but when it comes to colors... its special.

Tancks Arik (y)
 
Pierre said:

You guys in Europe , when you do the same thing will it come in Blue/Brown/Yellow-green?

The simple answer to that Pierre is Yes!!

At the moment us Brits are being brought 'into line' with the rest of Europe, or is that 'the rest of Europe is being brought into line with the Germans'? (Sorry for the political statement!)

Our 3 core single phase flex has always been brown, blue and green/yellow except for the solid conductor type sold for house wiring (twin and earth), the colours in that are/were red, black and bare conductor for CPC. Our three phase supply conductor colours were/are red, yellow, blue and black for neutral now we have to use cables that are coloured brown, black, grey with blue neutral.

Paul

For St George and England!!!
 
Last edited:
Paul

When it come to control cabels do you use colored PVC cabel or numbered?
I installed big line in UK in 1999,My electrical contractor use only numberd cabels for control and motors.
For the power section they use only black for 3 phase blue for neutral.
That what you use today?
 
Arik

Internal panel wiring is done (at my place of employment) using coloured tri-rated cables, any panel-to-panel wiring is done using multi-core YY cable, each seperate core being coloured black with white numbering along their length.

For three phase supply we may use black cables but we identify each phase (red, yellow, blue) by using the appropriate colour heat shrink. Black is neutral.

But, I am sure that will have to change to 'harmonise' us with the rest of Europe.

We tend to stick with what we have got, that way there can be no confusion for the technicians, that is until we are forced to change.

Paul
 
Paul

Thanks for youe answer.
The wire color become big problem we changed the color code twice in the last few years.
The major problem is the neutral color it was black now it blue but
the black become phase, evry mistake and you feed your system in 400V instead 220V.
You cane imagine the damage.
 
In Portugal (and part of Europe, as far as I can tell) if you ask for 4x2,5mm2 cable (also called 4x2,5+PE) , you will get black, brown, blue and yelow-green.
All cables are rated in square milimeters.

If you ask for a three wire cable, 3x1,5, per exemple, the colours will be black, blue and yelow-gree. A cable with 5 conductors is black, black, brown, blue and yelow-green.

Numered cables are standart for more than 5 wires. I don't know if the EU are changing this rules, but this is normaly what I get whe order a cable.

João
 
I use ONLY numbered cables now. I got tired of having to decide which color to use for which circuit. Yes, I still have to decide which number to use, but it's a lot simpler. Since I use a lot of Harting type connectors, it makes it a breeze to wire them. No need to keep looking at the schematic.. Red goes to 3, Yellow goes to 5, etc... Just match the number on the wire to the terminal number, and you're DONE!... :cool:

beerchug

-Eric
 
I wish I could convince those who sign my purchase reqs to switch to European-style cables... Making my work easier does not justify a 100% increase in the cables cost.

It is not just the convenience of numbers vs. colors. As much as I noticed, those cables are much easier to strip.
 
I can agree with LadderLogic that the European cabel is more esay to strip I would say they have better quality then the rubber UL cabel .
When I came to buy here UL cabel I pay more then 100% then European cabels or wire.(200-500% more).
When I had to bring city and UL inspector to cheak my line in the States they didnot improve European cabel even for RS232.
So what you doing about that.?
Far as I know the rules in Chicago area are very stark.
 
ArikBY said:
So what you doing about that.?
Far as I know the rules in Chicago area are very stark.

We are just buying good old Belden stuff. No one has ever complained...

The price issues may be due to tax policies, import protection, currency rates etc. It is not surprising that European-built stuff comes more expensive in the US and vice versa.

What seems to be surprising is that there is apparently no US manufacturer willing to produce CE-type cables, despite the obvious demand for them. This is not rocket science after all...

Granted, a lot of American controls people have traditional dislike for IEC things, considering them too flimsy for adverse industrial conditions and heavy user abuse. And it doesn't matter if a contactor or a pushbutton was made by Siemens or Allen-Bradley. But the control cables do not fall in that category: Lapp cable is just as reliable and strong as Belden.
 
In Australia and New Zealand its a little more simple we have the colour code

Red Active L1
White Active L2
Blue Active L3
Black Neutral
Yellow/Green Protective Earth

when dealing with 3ph cable but if you buy flex yu get your european
blue Neutral
brown Acitve L1
yellow-green Earth
black L2
black L3

Maybe the problem you're having is that you asking for non flex cable

Just a thought
 

Similar Topics

Where can I get some extension cables with European color code. I need some Belden unsheilded type (18 gage)cables with colored wires like...
Replies
11
Views
4,322
Constantin
C
Hi there, Trying to get some ascii serial communications working via RS485 (COMMREQ functions). I have attached our wiring for the COM2...
Replies
1
Views
948
What's everyone use for I/O drawings on new installs. I am trying AutoCad Electrical, but can't download it due to a MS Office application running...
Replies
11
Views
1,266
I've been tasked with adding a 3-wire pressure differential transmitter to a system and drawing up the wiring to an existing PLC board. The...
Replies
7
Views
740
Hi all, I wonder what's the best type of cable to use for RS-485 2 wire + GND That is, Data+, Data- & GND I know that Belden 9841 (not...
Replies
10
Views
1,014
Back
Top Bottom