Learn about the Electrical Wiring Colors

The term electrical wiring refers to the network of devices that conduct electricity. There are many types of electrical wiring. There are three main factors that influence the type of electrical wiring used: How it is used, how much electricity it can conduct, and where it is located. A household, for example, requires less electricity than an office building.

For electricity conductivity, the electrical wire is typically made from certain materials. Copper is the most common material used. The conducting device is protected from damage by insulation. Color coating is used to distinguish between different types of cables. A cable with a particular color is used for a specific purpose. Here are some highlights of different wiring colors and their meanings.

Red

A live wire is an electrical wire with a red color. This is the positive side. Hot wires are also made of red electrical wires. They are used in installations that require voltages up to 220 V. The red wire can also be used as an interconnect cable. It can also be used to connect hardwired smoke detectors.

Green

Green is the color that indicates grounding for an electric cable. Green cables should be only connected to other green cables. The green wires are normally connected to an outlet box at the ground terminal. The cable runs from the outlet box into the bus bar, which is located under an electric board.

A green wire serves two purposes: It provides a route to ground for an electric current circuit in the event that a wire in the connection system comes into contact with metal or another conductive object.

Yellow

Yellow electric wires are used to transmit power. However, they are not suitable for wiring outlets. Yellow cables are used as switch legs for fans, structural lighting, and outlets with a switch. A switch leg is a connection that runs from the switch to an electrical device.

Black

The color of all cables that supply power to circuits is black. A black electric wire does not represent a hot one. Nearly always, the black wire is used as a grounding or neutral wire.