Color coding of electrical wires. What color and how are zero, phase and ground wires indicated in an electrician

There are, in fact, not many different types of conductors and their connections. In the electric power industry, a distinction is made between supply and protective conductors. Some have heard such words as "zero" and "phase" wire. However, this is where questions arise. How to determine zero and phase in a real network?

What are the conductors in the socket?

You can deal with the question "what is phase and zero" without delving into the wilds of finding out the structure, advantages and disadvantages in three-phase or five-phase circuits. You can actually disassemble everything on your fingers, revealing the most ordinary home socket, which is placed in an apartment or private house ten or fifteen years ago. As you can see, this socket is connected to two wires. How to determine zero and phase?

How do wires work in an outlet and why are they needed?

As you can see, there are certain differences between workers and zero. What is the designation of phase and zero? A bluish or blue color is the color of the phase wire, zero is indicated by any other colors, with the exception, of course, of blue colors. It can be yellow, green, black and striped. The current does not flow. If you take it and do not touch the worker, then nothing will happen - there is no potential difference on it (in fact, the network is not ideal, and there may still be a small voltage, but it will be measured in best case in millivolts). But with a phase conductor, this will not work. Touching it can result in electrical shock, even fatal. This wire is always energized, current flows to it from generators and transformers and stations. You must always remember that in no case should you touch the working conductor, since a voltage of even a hundred volts can be fatal. And in the socket is two hundred and twenty.

How to determine zero and phase in this case? In the socket, designed according to European standards, there are three conductors at once. The first is phase, which is energized and painted in a variety of colors (with the exception of blue shades). The second is zero, which is absolutely safe to touch and is painted in. But the third wire is called zero protective. It is usually colored yellow or green. It is located in sockets on the left, in switches - from below. The phase wire is on the right and top, respectively. Given such colors and features, it is easy to determine where the phase is, and where is zero, and where is the protective neutral wire. But what is it for?

Why do I need a protective conductor in euro sockets?

If the phase is designed to supply current to the outlet, zero - to lead to the source, then why do European standards regulate another wire? If the equipment that is connected is working properly, and all wiring is in good condition, then the protective zero will not take part, it is inactive. But if suddenly somewhere there is either an overvoltage or a short circuit on some parts of the devices, then the current enters places that are usually without its influence, that is, not connected either to the phase or to zero. A person can simply feel an electric shock on himself. In the worst situation, you can even die from this, as the heart muscle can stop. This is where the protective neutral wire is needed. It "takes" the short circuit current and directs it to the ground or to the source. Such subtleties depend on the design of the wiring and the characteristics of the room. Therefore, you can safely touch the equipment - there will be no electric shock. The thing is that current always flows along the path of least resistance. In the human body, the value of this parameter is more than one kiloOhm. In a protective conductor, the resistance does not exceed a few tenths of one ohm.

Determining the purpose of conductors

How to determine zero and phase? Everyone has come across these concepts in one way or another. Especially when you need to fix the outlet or do the wiring. Therefore, it is necessary to understand exactly where which conductor is. But how to determine zero and phase? It must be remembered that all manipulations of this kind with electricity are dangerous. Therefore, in case of uncertainty in their actions, it is better to consult a specialist. If you already approach the outlet and the wires in it, then you must first completely de-energize the entire apartment. At a minimum, it can save health and life. As mentioned earlier, usually the designation of phase and zero is done using coloring. With proper labeling, it will not be difficult to distinguish them. Black (or brown) - the color of the phase wire, zero usually has a bluish or bluish tint. If a European standard socket is installed, then the third (protective zero) is green or yellow. What if the wiring is one-color? As a rule, in this case, at the ends of the wires there are usually special insulating tubes that have the necessary color marking. They are called "cambric".

Determining conductors with a special screwdriver

How to determine zero and phase? For this, it is most convenient to buy a special indicator screwdriver. The handle of such a device is made of translucent or transparent plastic. Inside there is a built-in diode - a luminous light bulb. Top part This screwdriver has a metal one. How to determine zero and phase by this method?

The procedure for performing work when measuring with an indicator screwdriver:

de-energize the apartment;
we clean slightly the ends of the wires;
we separate them to the sides in order not to accidentally cause a short circuit by contacting the phase and zero;
turn on the switch and supply current to the apartment;
we take a screwdriver by the handle, which has a dielectric coating;
put your finger (thumb or index) on the contact, which is located on the back of the outlet;
touch the working end of the indicator to one bare conductor;
carefully observe the reaction of the screwdriver;
if the diode caught fire, then we can state with confidence that;
by elimination, we understand that the remaining conductor is zero.

The indicator screwdriver reacts to the presence of voltage. Naturally, it is not in the neutral wire. However, there is a significant disadvantage of this method. Via indicator screwdriver it’s impossible to understand how to determine: phase, zero, earth - where is what in the case of a European outlet.

Method for determining phase and zero using a voltmeter

If the wires are not painted in the appropriate colors, and there is no indicator screwdriver at hand, then you can go the other way. We need a voltmeter (multimeter, tester). It is necessary to set it to the required range - over two hundred volts alternating current. How can a tester determine the phase? We take one conductor that departs from the device (indicated by V). We attach it to a previously de-energized conductor (any). Then we apply current (turn on the switch). And just fix what the device display shows. After all of the above, turn off the power again and transfer the tester clamp to another conductor. If there is nothing on the display, then this means that we have either a zero or a grounding protective neutral wire in front of us. However, you can use another method that answers the question: "How to determine zero and phase, as well as grounding." To do this, we de-energize the apartment again, fix the V clamp on one of the wires. We also throw the second on any of the three conductors. The voltage is turned on. If the arrow does not move, then you have chosen zero and protective. Accordingly, the voltage must be turned off again and the position of the V terminal must be changed (throw it onto another previously unused conductor). We turn on the current again and take the appropriate measurements. Then we carry out the same operation, but again we change the conductor. Now we need to check the results. If the first digit turned out to be greater, it means that we measured the voltage between the phase conductor (on which the V terminal hung) and zero. Accordingly, the second wire will be a protective ground. This method is based on measuring the potential difference.

Exotic ways to determine the phase and zero in the wiring

There are also folk methods”, which do not imply the presence of any special devices. They can only be used in the most extreme cases, as they are associated with increased danger to health and life. For example, the potato method. To do this, a freshly cut piece of potato is put on previously de-energized conductors. It is necessary to prevent the wires from touching each other so that there is no short circuit between them. Then, literally for a couple of seconds, voltage is applied and they look at the potatoes. If one section near the wire turns blue, then a phase is connected to it.

Almost everyone who has dealt with electrical wiring, I noticed that wires in insulation can have a different color. But few people know that this action makes it easier to install electrical wiring, and there are even special rules electrical installations, following which you can significantly reduce the risk of tragic consequences when working with electricity. So what is the essence of color designations and what they mean - the answers to these questions will be given below.

The main task of marking wire insulation

First of all, the wires are marked with certain colors to ensure safety during work. In assigning a color for each wire, PUE standards (rules for electrical installations) and international European standards are applied. Each electrician can easily distinguish, what voltage is(or not) each wire, and also determine where the phase, zero and ground are located.

Of course, if we take as an example the connection to the network of a single-gang switch, it will not be possible to determine the purpose of each wire without color marking. special work. But if we consider the connection switchboard, then here we cannot do without special notation. Indeed, in the event of an incorrect connection of current-carrying parts, a short circuit may occur, the wiring will begin to heat up (and, as a result, a fire will occur), and in the worst case, defeat electric shock human installer or people in the vicinity.

In the modern edition of the PUE, it is proposed to maintain not only a color designation, but also an alphabetic one, which greatly facilitates work in electrical installations.

The concept of phase and zero in electrics

Before considering color coding, you must first understand the concepts of phase and zero in electrical wiring.

Letter designations are used on electrical diagrams.

For proper conduct electrical installation work, it is necessary to impeccably follow the rules for connecting live parts, respectively, all the wires of the circuit must differ markedly from each other. The question becomes reasonable about what color the phase and zero in electricity are indicated. Below are descriptions of each case separately..

Wire colors phase, zero, ground

As mentioned earlier, the coloring of wires in electrics at manufacturing plants is carried out in accordance with the PUE.

Ground wire designation

Ground wire usually denoted by yellow, green and yellow-green colors. Manufacturers can apply stripes of yellow-green color - both in the longitudinal and transverse directions. In addition, lettering is recommended. However, the applied letter marking does not exclude color marking. Color designation, according to the PUE, is mandatory. On the example of a switchboard, this wire is connected to the ground bus, housing or metal door.

Zero wire

Speaking of zero, it should not be confused with grounding. Designated in blue or white-blue. But in some cases, the ground wire is aligned with zero. Then it is dyed green-yellow, and there is always a blue braid at the ends. In both single-phase and three-phase circuits, only one neutral wire is used. This is due to the fact that in a three-phase circuit, the maximum shift of one phase can be 120 °, which allows you to use one neutral wire.

Phase wire designation

Depending on the type of wiring, an AC circuit can be either single-phase or have three phases. Let's consider both of these cases separately.

Single phase wiring

It is used in networks with a voltage of 220 W. Most often, the phase wire is painted black, brown or white, but you can also find other wire markings: brown, gray, purple, pink, orange or turquoise. It is also customary to letter L. This is necessary not only on the diagrams, but also in poor lighting conditions or if the wires were covered with dust.

Due to the fact that it is the phase that poses the greatest danger during work, it is these parts that have the brightest color for quick identification and subsequently more accurate actions with them.

Three phase wiring

It is used in networks with a voltage of 380 W. Previously, all wires and buses in a three-phase network were painted yellow, green and red (G-G-R), which respectively designated phases A, B, C. These designations were difficult due to the similarity yellow-green marking of ground wires. Therefore, according to the PUE, from January 1, 2011, new standards were introduced, where the phases are designated L 1, L 2 and L 3, while each has brown, black and gray colors(K-W-S).

On the example of a three-wire wire. Three-core cable wire colors: blue, brown and yellow-green. Brown is phase, blue is zero, and yellow-green is ground.

These were the color options for AC networks.

Coloring of wires in DC networks

In networks with direct current, a different color and letter marking of wires and tires is used. The fundamental difference here is the absence of zero and phase in the usual sense. This wiring uses a positive conductor marked in red with a “+” sign and a negative conductor in blue with a “-” sign, as well as a neutral bus blue color, which is denoted Latin letter M.

Not all people who carry out work on the installation of electrical networks follow established rules markings. Therefore, before proceeding with the installation, you should first check the presence of current in the wires with a multimeter or a conventional indicator screwdriver. In the future, mark the wires with the required color using colored electrical tape or special heat crimps. There are also special devices that allow letter marking.

The practicality and safety of wiring is largely achieved through the color marking of wires. Each core is covered with a protective sheath certain color. When installed in an electrical panel, junction boxes, or when connecting sockets and switches, such color systematization allows you to accurately and quickly complete all work.

For a clearer understanding of markings, let's move from general phrases to more detailed analysis, consider concrete examples and highlight the main rules for safe work with electrical wiring.

First of all, it is worth getting acquainted with the types of electrical circuits:

The AC circuit of a single-phase 220 V network is used in houses and apartments.
A three-phase 380 V AC network is used both in production and in private homes (if necessary).
Net direct current finds its application in industry, transport, high-voltage electrical substations.

In each of the cases considered, a single connection standard is used. electrical wires.

Marking of wires in a single-phase network 220 V

Considering given type networks, there are two variations. The first consists of two cores, the second - of three. As you can understand, the main difference between them is the presence or absence of a ground conductor (PE).

Two-wire wiring belongs to an obsolete type and is becoming less common. Such design is allowed by GOST and is suitable for premises with low security requirements. The two-wire TN-C wiring used in older homes had a combined neutral and earth (PEN). Given modern requirements, such a scheme is considered unsafe.

How and with what colors are the cores marked in a two-wire single-phase wiring? Let's consider several options:

(L)	(N)			If you use a solid wire with a brown and blue core, then the first should go to the phase, and the second to the zero working conductor. This order should not be changed. The only exception is that black, red, gray, purple, pink, white, orange, turquoise. For safety, it is recommended to mark the corresponding cores at both ends with tags signed L (phase) and N (zero).
(L)		(PEN)		This circuit as a phase conductor (L) has a traditional brown core. As in the previous case, the brown coating can be replaced with one of the allowed colors. The tricolor (yellow, green, blue) conductor (PEN) is used simultaneously as a zero working (N) and zero protective (PE) conductor. Despite the combination of N and PE, in fact, there is no grounding at the end user.

Starting from the seventh edition of the PUE (rules for electrical installations), electrical wiring in an apartment or house must be carried out with a three-core cable with copper conductors ( three-wire circuit).

Consider which conductors are included in the three-wire circuit, and how they are marked:

Phase L(from English live- live) - a working wire under high voltage.	The main color of the core is brown (possibly a brown stripe on a white background)
	Permissible core color: black, red, gray, purple, pink, white, orange, turquoise.

Neutral (working zero) N(from English Neutral) - an auxiliary conductor without voltage, through which a load current flows in working condition.	The main color of the core is blue, blue (possibly a blue stripe on a white background)
Earth (protective zero)PE(from English Protective Earth-protective earth) - a separate unloaded core for grounding. Under normal conditions, no current flows through the protective zero.	The main color of the core is yellow and green stripes (possibly a green stripe on a yellow background).

Wire marking in a three-phase network 380 V

As in single-phase version, a three-phase network can be with or without grounding. Based on this, a three-phase network with four and five cores is distinguished. The 380 V four-wire system includes three phase (L) and one core of the working neutral (N). In a five-wire system, a protective earth conductor (PE) is added.

The color marking of the cores in a three-phase network is as follows:

Phase A (L1) - brown sheathed wire.
Phase B (L2) - wire in a black sheath.
Phase C (L3) - wire in a gray sheath.
Working zeroing (N) - wire in a blue (light blue) sheath.
Protective earthing (PE) - wire in a yellow-green sheath.

Phase conductors in certain cases may have other colors. To avoid confusion, the use of blue and yellow-green colors for their marking is unacceptable.

Marking wires in a DC network

The DC network includes only positive (+) and negative (-) rails. According to the standards, wires (tires) with a positive charge are painted red. Wires (tires) with a negative charge are painted in blue color. The middle conductor, if any, is blue.

In the case when a two-wire DC electrical network is made by branching off from a three-wire network, the positive wire of the two-wire network is marked in the same way as the positive conductor of the three-wire circuit to which it is connected.

How to determine L, N, PE

If there is any doubt about the color coding of wires in a particular circuit, it is necessary to secure electric installation work and carry out a preliminary determination of the phase, neutral and earth. The following tricks will help you accurately checkL, NAndPE:

The easiest option is when there is a two-wire single-phase network. In this case, only an indicator screwdriver is required. Upon contact with the phase conductor, the light in the indicator should light up. Having determined L, only the working grounding wire remains in the circuit, upon contact with which the indicator in the screwdriver does not light up.
More difficult situation– when there are three cores in the wiring cable. If the phase, as in the previous case, can be determined using an indicator screwdriver, then a multimeter (tester) will be required to search for working and protective grounding. After the phase conductor (L) is found, on ACV (may be designated V~ measurement of alternating voltage) at a mark above 220 V, the red phase probe is fixed on the phase conductor, and zero and ground are determined with the black probe. Upon contact with the working zero (N), the device will display a voltage within 220 volts. When the probe touches the protective ground (PE) - the readings will be below 220 volts.

If the purchased cable has conductors of a color that does not meet the standards, or the wiring has already been laid and is incorrectly marked, additional identification must be carried out.

Additional wire marking

During the wiring process, the ends of the cores are marked with heat shrink tubing or colored electrical tape. Additionally, a letter designation of the cores can be applied to the wire or a tag attached to the wire:

L - phase.
N - neutral (working zeroing).
PE - earth (protective zeroing).

Color coding of electrical wires in different countries

Country (region)	Color of the outer insulation of the conductor or core
Country (region)	Phase conductor L1	Phase conductor L2	Phase conductor L3	Working zeroing N (neutral)	Protective earthing PE (ground)
USA. Common colors (120/208/240 V).	the black	Red	blue	silver	green
USA. Alternative color coding(277/480 V).	Brown	orange or purple	yellow	Gray	green
Canada. Required colors.	Red	the black	blue	White	green or no insulation
Canada. Three-phase installations with isolated neutral.	Orange	Brown	yellow	White	green
India and Pakistan. Great Britain until March 31, 2004. Hong Kong until April 2009. Malaysia, South Africa and Singapore until February 2011.	Red	yellow or white (South Africa)	blue	the black	yellow green or green
Europe and all countries using the CENELEC standard(IEC 60446) from April 2004. Great Britain since March 31, 2004. Hong Kong since July 2007. Singapore since March 2009.	Brown	the black	Gray	blue	yellow-green
Europe. Tire designation.	yellow	Brown	Red
the USSR. Tire designation.	yellow	green	Red	blue	yellow-green, black occurs
Russia · Ukraine · Belarus. Tire designation.	yellow	green	Red	blue	yellow-green

Having familiarized yourself with the basis of the color marking of wires, there should be no difficulties in designing wiring and other electrical work. Strictly follow all unified rules. And in cases of the slightest doubt, be sure to check the cable with an indicator screwdriver and a multimeter.

The transition to the usual voltage of 220 V was carried out in the years of its existence Soviet Union and ended in the late 70s, early 80s. The electrical networks of that time were carried out according to a two-wire circuit, and the insulation of the wires was used in one color, mainly white color. Later, there appeared Appliances high power, requiring grounding.

The connection scheme gradually changed to three-wire. GOST 7396.1–89 standardized the types of power plugs bringing them closer to European ones. After the collapse of the USSR, new standards were adopted based on the requirements of the International Electrotechnical Commission. In particular, to improve safety when working in electrical networks and simplifying installation, color gradation of wires was introduced.

Normative base

The main document describing the requirements for the installation of electrical networks is GOST R 50462–2009, which is based on the IEC 60446:2007 standard. It sets out the rules that the color marking of wires must comply with. They concern manufacturers of cable products, construction and operating organizations whose activities are related to the installation of electrical networks.

Extended installation requirements are contained in the Device Regulations electrical installations. They provide the recommended connection order, with a reference to GOST-R in paragraphs regarding color gradations.

The need for color separation

A two-wire system implies the presence of a phase and zero in the network. The plug for such sockets is used flat. The equipment is designed in such a way that the correct connection does not matter. It doesn’t matter which contact the phase will be applied to, the equipment will figure it out on its own.

With a three-wire system, an additional ground wire is provided. At best, not correct connection wires, will permanently trip the circuit breaker, in the worst case, damage the equipment and cause a fire. The use of color gradation for conductors eliminates installation errors and eliminates the need to use special devices designed to measure the resulting voltage.

Three wire system

Let's look at a section of a three-core wire, which is used for laying household electrical networks.

The color of the wires indicates where the phase, zero and ground are located. Additionally, the figure shows typical letter designations used in electrical diagrams. By picking up such a drawing, you can visually determine the correctness of the connection made.

Let's take a look at GOST and see how the color marking of wires shown in the figure meets the requirements. Clause 5.1 general provisions contains a description of the twelve colors to be used for marking.

Nine colors are allocated to indicate phase wires, one for zero and two for ground. The standard provides for the execution of the ground wire in a combined yellow-green version. Longitudinal and transverse application of stripes is allowed, while the predominant color should not occupy more than 70% of the braid area. Separate use of yellow or green in protective coating expressly prohibited by clause 5.2.1.

The indicated scheme is used for single-phase connection, suitable for most electrical appliances. It is almost impossible to get confused in it, with a correctly labeled wire.

Five-wire system

For a three-phase connection, five-core wires are used. Accordingly, three wires are allocated for phases, one for neutral or zero and one for protective, grounding. Color marking, as in any AC network, is similar, in accordance with the requirements of GOST.

In this case important point there will be a correct connection of the phase conductors. As can be seen in the figure, the protective wire is made in a yellow-green braid, and the zero wire is in blue. Allowed shades are used for phases.

Using five-core wires, you can connect a 380 V network with a correctly connected connection.

Combined wires

In order to reduce the cost of production and simplify connections, two or four-core wires are also used, in which the protective conductor is combined with the neutral one. In the documentation, they are abbreviated as PEN. As you guessed, it consists of the letters of the zero (N) and ground (PE) wires.

GOST provides for them a special color marking. Along the length, they are painted in the colors of the ground wire, that is, yellow-green. The ends must be necessarily painted blue, they also indicate all joints.

Since the places where the connection is made cannot be determined in advance, at these points the PEN wires are isolated using insulating tape or blue cambric.

Non-standard wires and markings

When purchasing a new wire, of course, you will pay attention to the color marking of the cores and choose the option where it is applied correctly. What to do in the event that the wiring has already been completed, and the colors of the wires do not meet the requirements of GOST? The output in this case is the same as with the PEN wires. You will have to perform manual marking after you decide on the role played by the conductors suitable for the equipment. A simple option there will be the use of colored electrical tape of the appropriate shades. At a minimum, it is worth designating the protective and neutral wires.

With professional installation, it is possible to use special cambric, which are hollow segments insulating material. They are divided into regular and shrink. The latter do not require selection by diameter, but do not have the possibility of reuse.

There are also specially made markers with an international alphanumeric designation. They are used for introductory and switchboards, for example, in apartment buildings or office buildings.

Digital labels, together with the color of the wire, allow you to determine which consumer is supplied with power.

Additional requirements

Since lines, like wiring, can be performed using various cable products, there are a number of rules for their mutual connection. The connection of a three-wire cable to a five-wire cable must be carried out in compliance with the color coding from master to slave. Accordingly, the grounding and neutral colors must match.

Phase connection, in this case, is performed using a connecting bus. On the one hand, three cores are connected to it, on the other hand, one, which will be the phase in the new branch.

When installing household electrical networks, according to safety requirements, it is forbidden to use wiring with aluminum, as well as multi-wire conductors. Only solid copper cable should be used.

3-wire DC system

In DC systems, a three-wire system is also used, but the purpose of the wires is different. Separation is performed on plus, minus and protective. According to GOST, the following color marking is used in such networks:

Plus - brown;
Negative - gray;
Zero - blue.

Since it is not rational to produce wires for DC systems separately, the indicated color gradation is used mainly for painting busbars.

Finally

As you can see, the colors of the wires in the electrics are not a whim of the manufacturer, but a measure aimed at ensuring safety requirements. Subject to the installation rules, it is much easier to maintain such networks, and not only a specialist electrician can figure out the connection, but also you and me.

Wire color coding

When working with electrical wiring, the wires to which the phase is connected are the most dangerous. Contact with the phase can be fatal, so the brightest warning colors, such as red, are chosen for these electrical wires.

Also, if the wires are labeled different colors, then when repairing a particular part, you can quickly determine which of the bundle of wires you need to check first, and which of them are the most dangerous.

Most often, the following colors are used for phase wires:

Red;
The black;
Brown;
orange;
Lilac,
Pink;
purple;
White;
Grey.

It is in these colors that the phase wires can be painted. You can deal with them easier if you exclude the neutral wire and ground. For convenience, it is customary to designate the image of a phase wire in the diagram with the Latin letter L. If there is more than one phase, but several, a numerical designation should be added to the letter, which looks like this: L1, L2 and L3, for three-phase networks in 380 V. In some versions, the first phase (mass) can be indicated by the letter A, the second - B, and already the third - C.

What color is the ground wire?

In accordance with modern standards, the ground conductor should be yellow-green. In appearance, it looks like yellow insulation, on which there are two longitudinal bright green stripes. But sometimes there is also a color of transverse green-yellow stripes.

Sometimes, the cable may only have bright green or yellow conductors. In this case, the "earth" will be indicated in this color. It will also be displayed in the corresponding colors on the diagrams. Most often, engineers draw from bright green, but sometimes you can see yellow conductors. They designate “earth” on diagrams or devices in Latin (in English) letters PE. Accordingly, the contacts where the "ground" wire must be connected are also marked.

Sometimes experts call the ground wire "zero and protective", but do not confuse. If you see such a designation, then know that this is exactly the earth wire, and it is called protective because it reduces the risk of electric shock.

Zero or neutral wire has the following marking color:

Blue;
Blue;
Blue with white stripe.

No colors are used in electrics to mark the neutral wire. This is how you will find it in any, be it a three-core, five-core, and maybe with more big amount conductors. Blue and its shades are usually used to draw "zero" on various schemes. Professionals call it a working zero, because (which cannot be said about grounding), it is involved in electrical wiring with power. Some, when reading the diagram, call it a minus, while everyone considers the phase a “plus”.

How to check wire connection by color

Wire colors in electricity are designed to speed up the identification of conductors. However, relying only on the color is dangerous, because some novice, or an irresponsible worker from ZhZK, could connect them incorrectly. In this regard, before starting work, it is necessary to make sure that they are labeled or connected correctly.

In order to check the wires for polarity, we take an indicator screwdriver or a multimeter. It is worth noting that it is much easier to work with a screwdriver: when you touch the phase, the LED built into the case lights up.

If the cable is two-core, then there are practically no problems - you have excluded the phase, which means the second conductor that remains is zero. However, three-core wires are also common. Here, to determine, you will need a tester, or a multimeter. With their help, it is also not difficult to determine which wires are phase (positive) and which are zero.

This is done as follows:

The switch is set on the device in such a way as to select a jackal of more than 220 V.
Then you need to pick up two probes, and holding them by plastic handles, very carefully touch the rod of one of the probes to the found wire-phase, and lean the second to the supposed zero.
After that, 220 V, or the voltage that is actually in the network, should be displayed on the screen. Today it may be lower.

If the display shows 220 V or something in this limit, then the other wire is zero, and the remaining one is presumably ground. If the value that appears on the display is less, it is worth continuing the test. With one probe we again touch the phase, with the other to the intended ground. If the readings of the device are lower than in the case of the first measurement, then you have a "ground". By standards, it should be green or yellow color. If suddenly the readings turned out to be higher, this means that they messed up somewhere, and you have a “zero” wire in front of you. The way out of this situation is either to look for exactly where the wires were connected incorrectly, or to leave everything as it is, remembering that the wires are mixed up.

Wire designations in electrical diagrams: connection features

Starting any electrical work on lines where the network has already been laid, you must make sure that the wires are connected correctly. This is done with the help of special testing devices.

It must be remembered that when checking the phase-zero connection, the readings of the indicator multimeter will always be higher than in the case of continuity of the phase-to-ground pair.

Wires in electrical circuits are color-coded according to standards. This fact allows an electrician to find zero, ground and phase in a short period of time. If these wires are connected incorrectly to each other, a short circuit will occur. Sometimes such an oversight leads to the fact that a person receives an electric shock. Therefore, it is impossible to neglect the rules (PUE) of connection, and you need to know that the special color marking of wires is designed to ensure safety when working with electrical wiring. In addition, this systematization significantly reduces the work time of an electrician, as he has the ability to quickly find the contacts he needs.

Features of working with electrical wires of different colors:

If you need to install a new one, or replace an old outlet, then it is not necessary to determine the phase. It doesn't matter to the plug which side you plug it in.
In the case when you connect a switch from a chandelier, you need to know that it needs to be supplied with a specific phase, and only zero to the bulbs.
If the color of the contacts and the phase and zero are exactly the same, then the value of the conductors is determined using an indicator screwdriver, where the handle is made of transparent plastic with a diode inside.
Before you determine the conductor, the electrical circuit in the house or other room must be de-energized, and the wiring at the ends should be cleaned and spread apart. If this is not done, then they may accidentally touch and a short circuit will result.

The use of color coding in electrical engineering has made life much easier for people. In addition, thanks to color coding, on the high level increased safety when working with wires that are energized.

Designations and colors of wires in electrics (video)

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