Non standard colour of conductors... your thoughts on this?

[Sparky_marky2]

My aunt and uncle came over today and we got on to the subject of electrics, he had a guy come over to one of his shops to add four new shop light fittings everything was fine and the certificates were issued, but one things my uncle said thats lingered is that the building being over 30 years old is wired in non standard colours (red and black) but the spark insisted on adding sleeving (brown and blue) to all the light fittings on the ground floor which I assume was on the same circuit as where the four new lamps were being supplied off.

Is that normal practice to sleeve every light fitting in the shop floor (assuming its on the same circuit) or just sleeving the new lamp fittings you're installing?

Good to know your thoughts guys

 

[Midwest]

Do you mean he was sleeving a 'red' wire 'brown' and a 'black' wire 'blue'?

 

[Pete999]

My aunt and uncle came over today and we got on to the subject of electrics, he had a guy come over to one of his shops to add four new shop light fittings everything was fine and the certificates were issued, but one things my uncle said thats lingered is that the building being over 30 years old is wired in non standard colours (red and black) but the spark insisted on adding sleeving (brown and blue) to all the light fittings on the ground floor which I assume was on the same circuit as where the four new lamps were being supplied off.

Is that normal practice to sleeve every light fitting in the shop floor (assuming its on the same circuit) or just sleeving the new lamp fittings you're installing?

Good to know your thoughts guys

Did Matey the sparks stick a colour change sticker on the fuse board where the supply to the lights come from?

 

[SparkyChick]

Personally, I'd use new cable colours, wouldn't sleeve old cables and just stick a sticker on the board.

As far as I know there is no regulation that requires all existing cables to be sleeved to the new colours, so sounds like he was just padding out the job to make more money.

 

[telectrix]

My aunt and uncle came over today and we got on to the subject of electrics, he had a guy come over to one of his shops to add four new shop light fittings everything was fine and the certificates were issued, but one things my uncle said thats lingered is that the building being over 30 years old is wired in non standard colours (red and black) but the spark insisted on adding sleeving (brown and blue) to all the light fittings on the ground floor which I assume was on the same circuit as where the four new lamps were being supplied off.

Is that normal practice to sleeve every light fitting in the shop floor (assuming its on the same circuit) or just sleeving the new lamp fittings you're installing?

Good to know your thoughts guys

the guy is either an arse or a conman, or both.

 

[Pete999]

the guy is either an arse or a conman, or both.

Been on a course Tel hasn't he

 

[Sparky_marky2]

the guy is either an arse or a conman, or both.

Just what i was thinking padding the job out...

 

[Sparky_marky2]

Personally, I'd use new cable colours, wouldn't sleeve old cables and just stick a sticker on the board.

As far as I know there is no regulation that requires all existing cables to be sleeved to the new colours, so sounds like he was just padding out the job to make more money.

I assume he used new cable colours on the new install but for ALL the existing lamps fittings he added brown and blue sleeving (which no doubt was to drag the job), and yes I did ask them if there was a sticker of non standard colours on the CU, anyway I'll be popping over when I have a chance to see myself.

 

[Des 56]

If your shop has the older colours and is 3 phase,the phase colours would be red yellow blue with a black neutral
Lights have a neutral which may have been black,its now sleeved blue,you therefore have both live and neutral in the installation coloured blue
It can causes confusion and is best left alone

 

[telectrix]

if he were to do it right, he should have sleeved the black switch live in red. and left the N's alone. bloody sh1te.

 

[Midwest]

The way I thought this worked was harmonised colours should be sleeved as appropriate, and the old non harmonised colours should be sleeved as appropriate, i.e. not a mixture of. Guess this sparky is just a bit confused.

Always mark up old black switch wires with a bit of red tape, should I come across them unmarked, but not with brown tape.

 

[telectrix]

i use a bit of heat shrink red, then it don't fall off when i'm reconnecting, causing me a lot of grief belling out the cables to find the switch wire again.

 

[Midwest]

i use a bit of heat shrink red, then it don't fall off when i'm reconnecting, causing me a lot of grief belling out the cables to find the switch wire again.

I can't be arsed to disconnect the wire

 

[Sparky_marky2]

If your shop has the older colours and is 3 phase,the phase colours would be red yellow blue with a black neutral
Lights have a neutral which may have been black,its now sleeved blue,you therefore have both live and neutral in the installation coloured blue
It can causes confusion and is best left alone

Sorry should have said its single phase supplying the cob shop and the attached accommodation above which they just use for storage

 

[Des 56]

My mate used to say "If they don't know the Black switch wire is live and they need some red tape to tell them,they shouldn't be arsing around in the switch in the first place"

 

[Des 56]

Sorry should have said its single phase supplying the cob shop and the attached accommodation above which they just use for storage

Understand,I was just making a point that it can make matters worse even if the spark thinks he is doing right

 

[telectrix]

I can't be arsed to disconnect the wire

i do as it's usually in a 60 year old choc block, all gone brown, so i replace with wagos, cursing wildly as i untwist the 4 cpc's and sleeve separately.

 

[Midwest]

My mate used to say "If they don't know the Black switch wire is live and they need some red tape to tell them,they shouldn't be arsing around in the switch in the first place"

I just feel I'm doing something to help the countless weekend warriors, who come home with their shiny new dimmer switches. Sort of help the hopeless.

 

[The Ghost]

I tend to sleeve old colours, but then at a switch there may be 3 different colours for live 4 if you count the return on a black. As some of the wiring I come across is actually using the old phase colours all in one switch then you sometimes get the new phase colours in and I find myself seriously questioning - Are you sure you want to connect this blue wire to the red..or black to red sometimes.

 

[Octopus]

Life is too short to F around doing things as described here .......... if the price wasn't agreed before he started, I would be asking for a discount......... for unnecessary work undertaken.........