5 Wire Lighting Circuit...Ground & Wire Color Q's

[Spudland_Dave]

Is it OK to share a ground between circuits?
What I want to accomplish is wire the flourescent lighting in my workshop end of the garage on 2 seperate 15A circuits, 2 seperate switches. Wire will be 14ga THHN. Because the lighting will be connected continously from end to end, wire will enter one end of the light with both circuits.
Because they will all be in the same conduit how do I handle wire coloring? Can I run the traditional White/Black/Green and any other 2 colors? Such as Yellow and Red? Red would be the 2nd "Hot" and Yellow would be my 2nd Neutral?

 

[pattenp]

Why not run it as a MWBC and only have 4 wires? Black,Red,White,Green. Use 2 single pole breakers with a handle tie. Down side is if servicing the circuit you don't have any light.

Edit: you can use different colors for ungrounded conductors but you must post at the the circuit origin what the color codes are.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Why not run it as a MWBC and only have 4 wires? Black,Red,White,Green. Use 2 single pole breakers with a handle tie. Down side is if servicing the circuit you don't have any light.

Thought about that...its not like I'd be totally in the dark...the other half of the shop has its own panel and own lighting circuit...
Nothing says I dont/cant do it that way...I just came out of our last conversation about MWBC's thinking whats the point of using one...maybe this is the perfect application?

**Edit** I think if I could share the ground and the only cost difference would be that one additional wire...I guess for the 15-20 bucks of wire (would only buy what I need for that 5th wire color) I'd just assume have 2 breakers which wouldnt common trip..not that a bunch of floursecents will be an issue.

 

[May Pop]

Neutral is always WHITE or Natural gray.
Use black and red. If you use 2 circuits from different phases you will only need one neutral. They will balance each other out.
Only one green also.

 

[pattenp]

Neutral is always WHITE or Natural gray.
Use black and red. If you use 2 circuits from different phases you will only need one neutral. They will balance each other out.
Only one green also.

Yeah...?? That's what a MWBC (multi wire branch circuit) is.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Neutral is always WHITE or Natural gray.
Use black and red. If you use 2 circuits from different phases you will only need one neutral. They will balance each other out.
Only one green also.

Actually, International standard (IEC) for Neutral is Blue...not white or gray. Or as my dad would call it... "Metric Wire Color"
Green w/Yellow Stripe = Ground
Brown = Hot (what we have as Black)

 

[May Pop]

National code IS NOT BLUE. So if you are in a foreign county put it in. If you knew the answer do it your way.

 

[LennyTheLizard]

Actually, International standard (IEC) for Neutral is Blue...not white or gray. Or as my dad would call it... "Metric Wire Color"
Green w/Yellow Stripe = Ground
Brown = Hot (what we have as Black)

I believe that is for DC Circuits only. All 24VDC sensors we use at work have brown and blue for 24+VDC and Common. I've never seen these colors used for AC.

 

[Norcal]

Actually, International standard (IEC) for Neutral is Blue...not white or gray. Or as my dad would call it... "Metric Wire Color"
Green w/Yellow Stripe = Ground
Brown = Hot (what we have as Black)

Yeah, & it's 50 Hertz & depending on the country, it's also 220, 230*, or 240 volts. *Harmonised standard is 230V.

Leave it to the Europeon dingbats to come up w/ a nonsense color code, in my humble opinion a neutral should be a neutral color like white or gray.

If in the US, the NEC or local codes dictate what color the grounded/ neutral conductor is......

 

[Charles (in GA)]

And thank goodness we didn't get a "metric" time, a day with 10 hours in it, and an hour with 10 minutes in it!!!!!!!!!!!

WTH did this 50 hz come from anyhow? dang Europeans, there are 60 seconds in a minute, and 60 minutes in an hour, not 50, never did figure that one out.

Charles

 

[BigGMC]

I believe that is for DC Circuits only. All 24VDC sensors we use at work have brown and blue for 24+VDC and Common. I've never seen these colors used for AC.

Cut the plug off your monitor.... bet you'll see brown and blue. I see 'em all the time.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Cut the plug off your monitor.... bet you'll see brown and blue. I see 'em all the time.

You beat me to it...I was going to say, I bet you guys ALL have "IEC" colored conductors in your house...
PC Power Cord, Flat Panel TV, Flat Panel Monitor, Some Satelite or Cable Boxes, etc... In my field, I see it all the time.

If you have a cord like this in your house...You got Whacky Wiring..