wire color

[JJSCHM]

Any electricians that can answer this naive question? Do I have to use red, black and white wire to my sub panel? I have plenty of black for all three lines. Sorry if this is a dumb question.

Thanks,
Jon

 

[mikeyr]

I don't know if there are any rules about it but I can certainly say what a nightmare it will be to trace down the road when you have problems or want to add anything.

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

I have just wrapped red, white electrical tape on the ends to show what is what. Wrap about 6"-8" for id purposes.
(Not sure if this is code) but it works for me.

 

[PAToyota]

Yes, it is code that wire be properly marked by color for its intended purpose. As Iron states, you can get away with wrapping the proper color electrical tape around the ends to signify what is what.

 

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

Not to sound rude but who would NOT use the proper color coded wires to a sub panel. Also, something I learned doing my garage. The neutrals and the copper grounds need their own seperate ground/bus bars in the sub panel. Neutral and copper grounds need to be seperated in the sub panel. Also, if the main house has the earth ground rod, and it should, you don't need one on the sub panel. Actually you shouldn't use one as it might create a ground loop. At least this is what my electrician told me as I was wiring my garage sub panel.

 

[PAToyota]

Not to sound rude but who would NOT use the proper color coded wires to a sub panel?

OP already stated that - it is what he has on hand... But definitely not code unless he marks it properly and generally confusing in any case...

 

[TxDoc]

You have to mark the ground (green) and the neutral (white). Wire itself does not have to be color coded, but you need to use correctly colored tape at the termination in the panel.

 

[5wndwcpe]

Heat shrink tubing comes in colors and is alot neater than tape. Plus, it doesn't become unraveled.

 

[Aceman]

There's always so many responses to these electrical threads, yet know one seems to check a code book first before spouting info...

The phases can be black.

Neutrals and grounds #6 and smaller must have a continuous outer finish that is white or green, respectively. Trying to tape the entire length white or green will possibly get you a red tag.

200.6(A)
250.119

Link to 05 code book:
http://www.nfpa.org/freecodes/free_access_agreement.asp?id=7005SB&cookie_test=1

 

[chevytruck]

yep neutral has to white or gray in color and Ground has to be green, Under /#6 like aceman said. It will save you many headaches also if in the future stuff goes bad

 

[CalGeo]

JJSCHM, you did not say what size wire you were intending on using. If you are bringing anything bigger than 50 amps #6 you can use black for all three wires but you must color code the grounded conductor (White Neutral) in practice single phase wiring was:
BLACK "A" PHASE
RED "B" PHASE
WHITE "NEUTRAL"(GROUNDED CONDUCTOR)
GREEN "GROUNDING CONDUCTOR"

The code book only mandates a few colors now GREEN or GREEN/YELLOW for the GROUNDING CONDUCTOR, WHITE or GRAY for the GROUNDED CONDUCTOR (NEUTRAL) and ORANGE for the "STINGER or HOT" leg in a 3 phase panel.

As stated all wire (#6 and smaller #8,#10,#12 etc) must be a solid color and not marked by color coded tape.