American Electrical Wiring Colours

[DaveR]

I have bought an American made battery charger (220v) which has the three wires coloured (or should that be colored?) black - white - green.

 

OK I can take a guess at green, but please which is live and which is neutral?

 

Thanks

[NB Willawaw]

Black is live (hot in American speak), White is neutral and green as you guessed is earth/ground.

 

Mark

[DHutch]

I'd say that black would be neutral.

- After all, thats what we use for cable.

 

But looking it on wiki (LINKY - see table on the right) reveals black to be live, with white a neutral, and green as earth.

 

But i always though that america didnt have live/neutral, but earthed it such that each phases where at half the voltage.

 

 

Daniel

Edited December 11, 2005 by dhutch

[atalanta]

Link below to a diagram you should find useful, the black is the live or hot.

 

 

American wiring

 

Terry

[John Orentas]

There is little standardisation in the USA there are variations state to state or even from one power company to another.

 

My guess, or from memory, not quite sure. Black and White will be two phases each of nominal 115 volts. The concept of live and neutral is very much a British one though in practise you can regard the appliance as you would a 230 volt one.

 

 

P.S. Having read the thread from Amicus I am surprised the person concerned is so dogmatic, unless there is indeed some sort of Hospital Standard. In most of the USA, or most of the world for that matter crossing over would not make any difference.

Edited December 11, 2005 by John Orentas

[Maffi]

IIRC Americans also use Black, Green and White for three phase systems.

 

I'm curious did you buy it in the UK?

Edited December 12, 2005 by Maffi

[DaveR]

Maffi,

 

Yes bought it in the UK, and as usual when I buy things I did not ask where it had been used. It looked in grand condition, well looked after and I just assumed it had been used onshore. The cable goes in through a grommeted hole and connects to a piece of chocolate block inside the connection flap. Flap is secured with a single self tapper. This is where I found the three coloured wires. To me a non electrical person, choclate block would suggest single phase.

 

Tha advert went :

 

NEWMAR AQUAMAN HEAVY DUTY MARINE AUTOMATIC BATTERY CHARGER/CONVERTER. This was manufacturered by Newmar of Newport Beach California. It is a 220 volt input and has a maximum of 40 amps output at 12 volts. This output is a continuous rating. It can connect up to 3 banks of batteries. It has automatic re-setting thermal protection, reverse polarity protection and meets various US Coast Guard standards for marine use. It is housed in a stainless steel casing. There is an amps meter on the face.

 

OK, if it is 3 phase am I goosed?

 

Are there any checks I can do to find out. If I have to dismantle it, I will have to drill out stailess steel rivets to do so. If I do, can I replace the rivets with brass nuts and bolts?

 

What a way to start Monday ! What ever, thank you

[Gary Peacock]

I did a call out yesterday to a two year old narrowboat and the AC was Black White & Green (Black was neutral) strange but explainable in that a lot of marine AC cable originates from the USA and that's the colour codes it comes in. I recently ordered some 40 amp cable for a special AC application and that's what we got.

[John Orentas]

Dave.

 

If it clearly states "220 volts" you can be 99% certain it is a single phase (but you never quite know with American gear) connect it up on a fused supply and try it. Nothing subtle about it, it will either work or it won't. I am sure you will be OK.

[Keeping Up]

 

OK, if it is 3 phase am I goosed?

 

Are there any checks I can do to find out. If I have to dismantle it, I will have to drill out stailess steel rivets to do so. If I do, can I replace the rivets with brass nuts and bolts?

 

What a way to start Monday ! What ever, thank you

I used to do "type approval" exercise for a lot of imported IT equipment. It nearly all came with Black White and Green mains cable, which always assumed that it would receive its supply (be it 110v or 220v) across the black and white wires with the green wire being earthed.

 

On 110 the supply could be EITHER 55v ac on each wire, in antiphase to each other so that they add up to 110v (this type of supply is common in much of the US as it is reckoned that 55v will only kill you a little bit) OR a nominal zero on the white wire and 110v on the other (similar to our own UK set-up). On the 220v setting it always assumed a nominal zero on the white wire and 220v on the other, so you should treat the white wire as neutral and the black wire as live (and the green as earth).

 

The only problem we found was that once in a while the equipment would burst into flames during the test, because the American designer had failed to realise that 2x110 is not 240.

 

Before granting type-approval we used to insist that either the manufacturere or the importer cut off the wire and replaced it with a standard UK one of Blue, Brown, and Greeen/Yellow.

 

So my advice is, stop worrying and just connect it up.

 

Hope that makes your Monday seem more hopeful - Allan.

 

PS can anyone remember the old Japanese colour code? It was something like Red earth and Black live wasn't it?

[bottle]

 

Just to add more confusion, all buildings wiring now has to follow the colour code of flex.

 

I.e. Brown - Live, Blue - Neutral, Green/Yellow - Earth.

[Keeping Up]

Just to add more confusion, all buildings wiring now has to follow the colour code of flex.

 

I.e. Brown - Live, Blue - Neutral, Green/Yellow - Earth.

Staying for a moment: DIY work done in the old house wiring colours didn't need certifying as safe; now you can only do some minor categories of DIY work, all other work must be done or inspected by a "professional" in the new colours and certified as safe. This must mean that the new colours are unsafe, so I shall continue using the old colours (thus proving that the work was done before the rules were changed) and avoid the increased risk that is presumably caused by the need to store an inflammable certificate.

 

How long before the same rules are applied to boats?

 

Allan

[Gary Peacock]

Staying for a moment: DIY work done in the old house wiring colours didn't need certifying as safe; now you can only do some minor categories of DIY work, all other work must be done or inspected by a "professional" in the new colours and certified as safe. This must mean that the new colours are unsafe, so I shall continue using the old colours (thus proving that the work was done before the rules were changed) and avoid the increased risk that is presumably caused by the need to store an inflammable certificate.

 

How long before the same rules are applied to boats?

 

Allan

 

Not long!

[bottle]

Staying for a moment: DIY work done in the old house wiring colours didn't need certifying as safe; now you can only do some minor categories of DIY work, all other work must be done or inspected by a "professional" in the new colours and certified as safe. This must mean that the new colours are unsafe, so I shall continue using the old colours (thus proving that the work was done before the rules were changed) and avoid the increased risk that is presumably caused by the need to store an inflammable certificate.

 

How long before the same rules are applied to boats?

 

Allan

 

Allan

 

When stock of old colours runs out you will not be able to use the old, better lay in a stock now

[Keeping Up]

Allan

 

When stock of old colours runs out you will not be able to use the old, better lay in a stock now

Don't worry, I've already done that. B&Q were selling drums of it off cheap because it was obsolete!

 

Allan

[ChrisPy]

I shall continue using the old colours (thus proving that the work was done before the rules were changed) and avoid the increased risk that is presumably caused by the need to store an inflammable certificate.

 

Allan

LUVVIT !!!