Replacements in Wiring Colors:

The standard colors of wiring in the United Kingdom changed officially on March 2004, but the start of changes happened before this date. The first change being brown was used as a phase conductor and blue as a neutral conductor for non-fixed installations such as flexible cables. Fixed installations remained unchanged at this time. This change occurred in the United Kingdom. The overall European standards have changed rapidly with time.

With the potential for a lot of issues where millions of people were using the old wiring or a mix of colors installed in their buildings, the Institute of Electrical Engineers decided on a date where migration from old colors to new colors was instigated to enable clear guidance for both installers and manufacturers. The Institute of Electrical Engineers decided that this change was to be made effective from May 31st, 2004 and also published Amendment 2 of 17^th Edition BS7671 Wiring Regulations on this date. This amendment made the installation of new wiring and cable colors compulsory for new fixed electrical wiring installations. Though, to allow manufacturers and installers time to adopt this change was made effective from March 31st, 2006. The motive of this move was to harmonize the wiring colors across Europe and also to mainstream the wiring practices in the United Kingdom in line with Europe.

New Changes in UK Wiring Colors:

The changes made by the amendment are the following:

• The Color of Protective Earth wire remained unchanged.
• The Color of Neutral wire changed to Blue from Black.
• The Color of Single Phase Line 1 changed to Brown from Red.
• The Color of 3-Phase Line 1 changed to Brown from Red.
• The Color of 3-Phase Line 2 changed to Black from Yellow.
• The Color of 3-Phase Line 3 changed to Grey from Blue.

When Cable or Wire needs Replacement?

In the UK, whenever you moved to the new apartment, building, or warehouse, make sure to check the wiring type and colors.  If there are old wiring and cable colors, then it is advised for you to get an electrical contractor to test the installation, they will check the condition of that cable. Old wires can cause a short circuit which can result in a Fire. The typical working life of old wiring is usually 30-40 years.

Moreover, to check the sheathing of the wire is also important. The cable used may use the old style of sheathing. If your building constructed in the 1960s or 1970’s you may find Tough Rubber Sheathing (TRS), Lead-sheathed cables, and Vulcanized Rubber insulated cables. The insulation and sheathing become weak over time due to high load and increasing temperature. The result of this is It can spoil the strength of rubber which then the cable deteriorates and breaks.

Currently, the more frequently used cables are PVC insulated Cables. PVC insulated cable manufactured after the late 1960s has become very popular. This technology is used in making new cable and wiring colors.