Electric Panel Cables Color Code

wrosario · July 8, 2006, 12:21am

Want to know if gray cable can be used with a GFCI Breaker acting as neutral cable, while a Red Cable is the Hot Cable.

Please advise, I know is Friday night but my report needs to go out tomorrow and I don’t feel confortable with this, and have no asnwer neither finding support documents.

Thanks

Ortiz 138.jpg

pbolliger · July 8, 2006, 12:59am

Yes,
Light Grey can be used for Neutral.

bkelly1 · July 8, 2006, 1:34am

Typically it means 277 volt here, but I believe it can be used as well in residential 120 volt systems.

jpope · July 8, 2006, 1:52am

Those appear to be AFCI breakers, not GFCI’s. There’s a difference, but that does not change the answer to your question.

wrosario · July 8, 2006, 2:53am

Jeffry, Ben y Patrick thanks to you all for the info, that was my pending item since I feel not confortable with this.

roconnor · July 8, 2006, 2:48pm

Green or bare for ground wires … white or grey for neutral wires … and anything else can be used for hot wires (red, purple, or whatever floats your boat). The IRC has a short and sweet section on this for houses.

E3307.1 Grounded conductors [Neutral Wires].
Insulated grounded conductors of sizes No. 6 and smaller shall be identified by a continuous white or natural gray outer finish or by three continuous white stripes on other than green insulation along the entire length of the conductors.

Conductors of sizes larger than No. 6 shall be identified by a continuous white or natural gray outer finish or by three continuous white stripes on other than green insulation along the entire length of the conductor, or shall be identified by a distinctive white marking that is applied at the time of installation and that encircles the conductor at all terminations.

E3307.2 Equipment grounding conductors [Ground Wires].
Equipment grounding conductors shall be identified by a continuous green color or a continuous green color with one or more yellow stripes on the insulation or covering, except where bare.

E3307.3 Ungrounded conductors [Hot Wires].
Insulation on the ungrounded conductors shall be a continuous color other than white, gray or green.

Exception: An insulated conductor that is part of a cable or flexible cord assembly and that has a white or gray finish or a finish marking with three continuous white stripes shall be permitted to be used as an ungrounded conductor where it is permanently reidentified to indicate its use as an ungrounded conductor at all terminations and at each location where the conductor is visible and accessible.