With the arrival of good weather and vacations, many people take the opportunity to make bathroom renovations or make improvements to their home. Whether it’s installing a new stereo or fixing a simple loose cable, these small projects require a series of knowledge to avoid accidents. Among the necessary information, one of the most useful data is the meaning of the color of each wire.
Although it may seem like a simple matter of aesthetics, the truth is that the color of each cable indicates its exact function and guarantees safety of those who use them. Therefore, beyond the mythical movie scenes in which the protagonists must decide between cutting the red or blue cable, knowing their meaning will be essential to guarantee success in our small home and office projects. reduce the risk of suffering an accident.
Just as spice jars follow a color code, cables in Spain are governed by specific regulations that regulate this color code. This is the UNE 21089-1 and its objective is unify criteria to avoid accidents and facilitate safe handling both professionals and other citizens. Within this you can distinguish brown, black, blue, green, yellow cables and other less common ranges such as white or gray.
What does each color on the cables mean?
According to Spanish regulations, those who present a black or brown tone are the phase cables. These are responsible for transporting the electrical current from the power source or panel to the device, plug or switch. Being the responsible for carrying electrical tensionis one of the most dangerous when handling it, so the power must be cut off and extreme caution must be taken.
The color blue indicates that it is a neutral wirewhich acts as a conductor and allows the current to return to its source. Therefore, it allows complete the electrical circuit both monophasic and triphasic. Although its charge is usually neutral, it should not be manipulated directly without having turned off the electricity.
Besides, green and yellow identify the ground wire. This is one of the most important cables, as they are responsible for diverting the current received by appliances and devices towards the ground in case of leakage. This will avoid that people who handle such devices suffer a electric shock. Its appearance usually has green and yellow stripes and, although it does not usually carry electricity, it is necessary to turn off the electricity to manipulate it.
What is the color of the positive and negative wire?
He grey is the color used for second or third phase cables in three-phase systems, which are responsible for transporting currents in high-power equipment and motors. and the colors white and yellow They usually appear in old installations. These are not regulated by UNE 21089-1, so its function cannot be identified at a glance. To manipulate the latter as well as the former, it is necessary to cut off the electrical current.
Finally, in the case of appliances and installations with DCit is also necessary to know which colors indicate a positive or negative polarity, since the mistake of reversing the polarities can be made. Therefore, it is necessary to know that the color red indicates that it is positive and the colorr black or dark blue indicates that it is negative. This will guarantee the correct functioning of the device and prevent it from being damaged.
Despite knowing the meaning of wire colors and how to handle them properly, experts warn against need to always cut off the electrical current that is going to operate with this type of conductive materials. Likewise, if the work turns out to be more complicated or laborious than it initially seemed, it will be necessary contact a professional to carry it out.