Wire Colours – What They Mean

20 May Wire Colours – What They Mean

Every electrical and electronic device has its own standards that it needs to abide by. And, no electrical or electronic device is complete without a wire. Thus, the wires used within should also abide by certain set standards. In fact, every element of the wire should abide by the standards, may it be conductor, insulation, sheath, fillers, bedding, armour, or jackets.

Today, in this blog, we will speak about wire jackets. You may have seen how every different wire within a single appliance has a different colour. Why do you think the colour variation? Is it just for fun? Is it just to make the boring electrical connections interesting? Obviously not! The reason for such colour variation is to help identify the type of wire instantly when there is a need for maintenance, repairing, or replacement. Thus, it is clear that every colour has its own specific meaning and purpose.

Jacket colours and their meaning

Red – This is the live wire which is used in switch leg that balances the load. When a switch is turned on and becomes hot, the red wires at the bottom of the switch’s terminal go off.

Green – These are the earthing or grounding wires in an electrical circuit which are attached to appliances like televisions, air conditioners, microwaves, geysers, etc. These are connected to the junction box, which is a direct pathway in the ground for the electrical current to flow without causing any shocks or electrocution. However, these wires cannot be connected to lighting and fan sockets.

Black – These are neutral wires or voltage transmission wires, which carry unbalanced load or unused electric current so that it can be transferred back to the electric panel. They are connected to the neutral bus bar or highly conductive metal bar within the electric panel to draw electric current for disbursement.

These are the standard colour codes being used in India for a while now. But, with new changes, modifications have been made, which are slowly being adopted across the country. These include –

• Brown or yellow wires indicating the live wire
• Blue, white, or grey wires indicating the neutral wire
• Green wires/green-and-yellow striped wires indicating the grounding wire

How to create a custom wire jacket colour?

With all the above information, you are now in a better position to create a custom wire jacket colour. But, first and foremost, you need to make sure that you are working with the right custom wire manufacturer in India. When you partner with a provider like Miracle Aerospace, the leading aerospace wiring harness manufacturer in India, you can create highly reliable aerospace grade custom wires based on any design and requirements you have. Such a partner will be able to help you choose both the right wire materials and colours for your application. The colour selections you make can support whatever system you are using, thus making everything easy, may it be routine maintenance or repairing or replacement. And, in addition, you can also get services like wire printing, wire labeling, prototyping, 3D CAD modeling, and much more here.