Dumb electrical question regarding wire colors

[David G Baker]

Yes. Why do you ask?

Greg

Greg,
Some 220 volt circuits do not need or use the third wire depending on the type of equipment that is being connected to it but it is best to have the third leg or ground wire for safety in a 120 volt circuit.

[Rob Russell]

Hopefully this thread doesn't turn into a major code discussion as most electrical questions seems to.

Rick,

What's wrong with the "code discussions" that occur in these electrical thread?

Oh well. I wrapped lots of white tape on it. If I sell my house I'll put it back the way it was.

First, we need to remember that Greg lives in Canada, so the Canadian Electrical Code is the basis for their local code. I don't even know if the local municipalities have the ability to modify or decide what electrical code they want to use as is the case in the USA.

We know that there are circumstances when it's is permissible (even required) to reidentify conductors as being what we'd call hot. I was curious as to whether it's permissible to reidentify a conducter to be the grounded/neutral conductor, so I looked it up in the NEC.

The answer is No.

This is a section from the NEC, Article 200 - Use and Identification of Grounded Conductors.

200.6 Means of Identifying Grounded Conductors.

(A) Sizes 6 AWG or Smaller.An insulated grounded conductor of 6 AWG or smaller shall be identified by a continuous white or gray outer finish or by three continuous white stripes on other than green insulation along its entire length.

The key phrase is the last 4 words - "along its entire length." That means we can't reidentify a conductor to be the neutral.

Greg,

Electrically, what you're doing is not likely to give you any problems. I would, as you suggest, "put it back" when you sell the house.

Rob
Addy protocol: unlicensed, homeowner electrician

[Rick Gifford]

Rick,

What's wrong with the "code discussions" that occur in these electrical thread?

Sometimes nothing. Sometimes it gets argumentive. Sometimes folks are looking for a simple answer. In my area a homeowner can get by with doing it one way where if they hired a licensed electrician the electrician would be required to follow code. I can get by remarking the wire as a homeowner, but the electrician would have to pull new wire (just an example and not sure if this example is correct).

So many electrical questions end up pages long over code discussions when a person just asked if anyone had done it a certain way before.

So long answer short, we can make answers rather technical.

[John Hixon]

ok , another dumb electrical question ..
i was under the impression that 240 v has 2 hot leads , 1 black and 1 red + some sort of ground ??

That is correct, there is , however, two ways to get 240, three wire and 4 wire. Appliances can have either.
Three wire, two hots, red and black, no neutral, and ground.
four wire, two hots, red and black, white neutral and ground.

the advantage of four wire, is a separate ground, that will create a safety ground on the chassis of the equipment, and should never carry current.

[Greg Funk]

That is correct, there is , however, two ways to get 240, three wire and 4 wire. Appliances can have either.
Three wire, two hots, red and black, no neutral, and ground.
four wire, two hots, red and black, white neutral and ground.

the advantage of four wire, is a separate ground, that will create a safety ground on the chassis of the equipment, and should never carry current.

Both 3-wire and 4-wire circuits have an equipment ground wire. The advantage, for appliances, of the 4-wire circuit is that it is capable of providing both 120 and 240V whereas the 3-wire is for 240V only.

Greg

[jacques nolin]

there is no problem with identifying the red wire with white tape red jacket wiring is used for heating wiring also the wire you are identifying is not the ground wire but the neutral hope this helps