Old House Wiring Colors
Opening up an outlet or light switch box you might be confronted with a bewildering array of wires of different colors.
Old house wiring colors. Black gray silver white colored fabric covered nmc electrical wire insulation the exterior insulation on cloth or fabric insulated nmc electrical wires are often black silver or white but may also be black or brown. Knowing the purpose of each wire will keep you safe and your house s electrical system in top working order. Blue yellow violet and brown wires often act as the travelers to transfer power between the switches in 3 way and 4 way switch applications. Identifying house electric wiring colors.
Whenever you see a black wire you. The oldest type of wiring system found in homes is called knob and tube named for the insulating knobs and tubes are used to run the wiring along and through the house framing. There can be other colors of hot wires in some systems as well but black is the most common. It does this through the neutral.
Home wiring colors black red blue brown orange and yellow phases white and gray neutral green and bare conductor protective earth ground green yellow stripe ground or isolated ground. Knob and tube wiring was run as individual wires one black hot wire and one white neutral wire throughout the home. To complete the circuit the current must return to the power source. Old cable colours could be due to the age of the property or the wiring system which simply hasn t been monitored or tested as regularly.
The wire that carries the current from the power source to the outlet or receptacle is the hot wire. Neutral wires should be white. Black white bare copper and other colors closely intermingle yet each one has a specific purpose.