Can anybody explain why it took (IIRC) about 30 years for the "standard"
colours for fixed wiring to be harmonised with those for flexible wiring.

Why did this not happen a long time ago?

David

On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 19:51:42 +0100, "Vortex" wrote:

Can anybody explain why it took (IIRC) about 30 years for the "standard"
colours for fixed wiring to be harmonised with those for flexible wiring.

Why did this not happen a long time ago?
Because it is & was absolutely unnecessary.
There is some sense in unifying colours for portable equipment across Europe etc., but none
whatsoever for fixed wiring.
It's only being done now as a sly way to help enforce the new building regs stuff.
The changes they are also bringing in for 3-phase are truly insane and will almost certainly kill
someone eventually.

In article , Mike
Harrison wrote:
It's only being done now as a sly way to help enforce the new
building regs stuff.

I suspect that the pressure for the change most probably came from
the cable makers so they can sell one product across Europe.

--
Tony Bryer SDA UK 'Software to build on' http://www.sda.co.uk
Free SEDBUK boiler database browser
http://www.sda.co.uk/qsedbuk.htm

"Mike Harrison" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 19:51:42 +0100, "Vortex"
wrote:

Can anybody explain why it took (IIRC) about 30 years for the "standard"
colours for fixed wiring to be harmonised with those for flexible wiring.

Why did this not happen a long time ago?
Because it is & was absolutely unnecessary.
There is some sense in unifying colours for portable equipment across
Europe etc., but none
whatsoever for fixed wiring.
It's only being done now as a sly way to help enforce the new building
regs stuff.
The changes they are also bringing in for 3-phase are truly insane and
will almost certainly kill
someone eventually.

Don't forget that apparently "the industry" is welcoming the colour change
because it helps colour blind electricians. I read an article about this in
some IEE mag a couple of months ago and this was the main reason they
mentioned. They completely forgot to mention the "sly enforcement" part of
it.

Stock up on those traditional red/black T&E reels now!

Regards,
Simon.

Tony Bryer wrote:

In article , Mike
Harrison wrote:
It's only being done now as a sly way to help enforce the new
building regs stuff.

I suspect that the pressure for the change most probably came from
the cable makers so they can sell one product across Europe.

I've just connected up the electric supply to my new bathroom
cabinet, and the cable colours on the cabinet were blue, black
and green/yellow It is obviously not UK origin, but was supplied
by my bathroom company. Are they allowed to do that?. Much more
chance for getting things wrong there.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

In article ,
"Simon Stroud" writes:
Don't forget that apparently "the industry" is welcoming the colour change
because it helps colour blind electricians.

If you read any of the trade press, you will find electricians
think it's stupid beyond belief, and down right dangerous.
I've not seen a single "welcoming" comment about it.
A colleague visiting a large company found notices in all the
wiring closets forbidding the use of the new wiring colours
anywhere on the premises.

I read an article about this in
some IEE mag a couple of months ago and this was the main reason they
mentioned. They completely forgot to mention the "sly enforcement" part of
it.

That's an interesting conspiracy theory, but I doubt that
really has any basis.

--
Andrew Gabriel

In article ,
Simon Stroud wrote:
Don't forget that apparently "the industry" is welcoming the colour
change because it helps colour blind electricians.

The common colour 'blindness' is red/green. Which was a problem with old
flex, but not with cable.

I welcome the standardisation. Might be a pity about the new 3 phase
colours - I wouldn't really know.

--
*I took an IQ test and the results were negative.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Simon Stroud" wrote in message ...
"Mike Harrison" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 19:51:42 +0100, "Vortex"
wrote:

Can anybody explain why it took (IIRC) about 30 years for the "standard"
colours for fixed wiring to be harmonised with those for flexible wiring.

Don't forget that apparently "the industry" is welcoming the colour change
because it helps colour blind electricians. I read an article about this in
some IEE mag a couple of months ago and this was the main reason they
mentioned. They completely forgot to mention the "sly enforcement" part of
it.

Stock up on those traditional red/black T&E reels now!

I can't see why you should have to stock up on the old colours. The
new harmonised colours are available now and I have already started to
use them. When part P comes in whose to say that any work was not done
prior to part P using the harmonised colours?

In article ,
legin wrote:
Stock up on those traditional red/black T&E reels now!

I can't see why you should have to stock up on the old colours.

DIY wise, if someone can't convert to the new colours for domestic
purposes and feels the need to stick with the old, I'd question their
competence to touch electricity.

--
*I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 17 Oct 2004 23:29:38 -0700, legin wrote:

I can't see why you should have to stock up on the old colours. The
new harmonised colours are available now and I have already started
to use them. When part P comes in whose to say that any work was not
done prior to part P using the harmonised colours?

Quite, I couldn't buy old colours the other week. If "they" wanted to
make the cable colours an indication (an only that) of when the work
was done they would have make the use of new illegal before a date and
the use of old illegal after that date. Enforcement and stock control
nightmare, mind you since when has that stopped the pen pushers...?

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Chris J Dixon" wrote in message
...
Tony Bryer wrote:

In article , Mike
Harrison wrote:
It's only being done now as a sly way to help enforce the new
building regs stuff.

I suspect that the pressure for the change most probably came from
the cable makers so they can sell one product across Europe.

I've just connected up the electric supply to my new bathroom
cabinet, and the cable colours on the cabinet were blue, black
and green/yellow It is obviously not UK origin, but was supplied
by my bathroom company. Are they allowed to do that?. Much more
chance for getting things wrong there.

Yes. EU harmonisation laws insist that a product meeting one countries
rules can be sold in another - with a few exceptions that I'm sure everybody
will now point out.