Electrical Wiring Colours: Brown, Black and Grey

The use of wiring colours to identify electrical conductors is essential for the proper operation of any electrical system. In particular, the colours brown, black and grey are used to indicate the presence of a live conductor in electrical systems. This article will discuss the meaning and application of these three colours in more detail.

Brown – Live Conductors

In most countries, including the UK and Europe, the colour brown is universally used to identify live conductors. These are the wires that carry current, either directly from a power outlet or transformer, or indirectly through a switch, circuit breaker, fuse or other control device. Live conductors can carry very large amounts of current, so it is important to ensure they are correctly identified by colour.

Black – Neutral Conductors

The colour black is typically used to identify neutral conductors in an electrical system. Neutral conductors are the wires that return current back to the source. These can be either direct, in which case the wire runs directly from the source to the load, or indirect, in which case the wire runs from the source to a switch or other control device before returning back to the source. Neutral conductors do not carry any voltage, so they must always be identified by colour.

Grey – Earth or Ground Conductors

The colour grey is used to identify earth or ground conductors in an electrical system. These wires provide protection against electric shock and are typically located between the live and neutral conductors. Additionally, they are used to safely discharge any residual current that is present in the system. Thus, they must always be correctly identified by colour.

Easy Chart Electrical Wire Color Codes Infographic Wira