Electrical Wiring Color Code Standards in Villa Park, CA; Brown, Pink & Other Colors of Wire

Working with electricity, as most know, is dangerous, especially if you do not know what you are doing. The risk of electrocution and even electrical fires increases when the wiring is slow. A recipe for disaster during a DIY project, however, is not knowing your way around electrical systems; and whether if it is a failure to properly ground a circuit or just a faulty or mistakenly attached wire, hazards can occur. The fifth-leading cause of occupational deaths is electrocutions according to studies by the Center for Injury Sciences. Before starting on an electrical project, if you insist on doing your own electrical, be more knowledgeable about the specific task. More than one third of electrical fires is due to bad wiring. We encourage those unfamiliar with electricity to seek a professional being that Peterkin Electric are major advocates of electrical safety. Today we would like to discuss deciphering wiring color code today for those adamant on doing their own work needs the basic. To make a difference between a professional job and a total mess and be a lot safer, this quick guide to wire coloring can be useful.

Orange, Purple & Other Color Electrical Wires

Yellow Wires: Should the room have power; you should assume the wires are live. The yellow live wires are pulled through a conduit and they are usually the wiring that are usually used in ceiling fans and lights.
Blue Wires: Blue wires should be presumed live in the event the room as power. These live wires are pulled through a conduit and are usually used in 3-way and 4-way switches.
Green Wires: These wires should always be treated with caution. Though not normally hot, if there is a fault in the circuit they can be, otherwise these grounding wires are not normally live.
White & Gray Wires: They are likely to be live if the load is unbalanced and should be respected as potentially live. They are never attached to live wires, as the white and gray are neutral wires.
Black Wires: Black wires should be considered hot wires. Power is transferred through black wires in switches and outlets.
Red Wires: Red wires are viewed as hot wires as well. Being secondary to black wires, they can be connected to black wires. Frequently used for smoke detectors, they are usually present in 220-volt circuits.
Bare Copper Wires: Copper wires are the most common type of wire used for grounding, as they are bare are ground wires. Electrical devices must be grounded. In the event of a fault, the grounding provides a safe pathway for electricity to travel. To the ground or earth, the current passes back. The bare copper wires connect to electrical devices, like the outlets, switches, and fixtures, as well as metal appliance frames or housings. Metal electrical boxes also need ground connection because they are made of a conductive material.

Electrical Wiring & More in Laguna Woods, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Irvine, Lake Forest & Orange County, California

It is always better to contact a professional for long-term efficiency and most importantly, safety, though this guide can help. For any of your electrical services contact Peterkin Electric today!

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