110 outlet wire colors - IOT Wiring Diagram

Outlet wire colors are an integral part of electrical wiring, since they help indicate what kind of wire you’re dealing with. But have you ever been confused by the various outlet wire colors, and wished you had a quick reference guide to help you identify them? If so, then here’s some good news - there are 110 different outlet wire colors that electricians use and knowing which one is which can undoubtedly come in handy!

Let’s start with the basic colors. Black, white, red, blue, and green are the five colors you might typically find in cable sheathing or inside the wires of an outlet. Black is used for hot lines while white denotes neutral. Red is used as an alternate hot while blue and green are often used as grounding wires. Each of these colors corresponds to a specific voltage rating, with black the highest at 240 volts, followed by red at 208 volts, white at 120 volts, and finally blue and green at 30 volts and below.

In addition to these main colors, more than 100 other colors may be used to denote specific purposes. For example, brown is used for travelers in three-way and four-way switches, pink indicates controls and alarms, yellow denotes switched hot, and purple is used in some systems as a combination of hot and neutral. Knowing the meanings of all of these outlet wire colors can be very useful when trying to trace and repair a circuit. Knowing their designations can also help prevent shock or other hazards from improper installation — and that’s why having an understanding of outlet wire colors is essential.

The Diffe Colored Electrical Wires Explained Hgtv