N on the wire. Letter designations of elements on electric circuits. Phase coloring at electrical substations

Work with electricity is regulated by special "Electrical Installation Rules" (PUE). Here, the color marking of a particular wire and cable used in electrics is clearly spelled out. Therefore, the designation of phase and zero is the standard for all installation wires.

The electrician opens the junction box. And there - the cables are the same, white color. It is extremely difficult to work with them. And to determine the purpose of each, you need to measure all indicators with a multimeter or.

Wires must be checked with an indicator screwdriver or multimeter

It is clear that the coloring of the wires greatly facilitates the repair process. This approach ensures the safety of the work, makes the process simpler and more convenient. In addition, the electrician spends much less time focusing on the colors of the wires.

To equip the electrical network in the house, three main cables are used: phase, zero, ground. During installation, color marking according to poue is used.

It's not hard to remember them. Moreover, usually three main cables are used to equip the electrical network in the house: phase, zero, ground. During installation, color marking according to poue is used. So, it is impossible to confuse the purpose of a particular wire.

Marking the phases by color will help you hang the chandelier correctly, connect any electrical equipment to the network. The most obvious example is with a lamp. If you mix up the phase and zero, when replacing a light bulb, a person will receive a powerful electric shock. And vice versa. When phase and zero, their designation is not confused, you can even touch a burning lamp. It's absolutely safe. After all, the phase goes to the switch, and zero - to the lamp, neutralizing the voltage.

Letter hints

In wiring diagrams, not only color, but also letter marking is adopted. The main thing is to remember three notations. This is l, n, pe in electrics. These letter designations are also excellent tips for craftsmen.

Color and symbols will help you understand the wires

The designation l and n in electrics is applied near the connection terminals. These are the first letters of English words or phrases denoting the function of a particular wire. These simple symbols will guide you on how to properly connect the device to the network.

It should be noted that l and n in electrics are universal designations. They are accepted everywhere. This means that there will be no problems with connecting equipment, devices, devices of foreign manufacturers. And the designations l, n in electrics will tell you which wire to which you need to connect.

Grounding: safety green-yellow

Grounding or protective conductor is, first of all, safety. Electrical safety is worth a lot. This cable functions as a substitute. And it comes into play only when the insulation of the phase or neutral conductor is broken. Simply put, without grounding, a faulty electrical appliance will hit a person at the moment of contact, but not with grounding.

That is why now different Appliances, other devices are available with a protective cable. Grounding must necessarily have an electrical wiring at home.

Grounding wires ensure the safety of electricity in the house

Grounding is denoted by the combination pe - short for the phrase Protective Earthing. Sometimes they write the word "land". In the diagrams, a graphically marked cable can be marked with special symbols:

If you disassemble the color designation, then, according to GOST R50462, yellow-green colors are used for this type of cable. In a rigid single-core wire, the main one is green color trimmed with a yellow stripe. In soft stranded, yellow is used as the main color. The longitudinal stripe, on the other hand, is green. There are non-standard options color coding protective connections. In this case, the strips have a transverse view. In addition, only green colors are used.

Often a ground cable is paired with a neutral cable. Then a blue border is added to the yellow-green coloring at the ends of the cable. In this case, the literal abbreviation - pen - changes.

Video: how to figure out the color coding of wires

One way or another, but the answer to the question, what color is the ground in a three-wire wire, is unambiguous. You should always look for a green-yellow combination.

In the switchboard, grounding is not difficult to find. A special bus is used to connect it. Otherwise, the cable is attached to the body and metal door shield.

Zero conductor

The neutral conductor or, as it is also called, the neutral performs a simple but important function. It equalizes the loads in the network, providing a voltage of 220 volts at the output. Eliminates phases from jumps and distortions, neutralizing them. Not surprisingly, its symbol is the letter n - derived from the English word Neutral. And the combination of designations n, l in electrics always go side by side.

The color of the neutral wire is always blue. Of course, there are variations - from dark blue to sky blue. But blue is also blue in Africa.

Zero conductor is always blue light

In the switchboard, all cables of a given color are grouped on one, zero bus with the corresponding letter abbreviation. IN sockets also have the necessary markings.

Therefore, the master will never confuse where to attach a special zero contact.

Such marking, the principle of operation is applicable to both single-phase and three-phase network.

Phase: assorted colors

It is through the phase that the voltage passes. So, you need to be especially careful when working with this type of cable. This wire is denoted by the letter l in electrics, which is an abbreviation for the word Line. In a three-phase network, the following designation of conductors is used: l1, l2, l3. Sometimes instead of numbers are used English letters. Then it turns out la, lb, lc.

Wire color coding

A lot can be said about the color designation of phases. One thing is clear: the phase conductor can be of any color, except for yellow, green and blue. However, in Russia they found their answer to the question of what color the phase is. According to GOST R 50462-2009, it is recommended to use black or Brown color. However, this standard is only a recommendation. Therefore, manufacturers do not limit themselves to certain color frames. For example, red and white are much more common than brown. Bright colors - pink, turquoise, orange, purple are also often present in the set. It is believed that bright colors will protect from danger, attract the attention of the master. Still, stress is no joke.

Phase color coding helps in multi-phase networks. Cables with several phases differ in color, which makes it easier for an electrician. Despite this, they must be handled with care.

Trust but check

Despite GOSTs and standards, color marking may not always correspond to the purpose of a particular cable. Therefore, it is better to check the correctness of the marking before connecting the equipment. A three-core wire is best tested with a multimeter. The device will point to the phase wire and, accordingly, to the zero one.

Before connecting, it is better to check the correctness of the marking with special equipment.

In general, a three-core cable is often used in electrics. That is why it is important to learn how to work with it. It is very important to observe color symmetry. The colors of the wires by phase must be strictly observed. Only conductors of the same color should be connected to each other.. Otherwise, trouble cannot be avoided. Equipment may break down. Masters can be electrocuted. Incorrectly connected wiring can cause a fire. In order to avoid all this, the marking of phases, cables, terminals is just used.

When assembling their equipment, global manufacturers of household appliances use color marking of mounting wires. It is a designation in electrics L and N. Due to a strictly defined color, the master can quickly determine which of the wires is phase, zero or ground. This is important when connecting or disconnecting equipment from the power supply.

Types of wires

When connecting electrical equipment, installing various systems, one cannot do without special conductors. They are made from aluminum or copper. These materials are excellent conductors of electricity.

Zero conductors

These wires fall into three categories:

• zero working conductors.
• zero protective (earth) conductors.
• zero conductors, combining a protective and working function.

What is the designation of wires in electrics L and N? Network neutral or zero working conductor in circuits electrical circuits denoted by the Latin letter "N". Zero conductors of cables have the following color:

• blue color throughout its length without additional inclusions;
• Blue colour along the entire length of the core without additional inclusions.

What does L, N and PE mean in electrical? PE (N-RE) is a neutral protective conductor, which is colored along the entire length of the wire entering the cable with alternating yellow and green lines.

The third category of neutral conductors (REN-wires), which combine working and protective functions, has a color designation in electrics (L and N). The wires are colored blue, with yellow-green stripes at the ends and connections.

The need to check labeling

The designation LO, L, N in electrics during the installation of electrical networks - important detail. How to check the correct color coding? To do this, you need to use an indicator screwdriver.

To determine which of the conductors is phase and which is zero using an indicator screwdriver, you need to touch it with a sting to the uninsulated part of the wire. If the LED lights up, then a phase conductor has been touched. After touching the neutral wire with a screwdriver, there will be no luminous effect.

The importance of the color marking of conductors and strict adherence to the rules for its use will significantly reduce the time installation work and troubleshooting electrical equipment, while ignoring these elementary requirements turns into a health risk.

In order to facilitate the installation of electrical wiring, all cable and wire products have the appropriate multi-colored marking. As a rule, in houses or apartments, a lighting device, sockets are connected using three wires. Each of them has its own purpose in the home electrical network. Therefore, the designation of the color of the earth wires is of great importance. Due to this, the time of installation and subsequent repair is significantly reduced. Thanks to the color marking, any kind of connection is not particularly difficult.

Ground wire

In most cases, yellow-green is used to designate the ground wire. Sometimes you can find conductors with only yellow insulation. Light green is even more rarely used. Typically, such wires are marked with the symbols PE. However, if the ground wire is aligned with the neutral, it is referred to as PEN. It is painted in green-yellow color, and at the ends there is a blue braid.

In the switchboard, the ground wire is connected to a special bus, or to the body and a metal door. IN junction box the connection is made with similar wires provided in lamps and sockets equipped with special grounding contacts. The ground wire does not need to be connected to a residual current device (RCD), so such protective devices are used where only two wires are used for electrical wiring.

Zero conductor (neutral)

For the neutral conductor or neutral, blue is traditionally used. The connection in the switchboard is carried out through a special zero bus, denoted by the symbol N. All wires that are blue are connected to this bus.

The bus itself is connected to the input via . In some cases, the connection can be made directly, without any additional automatic devices.

In the junction box, all blue neutral wires are connected together and do not take part in the switching. The exception is the wire coming from the switch. The blue wires are connected to sockets using a special zero contact, denoted by the letter N. This marking is affixed to the back of each socket.

Phase wire color

The phase does not have any exact designation. Quite often there are black, brown, red and other colors that differ from green, yellow and blue. In the switchboard installed in the apartment, the connection of the phase wire coming from the consumer is made with the circuit breaker contact located below. In other circuits, this conductor may be connected to a residual current device.

In switches, the phase is directly involved in switching. With its help, the contact is closed and opened - switching on and off. Thus, voltage is supplied to consumers, and, if necessary, this supply is stopped. In sockets, the phase conductor is connected to the contact marked L.

Wire Definition

Sometimes there are situations when it is necessary to determine the purpose of a particular wire if there is no marking on it. The simplest and most common way is. With its help, you can accurately determine which wire will be phase and which will be zero. First of all, you need to turn off the power supply at the panel. After that, the ends of the two conductors are stripped and bred to the sides away from each other. Then you need to turn on the power supply and determine the purpose of each wire with an indicator. If the bulb lights up upon contact with the core, this is a phase. So the other wire will be neutral.

If there is a ground wire in the wiring, it is recommended to use a multimeter. This device is equipped with two tentacles. The first measurement is set alternating current in the range of more than 220 volts at the appropriate mark. One tentacle is fixed at the end of the phase wire, and the second is determined by grounding or zero. In case of contact with zero, the display of the device will display a voltage of 220 volts. When touching the ground wire, the voltage will be noticeably lower.

Marking

There is not only the color of the wires phase, zero, earth, but also other types of markings, primarily letter and number designations. The first letter A indicates the wire material - aluminum. In the absence of this letter, the core material will be copper.

The main marking of wires in an electrician:

• AA - corresponds to a stranded aluminum cable with an additional braid of the same material.
• AC - additional lead braid.
• B - the presence of protection against moisture and an additional braid of two-layer steel.
• Bn - non-combustible cable braid.
• G - the absence of a protective shell.
• R - rubber sheath.
• HP - rubber sheath made of non-combustible material.

In order to correctly read and understand what this or that diagram or drawing related to electricity means, you need to know how the icons and symbols depicted on them are deciphered. A large number of information contain letter designations of elements in electrical diagrams defined by various regulatory documents. All of them are displayed in Latin characters in the form of one or two letters.

Single-letter symbolism of elements

Letter codes corresponding to individual types of elements that are most widely used in electrical circuits are combined into groups designated by one character. Letter designations correspond to GOST 2.710-81. For example, the letter "A" refers to the "Devices" group, which consists of lasers, amplifiers, telecontrol devices, and others.

In the same way, the group denoted by the symbol "B" is deciphered. It consists of devices that convert non-electric quantities into electrical quantities, which do not include generators and power supplies. This group is complemented by analog or multi-digit transducers, as well as sensors for indications or measurements. The components themselves included in the group are represented by microphones, loudspeakers, sound pickups, ionizing radiation detectors, thermoelectric sensing elements, etc.

All letter designations corresponding to the most common elements are combined in a special table for ease of use:

In addition, GOST 2.710-81 defines special symbols to designate each element.

Conventional graphic designations of electronic components in circuits

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Designation L and N in electrics

Every time you try to connect a chandelier or sconce, light or motion sensor, hob or exhaust fan, underfloor heating thermostat or LED strip power supply, as well as any other electrical equipment, you can see the following markings near the connection terminals - L and N.

Let's see what the designations L and N mean in electrics.

As you probably guessed, these are not just arbitrary characters, each of them carries a specific meaning and acts as a hint for the correct connection of an electrical appliance to the network.

Designation L in electrics

"L" - This marking came to the electrician from the English language, and it is formed from the first letter of the word "Line" (line) - the common name for the phase wire. Also, if it is more convenient for you, you can focus on such concepts of English words as Lead (lead wire, core) or Live (energized).

Accordingly, the designation L marks the clamps and contact connections intended for connecting the phase wire. In a three-phase network, alphanumeric identification (marking) of the phase conductors "L1", "L2" and "L3".

By modern standards ( GOST R 50462-2009 (IEC 60446:2007), operating in Russia, the colors of the phase wires are brown or black. But often, there may be white, pink, gray or wire of any other color than blue, white-blue, light blue, white-blue or yellow-green.

Designation N in electrics

"N" - a marking formed from the first letter of the word Neutral (neutral) - the generally accepted name for the zero working conductor, which in Russia is often called simply zero conductor or Zero (Null) for short. For this reason, it suits well English word Null (zero), you can focus on it.

The designation N in the electrician marks the clamps and contact connections for connecting the zero working conductor / neutral wire. Moreover, this rule applies to both single-phase and three-phase networks.

The wire colors that mark the neutral wire (zero, zero, zero working conductor) are strictly blue (blue) or white-blue (white-blue).

Earth symbol

If we are already talking about the designations L and N in electrics, one cannot fail to note such a sign -, which can also almost always be seen together with these two markings. This icon marks the clamps, terminals or contact connections for connecting the wire (PE - Protective Earthing), it is also a zero protective conductor, grounding, ground.

The generally accepted color marking of the neutral protective wire is yellow-green. These two colors are reserved only for ground wires and do not occur when designating phase or zero.

Unfortunately, often, the electrical wiring in our apartments and houses is not made in compliance with all strict standards and rules for color and alphanumeric marking for electricians. And knowing the purpose of the L and N markings for electrical equipment is sometimes not enough for a correct connection. Therefore, be sure to read our article “How to determine the phase, zero and ground yourself, with improvised means? ”, if you have any doubts, this material will come in handy.

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The transition to the usual voltage of 220 V was carried out back in the years of the Soviet Union and ended in the late 70s and early 80s. The electrical networks of that time were carried out according to a two-wire scheme, and the insulation of the wires was used in a single color, mostly white. In the future, household appliances of increased power appeared, requiring grounding.

The connection scheme gradually changed to three-wire. GOST 7396.1–89 standardized the types of power plugs bringing them closer to European ones. After the collapse of the USSR, new standards were adopted based on the requirements of the International Electrotechnical Commission. In particular, to improve safety when working in electrical networks and simplify installation, color gradation of wires was introduced.

Normative base

The main document describing the requirements for the installation of electrical networks is GOST R 50462–2009, which is based on the IEC 60446:2007 standard. It sets out the rules that the color marking of wires must comply with. They concern manufacturers of cable products, construction and operating organizations whose activities are related to the installation of electrical networks.

Extended installation requirements are contained in the Electrical Installation Code. They provide the recommended connection order, with a reference to GOST-R in paragraphs regarding color gradations.

The need for color separation

A two-wire system implies the presence of a phase and zero in the network. The plug for such sockets is used flat. The equipment is designed in such a way that the correct connection does not matter. It doesn’t matter which contact the phase will be applied to, the equipment will figure it out on its own.

With a three-wire system, an additional ground wire is provided. In the best case, improper wiring will cause the circuit breaker to trip constantly, in the worst case, damage to the equipment and a fire. The use of color gradation for conductors eliminates installation errors and eliminates the need to use special devices designed to measure the resulting voltage.

Three wire system

Let's look at a section of a three-core wire, which is used for laying household electrical networks.

The color of the wires indicates where the phase, zero and ground are located. Additionally, the figure shows typical letter designations used in electrical circuits. By picking up such a drawing, you can visually determine the correctness of the connection made.

Let's take a look at GOST and see how the color marking of wires shown in the figure meets the requirements. Clause 5.1 of the general provisions contains a description of the twelve colors to be used for marking.

Nine colors are allocated to indicate phase wires, one for zero and two for ground. The standard provides for the execution of the ground wire in a combined yellow-green design. Longitudinal and transverse application of stripes is allowed, while the predominant color should not occupy more than 70% of the braid area. Separate use of yellow or green in a protective coating is expressly prohibited by clause 5.2.1.

The indicated scheme is used for single-phase connection, suitable for most electrical appliances. It is almost impossible to get confused in it, with a correctly labeled wire.

Five-wire system

For a three-phase connection, five-core wires are used. Accordingly, three wires are allocated for phases, one for neutral or zero and one for protective, grounding. Color marking, as in any AC network, is similar, in accordance with the requirements of GOST.

In this case it will correct connection phase conductors. As can be seen in the figure, the protective wire is made in a yellow-green braid, and the zero wire is in blue. Allowed shades are used for phases.

Using five-core wires, you can connect a 380 V network with a correctly connected connection.

Combined wires

In order to reduce the cost of production and simplify connections, two or four-core wires are also used, in which the protective conductor is combined with the neutral one. In the documentation, they are abbreviated as PEN. As you guessed, it consists of the letters of the zero (N) and ground (PE) wires.

GOST provides for them a special color marking. Along the length, they are painted in the colors of the ground wire, that is, yellow-green. The ends must be necessarily painted blue, they also indicate all joints.

Since the places where the connection is made cannot be determined in advance, at these points the PEN wires are isolated using insulating tape or blue cambric.

Non-standard wires and markings

When purchasing a new wire, of course, you will pay attention to the color marking of the cores and choose the option where it is applied correctly. What to do in the event that the wiring has already been completed, and the colors of the wires do not meet the requirements of GOST? The output in this case is the same as with the PEN wires. You will have to perform manual marking after you decide on the role played by the conductors suitable for the equipment. A simple option would be to use colored electrical tape in the appropriate shades. At a minimum, it is worth designating the protective and neutral wires.

With professional installation, it is possible to use special cambric, which are hollow segments insulating material. They are divided into regular and shrink. The latter do not require selection by diameter, but do not have the possibility of reuse.

There are also specially made markers with an international alphanumeric designation. They are used on input and switchboards, for example, in apartment buildings or office buildings.

Digital labels, together with the color of the wire, allow you to determine which consumer is supplied with power.

Additional requirements

Since lines, like wiring, can be performed using various cable products, there are a number of rules for their mutual connection. The connection of a three-wire cable to a five-wire cable must be carried out in compliance with the color coding from master to slave. Accordingly, the grounding and neutral colors must match.

Phase connection, in this case, is performed using a connecting bus. On the one hand, three cores are connected to it, on the other hand, one, which will be the phase in the new branch.

When installing household electrical networks, according to safety requirements, it is forbidden to use wiring with aluminum, as well as multi-wire conductors. Only solid copper cable should be used.

3-wire DC system

In DC systems, a three-wire system is also used, but the purpose of the wires is different. Separation is performed on plus, minus and protective. According to GOST, the following color marking is used in such networks:

• Plus - brown;
• Negative - gray;
• Zero - blue.

Since the wires for the systems are separate direct current it is irrational to produce, the specified color gradation is used mainly for painting conductive tires.

Finally

As you can see, the colors of the wires in the electrics are not a whim of the manufacturer, but a measure aimed at ensuring safety requirements. Subject to the installation rules, it is much easier to maintain such networks, and not only a specialist electrician can figure out the connection, but also you and me.

Related videos

Every time I install an outlet or connect some stationary device, the question arises of what does the color of the wire mean - phase? Or is it the earth? The confusion is added by the fact that not all cables are our native VVG-3 with white, blue and yellow-green wires. There are also Chinese with combinations of gray + brown + white, there are also complex multi-core cables that can only be dealt with in an electrician's handbook.

In everyday life, there is nowhere to take all these encodings, so we will focus on the simplest wiring. A simple one is a cable of three cores and a household task, for example, installing an outlet.

Standard household wire with white, blue and yellow-green color

Encoding, marking and history

The idea of ​​dividing the wires by color is not new - the very first experiments, as old textbooks draw us, were carried out with multi-colored terminals and wires. All the same uncomplicated simplicity remained in cars - you can hardly confuse the blue and red wires. True, it is sometimes black, but that is a completely different story.

When examining wiring, the most important wires to determine by color are not phase, but ground and zero, the phase can always be found using a detector screwdriver or (almost) any diode. But sometimes it becomes simply dangerous to confuse the colors of the earth and zero, and it is necessary to determine what color of the wire the phase zero earth is in advance.

Phase wire color

As previously indicated, it is not necessary to specifically determine the phase by color - almost always there is access to one or another tool for determining. Some "zoo" in colors is observed due to the fact that there are extended, non-domestic standards for the color differentiation of wires, they are used by real electricians. For example, brown color says that the wire is for sockets, and red is for lighting. The load and permissible operating parameters depend on this.

Ground wire color

Grounding is the most non-alternative wire, it always has a yellow-green color. There are deviations, for example, pure yellow - when the wire is imported. The network writes that there is a yellow-green-blue color of the wire, which denotes a combined working zero and ground.

Zero wire color

The minus has a small selection of colors - usually it is a blue wire, which is found in almost any cable, or (very rarely) red / cherry. As was said about the ground, it is strictly not recommended to confuse these wires.

Conclusion

We fix the general color scheme:

• Earth - wire color yellow-green or yellow wire color;
• Zero - blue color;
• Phase - the color of the wire is white, red, brown and any other unfamiliar.