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Identification and Coloring of Insulated Conductors and Cables Rules 4-024, 4-026, and 4-032 Issued May 2022 Scope

This document summarizes the Ontario Electrical Safety Code rules regarding identification and coloring of insulated conductors and cables. It discusses: 1) Identification requirements for neutral conductors of different wire gauges. 2) Bonding conductors must be green or green/yellow. 3) When changing a 240V circuit to 120V, the neutral can be identified white. 4) Tape used for identification must be applied in a half-lap manner. 5) Cable jacket colors are not code-mandated but used as marketing. 6) Changing conductor colors when installing cable for different voltages.

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10 views

Identification and Coloring of Insulated Conductors and Cables Rules 4-024, 4-026, and 4-032 Issued May 2022 Scope

This document summarizes the Ontario Electrical Safety Code rules regarding identification and coloring of insulated conductors and cables. It discusses: 1) Identification requirements for neutral conductors of different wire gauges. 2) Bonding conductors must be green or green/yellow. 3) When changing a 240V circuit to 120V, the neutral can be identified white. 4) Tape used for identification must be applied in a half-lap manner. 5) Cable jacket colors are not code-mandated but used as marketing. 6) Changing conductor colors when installing cable for different voltages.

Uploaded by

Ahmad Saepul Bahri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ontario Electrical Safety Code – Bulletins

Bulletin 4-5-14
Identification and coloring of insulated conductors and cables
Rules 4-024, 4-026, and 4-032

Issued May 2022


Supersedes Bulletin 4-5-13

Scope

1) Identification of insulated neutral conductors


2) Identification of insulated bonding conductors
3) Identification of a neutral conductor when changing circuit voltage
4) The use of tape to mark or identify conductors
5) Colour of non-metallic sheathed cable outer jackets
6) Changing colour of multi-conductor cable

1) Identification of insulated neutral conductors

Consumer’s services
Rule 4-024 1) requires that all insulated neutral conductors up to and including No. 2
AWG, in any location, be identified by a continuous white covering, or by three
continuous white strips along the entire length of the conductor.

Rule 4-026 requires that insulated neutral conductors larger than No. 2 AWG to either
be continuously identified or be suitably labelled or marked at each end at the time of
installation. Marking shall be permitted to be white paint, white sleeving, white tape, or
other equivalent means.

Rule 4-024 4) permits insulated neutrals of any size in multi conductor cables to be
permanently identified at each accessible point in the circuit by the use of white paint,
white sleeving, white tape, or other equivalent means.

Safety Note
There was a near miss reported where the neutral and a phase conductor were
interchanged accidentally at the supply connection point to a consumer’s service.

Historically, utilities have used white to identify one of the phase conductors in their
systems, which can potentially lead to errors when a consumer’s service is connected to
a supply authority system.

Although not required by the Code, it is considered good practice to bare the
consumer’s neutral conductor at the weather head on three phase services to reduce
the likelihood of a utility worker treating the white conductor as a phase conductor.

©Electrical Safety Authority Bulletin 4-5-14 Page 1 of 3


Ontario Electrical Safety Code – Bulletins

2) Identification of insulated bonding conductors

Rule 4-032 requires that insulated bonding or grounding conductors up to and including
No. 2 AWG in size to have a continuous outer finish that is either green or green with
one or more yellow stripes.

In sizes larger than No. 2 AWG the conductor is permitted to be labelled or marked in a
permanent manner with a green colour or green colour with one or more yellow stripes
at each end and at each point where the conductor is accessible. Paint, sleeving, tape,
or other equivalent means are acceptable.

3) Identification of a neutral conductor when changing circuit voltage

Where equipment operating at 120 V is installed on a circuit converted from 240 V


operation, such as may occur where natural gas water heaters replace electric water
heaters, one of the unidentified conductors may be re-used as an identified conductor
as per Rule 4-024 4) provided that any exposed portion of the conductor is permanently
identified at each accessible point in the circuit by white paint, white sleeving, white
tape, or equivalent means.

4) The use of tape to mark or identify conductors

Tape is acceptable for identification or marking of conductors if it is applied as per the


CSA standard in a half lap wrapped manner. CSA C22.2 No. 197 PVC insulating tape
states: “The tape is intended to be applied in layers, each layer being half-lapped...”
(See Figure B1)

Note
Where tape is used outdoors for identification of conductors at a supply connection
point or similar location, “Weather Resistant” tape shall be used.

Where there are longer lengths of cable at larger enclosures such as switchboards a
minimum of 150 mm of conductor shall be identified at the points of connections.

Figure B1 – CSA standard’s requirement for half lap wrapped tape

©Electrical Safety Authority Bulletin 4-5-14 Page 2 of 3


Ontario Electrical Safety Code – Bulletins

5) Colour of non-metallic sheathed cable outer jackets

Question
Why are some non metallic sheathed cable (NMSC) jackets coloured blue, some red,
some yellow, some white, etc?

Answer
The colouring of the jacket of non-metallic sheathed cable is not mandated by the Code.
Some cable manufacturers are colour coding the jackets of cables intended for different
purposes as a marketing tool. White is intended for general purpose circuits, blue is
intended for AFCI circuits, yellow for 20 amp kitchen circuits, and red for 240 volt
circuits. Inspectors will check the wire size (gauge) rather than the cable jacket colour to
ensure the correct wire has been used for the connected load.

6) Changing colour of multi-conductor cable

When installing NMSC or Armoured cable to feed:


a) 240 V equipment, it is permitted to use a cable with a white and black conductor
(OESC Rule 4-032), provided that any exposed portion of the white conductor is
permanently changed at each accessible point in the circuit by coloured paint,
sleeving, tape, or equivalent means (see Figure B2).

Figure B2

NMSC

b) 120 V equipment as per OESC 4-032, it is permitted to use a cable with red and
black conductor provided that any exposed portion of the coloured conductor is
permanently changed at each accessible point in the circuit by white paint,
sleeving, tape, or equivalent means (see Figure B3).

Figure B3

NMSC

Note
When tape is used for marking of conductors it shall be applied as per CSA C22.2 No.
197 PVC insulating tape states: “The tape is intended to be applied in layers, each layer
being half-lapped...”

©Electrical Safety Authority Bulletin 4-5-14 Page 3 of 3

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