Revert back to red/black coloured cabling for BS1363

[Erina]

For myself I never understood the relationship of Brown and Blue wires in the BS1363 plug, which Britain adopted from the EU standard.

It may cost money, may also infuriate some, but I feel that Red for live, and Black for neutral makes more sense.

Would it not make more sense to switch back to those colours, is it not more instinctive ?

[Endy0816]

30 minutes ago, Erina said:

For myself I never understood the relationship of Brown and Blue wires in the BS1363 plug, which Britain adopted from the EU standard.

It may cost money, may also infuriate some, but I feel that Red for live, and Black for neutral makes more sense.

Would it not make more sense to switch back to those colours, is it not more instinctive ?

Reading online seems like chosen to harmonize for safety purposes and that those particular colors were selected due to color blindness concerns.

Could still do it of course. Think UK plugs are already unique with the fuses so may not be that big a deal in terms of cost/Market size.

[studiot]

1 minute ago, Endy0816 said:

Reading online seems like chosen to harmonize for safety purposes and that those particular colors were selected due to color blindness concerns.

Could still do it of course. Think UK plugs are already unique with the fuses so may not be that big a deal in terms of cost/Market size.

Yes there were accidents due to red green colour blindness mixing up the earth and the line.  +1 for the colour blindness issue.

The opportunity was taken to harmonise with the european dirty blue and dirty red/brown when the first change was made.

Pity because it had to be changed again when yellow stripes were added to earth.

Of course the American colour convention is quite different, as is their wiring layout.

 

 

[Endy0816]

1 minute ago, studiot said:

Yes there were accidents due to red green colour blindness mixing up the earth and the line.  +1 for the colour blindness issue.

The opportunity was taken to harmonise with the european dirty blue and dirty red/brown when the first change was made.

Pity because it had to be changed again when yellow stripes were added to earth.

Of course the American colour convention is quite different, as is their wiring layout.

Thanks. Yeah, neither red or black is safe here lol. Personally favor worlwide harmonizing based on best practices though would mean introducing many major changes.

[studiot]

1 minute ago, Endy0816 said:

Thanks. Yeah, neither red or black is safe here lol. Personally favor worlwide harmonizing based on best practices though would mean introducing many major changes.

One of the issues we faced is that new wiring, even if extending or replacing existing, has to be to the new colour code.
 

This is all fine and dandy if all the wiring is new

but

it also means you can have dirty brown connecting onto red, blue connecting onto black and green/yellow connecting on to green.

Not ideal.

[Endy0816]

1 hour ago, studiot said:

One of the issues we faced is that new wiring, even if extending or replacing existing, has to be to the new colour code.
 

This is all fine and dandy if all the wiring is new

but

it also means you can have dirty brown connecting onto red, blue connecting onto black and green/yellow connecting on to green.

Not ideal.

I guess I think of it like buying something outright vs renting forever. Initial cost is rough, but eventually you are over the hump.

Edited September 1, 2021 by Endy0816

[Erina]

Hey, no one voted in the poll !

What about red and white, both instinctively lean toward their use i.e. red is always live, and white is neutral (like between the Irish flag).

There doesn't seem to be a conflict between the two colours. If completely colour blind then I don't think it wise to fit plugs in the first place, but even then, a vertical length wards stripe along the live would give further differentiation.

[studiot]

On 9/2/2021 at 5:39 PM, Erina said:

What about red and white, both instinctively lean toward their use i.e. red is always live, and white is neutral (like between the Irish flag).

There doesn't seem to be a conflict between the two colours. If completely colour blind then I don't think it wise to fit plugs in the first place, but even then, a vertical length wards stripe along the live would give further differentiation.

What ever colours you choose for line (not live) and neutral you will have the problem that the neutral colour can also be live in lighting and similar circuits.

[John Cuthber]

 

On 9/2/2021 at 5:39 PM, Erina said:

Hey, no one voted in the poll !

Because it didn't make sense.

 

On 9/1/2021 at 8:01 PM, Erina said:

For myself I never understood the relationship of Brown and Blue wires in the BS1363 plug, which Britain adopted from the EU standard.

 

BS1363 was introduced in 1947. It predates any EU standard.

The UK BS1363 plug is wired with brown, blue and green/ yellow wires.

The BRown wire goes to the Bottom Right pin.
The BLue wire goes to the Bottom Left pin.
Remarkably few people seem to understand this.

 

There was a very old standard BS546 where the wires were black and red, but there's no good reason to revert to that . It went at about the same time as round-pin plugs.
 

There was a relatively recent change of standard for wiring the socket that goes with that plug.
 Previously the house wiring was done with red, black and bare T&E cable.
This was changed to  match the colours used in the flex from the cable to the equipment.

This was done deliberately; it was brought in at the same time as a requirement that any new installations needed to be  verified by a competent electrician.

Before that change, the "householder" could do their own work on the system.

If you think about it you will see how they needed to change the wiring somehow in order to distinguish old wiring (which doesn't need a certificate) from new wiring (which does).

The "old colours" cable is still available on eBay etc- it's not clear why...  

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by John Cuthber