Is the brown wire positive or negative?
Content
AC and DC power distribution branch wires are color-coded to make it easier to distinguish between different wires. In 2006, UK wiring color designations were harmonized with wiring color designations in the rest of continental Europe to comply with the international IEC 60446 standard. As a result of the changes, the blue wire is now the neutral wire and the green/yellow stripe is ground. , and the brown wire discussed in this article is now a live wire. Now you may be asking, is the brown wire positive or negative?
Continue reading to better understand the uses and functions of the brown (live) wire.
Brown wire: positive negative?
In the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) DC power wiring color codes, the brown wire, also called live wire, is the positive wire, labeled "L+". The job of the brown wire is to carry electricity to the appliance. If the brown wire is live and not connected to a ground or neutral cable, there is a chance you could get electrocuted. Therefore, before you start working on the wiring, make sure that no power source is connected to the live wire.
Understanding Wiring Color Codes
Due to changes in wiring color codes, both fixed mains and electrical cables, and any flexible cables, now have wires of the same color. In the UK there are differences between their old and new wire colors.
The blue neutral wiring replaced the previous black neutral wiring. Also, the old red live wiring is now brown. Cables should be appropriately marked with the appropriate wire color codes if there is any mixture of colors of old and new wiring to prevent misconnection of phase and neutral. The blue (neutral) wire carries power away from the instrument, and the brown (live) wire supplies power to the instrument. This combination of wires is known as a circuit.
The green/yellow (ground) wire serves an important safety purpose. The electrical transmission of any property will always follow the path to earth that presents the least resistance. Now, since electricity can pass through the human body in the ground path when live or neutral cables are damaged, this can increase the risk of electric shock. In this case, the green/yellow ground cable effectively grounds the appliance, preventing this from happening.
Attention: Fixed wires and cables of different colors, as well as installations with chains, must be marked with warning signs. This warning must be marked on the fuse board, circuit breaker, switchboard or consumer unit.
IEC Power Circuit DC Wiring Color Codes
Color coding is used in DC power facilities that comply with AC standards such as solar power and computer data centers.
The following is a list of DC power cord colors that comply with IEC standards. (1)
| Function | label | Color |
| Protective Earth | PE | Yellow-green |
| 2-Wire Ungrounded DC Power System | ||
| positive wire | L+ | Brown |
| negative wire | L- | Gray |
| 2-wire grounded DC power system | ||
| Positive negative ground loop | L+ | Brown |
| Negative (negative grounded) circuit | M | Blue |
| Positive (positive ground) circuit | M | Blue |
| Negative (positive ground) circuit | L- | Gray |
| 3-wire grounded DC power system | ||
| positive wire | L+ | Brown |
| Medium wire | M | Blue |
| negative wire | L- | Gray |
Sample requests
If you have recently purchased a lighting fixture and are trying to install it in the US, such as an LED parking light or warehouse lighting. The luminaire uses international wiring standards and with this approach, matching is relatively simple:
- The brown wire from your light fixture to the black wire from your building.
- The blue wire from your light fixture to the white wire from your building.
- Green with yellow stripe from your fixture to your building's green wire.
You will most likely connect some live wires to the brown and blue cables of your device if you are running on 220 volts or higher. However, higher voltages should only be used in extreme cases. Most modern LED fixtures require only 110 V, which is quite enough. The only valid reason for this is when there are long lines, such as running 200 feet or more of wiring to light sports fields, or when the facility is already connected to 480 volts. (2)
Take a look at some of our articles below.
- white wire positive or negative
- How to conduct electrical wiring in an unfinished basement
- What is the wire size for the lamp
Recommendations
(1) IEC – https://ulstandards.ul.com/ul-standards-iec-based/
(2) LED - https://www.britannica.com/technology/LED
