New Boatbuilders Home Page - Electrical Wire Color Codes

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS - COLOR CODES

Wiring Color Codes: If you look at any wiring you will see that the wires are all different colors. This is so an electrician knows what they are looking at. Each color has a specific function.

Direct Current Color Codes: From ABYC E-11 Table XIV and Table XV.

Green	DC Grounding Conductor	Bonding Wires (insulated)
Yellow or Black	DC Negative Conductor	Negative Mains
Red	DC Positive	Positive Mains
Yellow/Red	Starting Circuit	Starting Switch to Solenoid
Brown/Yellow	Bilge Blowers	Fuse or Switch to Blower
Dark Gray	Navigation Lights	Circuit Breakers or Switch To Lights
	Tachometer	Tachometer Gauges and Senders
Brown	Generator Armature	Generator Armature to Regulator
	Alternator Charge Light	Generator Terminal or Alternator Aux Terminal to Regulator
	Pumps	Circuit Breakers or Switch to Pumps
Orange	Accessory Feed	Amp Mtr to Alt or Gen Output & Acc Circuit Breaker & Switches
	Common Feed	Distribution Panels To Accessory Switches
Purple	Ignition	Ignition Switch to Coil & Electrical Instrument
	Instrument Feed	Distribution Panel To Electrical Instruments
	Main Power Feed	Positive Mains (particularly un-fused)
Dark Blue	Cabin and Instruments	Circuit Breakers or Switch to Lights
Light Blue	Oil Pressure	Oil Pressure Gauges & Senders
Tan	Water Temp	Water Temp To Sender To Gauge
Pink	Fuel Gauge	Fuel Gauge Sender to Gauge
Green/stripe	Tilt Down/Trim in	Tilt and Trim Circuits
Blue/Stripe	Tilt Up/Trim Out	Tilt and Trim Circuits

Alternating Current: Wiring Color Codes

I strongly recommend that unless you have experience or training working with AC electrical systems, that you hire an electrician. AC is deadly!

Black: Hot: An ungrounded current carrying conductor. This is the hot side of the system. Do not touch! You will get zapped!
White: Shore Grounded Neutral A current carrying conductor maintained at ground (Earth) potential. Do not touch! You will get zapped!
Green or Green with Yellow Stripe: Grounding Conductor. Used as a path to ground if there is a ground fault in the system Do not cut or disconnect!
Red: Hot: An ungrounded current carrying conductor in 120/240 volt systems. Do not touch! You will get zapped!

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