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Basic Electricity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Electrical Systems - Color Codes

Page 5

Electrical regulations and standards that apply to boat builders and recreational boats. Calculating Wire Size

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 standard E-11 Table XIV and Table XV.

Green/Green w/yellow stripe	DC Grounding Conductor	Bonding Wires (insulated)
Yellow or Black or Black W/Yellow stripe	DC Negative Conductor	Negative Mains
Red	DC Positive	Positive Mains
Yellow/Red Stripe	Starting Circuit	Starting Switch to Solenoid
Brown/Yellow stripe or Yellow	Bilge Blowers	Fuse or Switch to Blower
Dark Gray	Navigation Lights	Circuit Breakers or Switch To Lights
Dark Gray	Tachometer	Tachometer Gauges and Senders
Brown	Generator Armature	Generator Armature to Regulator
Brown	Alternator Charge Light	Generator Terminal or Alternator Aux Terminal to Regulator
Brown	Pumps	Circuit Breakers or Switch to Pumps
Orange	Accessory Feed	Amp Mtr to Alt or Gen Output & Acc Circuit Breaker & Switches
Orange	Common Feed	Distribution Panels To Accessory Switches
Purple	Ignition	Ignition Switch to Coil & Electrical Instrument
Purple	Instrument Feed	Distribution Panel To Electrical Instruments
Purple	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: Hot. Neutral. Shore Grounded Neutral. A current carrying conductor maintained at ground (Earth) potential. Do not touch! You will get zapped!

Grounding Conductor. Green or Green with Yellow Stripe Used as a path to ground if there is a ground fault in the system. Do not cut or disconnect! Normally does not have any current. If there is current in the green wire there is something wrong.

Hot: Red An ungrounded current carrying conductor in 120/240 volt systems. Do not touch! You will get zapped!

EU and Great Britain boats:

For recreational Boats exported to or imported from the European Union, Great Britain, or any other country that uses the International Standards Organization (ISO) rules, the Color Codes are slightly different. You need to get a copy of ISO 10133 Small Craft - Extra Low Voltage DC Installations and ISO 13297 Small Craft - Electrical Systems - Alternating Current Electrical Installations. See

For DC wiring:

Negative wire can be Black with a yellow stripe or Yellow.

For AC wiring,

Hot wire can be Black or Brown.

Neutral wire can be White or Light Blue.

Protective wire (the Grounding Wire in the US) is green or green with a yellow stripe.

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