Electrical regulations and standards
that apply to boat builders and recreational boats.
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 Conductor |
Positive Mains |
Yellow /Red
Stripe |
Starting Circuit |
Starting Switch to
Solenoid |
Brown/Yellow
stripe or Yellow |
Bilge Blowers |
Fuse or Switch to
Blower |
Dark Grey |
Navigation Lights |
Circuit Breakers or
Switch to Lights |
Dark Grey |
Tachometer |
Tachometer Gauges &
Senders |
Brown |
Gen Armature |
Generator Armature
to Regulator |
Brown |
Alt 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 Switch |
Purple |
Ignition |
Ignition Switch to
Coil & Electrical Instrument |
Purple |
Instrument Feed |
Distribution Panel
To Electrical Instruments |
Purple |
Main Power Feeds |
Positive Mains
(particularly un-fused) |
Dark Blue |
Cabin & Inst |
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 & Trim
Circuits |
Blue/Stripe |
Tilt Up Or Trim Out |
Tilt & 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: 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!
Normally does not have any current. If there is current in the green wire there
is something wrong.
Red: Hot: An ungrounded current carrying conductor
in 120/240 volt systems. Do not touch! You will get zapped!
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