Green only heat shrink for earth's

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JamieP
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Green only heat shrink for earth's

Post by JamieP »

So a company I'm working for seems to only order heat shrink that is a solid green color, not green/yellow

I was under the impression this wasn't compliant as colour identification for earth's had to be green/yellow with at least a 30/70 split

Situation was I had terminated a lug on the end of the earth cable and wanted to make it look tidy with a small section of heat shrink so it got me thinking maybe it was alright because I wasn't using it for identification but then I thought that can't be right because I couldn't apply the same logic to using any colour because that would cause confusion

Basically I'm fairly certain it's not compliant but may as well see what others think
AlecK
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Re: Green only heat shrink for earth's

Post by AlecK »

under "3000" 2007+A1+A2 (currently cited as mandatory by ESRs); clause 3.8 details the requirements for conductor ID.
3.8.1, para 1, requires ID of conductor function. Being in Bold typeface; this is a fundamental requirement (see Foreword)
Such ID can be, and most commonly is, by colour - though other methods are permitted.

Para 2 requires that where ID of conductir function is by colour, the colours shall be as per Table 3.4 ("shall" making this a mandatory requirement). For both protective earthing conductors(PECs) and equipotential bonding conductors (EBCs), Table 3.4 stipulates green/yellow combination.
This has been the same for a long time,. prior to ESRs, under previous Regulations, compliance with this clause was not absolutely mandatory; but since 1/4/2010 any wiggle-room there may have been on that grounds vanished, and green/yellow has been the ONLY colour permitted for this function.
The fact that solid yellow and solid green are stipulated as not to be used for ID of actives or neutrals does NOT mean they can be used for ID of earthing conductors; all it means is they can't be used for actives or neutrals.

So NOBODY should be using plain green sleeving or plain yellow for ID.
Yet there must be many people breaking this rule, because the suppliers only stock plain green and plain yellow because people keep buying them.
It's not as if it's hard to find striped G/Y sleeving that complies with the ID requirements.
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For your situation, maybe it could be argued that the sleeving wasn't for ID, but only for insulation.
Even if there's enough G/Y core insulation showing to provide clear ID, using some other colour to insulate the terminal is just silly.
But there's no rule about "must not be silly"; and while (as you say) some colour mis-matches could cause confusion
plain green insulation on a G/Y conductor isn't likely to confuse anyone.
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JamieP
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Re: Green only heat shrink for earth's

Post by JamieP »

That's exactly what I thought anyway, most responses elsewhere confirmed my belief also

I think the fact it is still so readily available and many people still use it is what got me thinking

Appreciate it
JamieP
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Re: Green only heat shrink for earth's

Post by JamieP »

Further question in regards to this, I haven't seen green/yellow sleeving but green is very common

It's also the prefered method for insulating N/S when used as an earth screen

I don't believe this to be compliant but I have noticed 3.8.3.1 (b) says that the screen doesn't need to be indentified the whole way but no where in that clause gives indication on following table 3.4

What are the views on this?

If green sleeving is still non-compliant, can it still be used and made compliant if some green/yellow heat shrink was used at the end? Using the logic of the sleeving is just insulation, not identification and the heat shrink is the actual identification?
AlecK
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Re: Green only heat shrink for earth's

Post by AlecK »

Yes; but why bother?
simpler just to apply G/Y heat shrink along the length.
A better result, and faster therefore cheaper- even if the heat shrink costs a bit more than non-shrink sleeving.

Personally I haven't used old-fashioned non-shrink sleeving for many years.
JamieP
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Re: Green only heat shrink for earth's

Post by JamieP »

Purely because that's what I'm being instructed to use

No other reason aside from that, my preference is to simply use green/yellow the whole way
AlecK
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Re: Green only heat shrink for earth's

Post by AlecK »

I suppose you have to do what the boss wants.
Unless it is non-compliant.
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