Dirty Secret about the New 2024 Romex Wire Colors

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you for watching - Hope you found this interesting!

[@John-Smith02]

1. Heads up. Apparently the bots who comment names to try and see the personal info are now just straight up saying random numbers and addresses, which if true, lends credence to the theory that they're trying to find personally identifiable information about the KZbin channel. I can't confirm it because I don't think I've seen them comment street names, just people names. 2. Do you do research on these topics or do you just know these or worked as an electrician or handyman? How do you know all this info, from gardening to electrical, etc.

[@InconsistentManner]

14/2 w/ground, 12/2 w/ground, 12/3 w/ground, Etc. is Romex nomenclature just a little fyi for you. i have a 1000ft reel of 14/2 with no ground that is topped with tempered glass as my coffee table. Has about 300 or so feet left and the story is my uncle is a commercial master electrician and he left it at my dads house in 95/96. dad was going to scrap it in 2002 but I said id use it as a coffee table in my first home. almost everyone loves it.

[@JohnCap523]

😂

[@leeames9063]

I was really hoping that the different color wiring was so I could designate one color for the kitchen, another color for the bathroom, and so on. Then when I need to troubleshoot an issue say in the kitchen, I can just look for the color wire for the kitchen. Oh well

[@JohnCap523]

@@leeames9063 Yea, that way it decorates at the same time… 😜

[@adamdejesus4017]

ROMEX got the trade name from Rome, NY where it was first produced. Rome, NY is known as the "Copper City" because it had copper mills for making wires and Revere copper cookware.

[@deadmanswife3625]

And it's important because I have to pass through there when going up to the Adirondacks to get away for a month

[@bahrben]

I grew up in Rome and had no idea about the Romex connection. Thanks!

[@mrgcav]

Sounds fishy to me. Prove it. Did NM cable come from New Mexico ??? What about BX cable ???

[@jamesalles139]

@@mrgcav have you ever fished a cable through a wall cavity?

[@pipisugbo]

Noted - only use wire dated 10+ years old before doing my illegal DIY projects 🤣

[@dwayne7356]

A new market for thieves stealing copper from houses. Selling old dated wire to DYI-ers.

[@tankerkiller125]

Was going to say, gatta get out and buy me some wire, so that when I do have a project 6 years from now I'm already backdated 6 years.

[@dickslocum]

@@tankerkiller125 I bought a 150 ft roll in 1989 when I bought the house. still have a bit left

[@ggsmith48906]

Ha! Exactly! The only reason they do this is so an inspector can date the wire in your house and tell if you pulled a permit!

[@BK-pc3ei]

@@ggsmith48906 the new standard is for safety and more easier to understand

[@Uvoted4this]

The key here is to go to garage sales and auctions and buy Old Wire with old dates. That way you're covered no matter what.

[@vincentstragier6628]

Or the respect the code...

[@peterdog8754]

I have a few thousand feet of NOS nm cable for just such a purpose. 😂

[@iamnotpresent]

@@vincentstragier6628 It's not about respecting the code.. If everyone was allowed to do their own work, to code, that would be fine. But people aren't even allowed to work on their own homes in some places!

[@FireHazardMan103]

Or just use a wet cloth and some rubbing.

[@whermanntx]

@@FireHazardMan103name is fitting for the advise.

[@colinleslie2458]

At least some companies have been printing manufactured dates for quite a while. It was one of the ways I figured out which circuits were run several years after our house was originally built during one of the early homeowner remodels.

[@shaneanderson1229]

I think the extra colors are a great idea. Just a hint for the DIY types, nail polish remover on a rag will wipe that printed date off the cable without bothering the jacket itself. You know, just for curiosity’s sake.

[@Warhawk94]

Because a missing date won’t set off red flags to an inspector. Also, you gonna wipe off the date on the entire 200 foot run?

[@Browniiie92]

​@@Warhawk94 yes

[@TheKansasredneck]

Doesn't work if the layline is embossed.

[@TheCrimsonBlade2]

@@Browniiie92based.

[@thomasleahy3767]

Good info. I am buying a roll of each size now, for all of my projects ten years from now

[@iratashman7202]

At least you’re young enough for that 😊

[@Mmmmmmdonuts]

Eh just use mc lol

[@lkeil84]

Might be a good idea as wire will probably cost 5 times as much then any way.

[@1puppetbike]

Richie Rich

[@jprevard]

🤣🤣Super clever 🤭

[@edwardconley5250]

I've been seeing some of these new colors at my local Menards, and wondered what was going on. Thanks as always for the great information!

[@ChessIsJustAGame]

Yep, same here. Wondered if it was some new "wokeness" stuff going on.

[@jankington216]

​@@ChessIsJustAGamewoke is when you know your rights and how the government works, what are you on about?

[@ProleDaddy]

​​@@jankington216 God, there's so many bootlicking troglodytes out there. Thank you for not being one.

[@JohnQPublic345]

Menard's is THE BEST DIY store ! since moving to the west coast, i only have lowes or depot

[@evancombs5159]

I feel like instead of using a different color for the 3s they should have used the same color but stripped. Having a color represent a combination of two different concepts is mentally more difficult for humans than color representing a single concept and strips representing another concept. Although, I'm sure they chose just to use colors only because adding strips would make the manufacturing process more expensive.

[@uzlonewolf]

I was just thinking the same thing.

[@quantumleap359]

Striped wire has been in wide use in other applications for decades. A striped wire would really stand out without being gaudy. The stripe could also indicate the color of the traveler wire. Oh well, what's done is done. Great, to the point video!

[@tompw3141]

Striped wire is fundamentally different to make. The plastic is injected around the conductors in a continuous process. Changing to a different single colour just means loading in different plastic. Stripes would require a whole new machine and process.

[@l00k4tstuff]

With all the homes starting to have solar, generators, and backup circuits, it seams to me some type of indicator would be helpful, too. As to striping the outside, as long as it's a longitudinal stripe, I can see how that will be helpful (especially considering the line above) because in an enclosure only an inch or so of outer jacket will be visible, and that's where the additional identification will be important.

[@evancombs5159]

@@l00k4tstuff wiring I've seen that used stripes usually use diagonal stripes, so that is what I was imagining.

[@95dodgev10]

I'm glad they kept the common ones like 12/2 the same. I've been rewiring my house slowly so by keeping the 2 conductor wire colors the same that means my house won't be some weird hybrid caught in the middle of a major industry change

[@someonerandom704]

are you following the national electric code though?

[@95dodgev10]

@someonerandom704 I'm sure there's a few things I've done wrong like improper stapling or whatever. But when it comes to critical stuff I've been doing my best to either research it myself or I talk to my buddy that's an electrician. The work I've done so far is 100 times better than some of the sketchy crap I've found. The original work was done well for the time but any electrical tape and the fabric wire coating is all degraded. The diy stuff that was done was anywhere from poorly done to 1 step away from a fire hazard. One example was a 14g wire ran off a 20 amp breaker and that's one of the less sketchy things. Almost no junction box has a cover, some wires were ran into the box through the cover opening and only twisted and taped.

[@not2tired]

FWIW Our civilization is some weird hybrid caught in a major industry change. So on occasions when it can't be avoided, what's one more frankenhouse?

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

Appreciate the information I've only ever seen Yellow & White Romex.

[@deadmanswife3625]

And gray for my flagpole lights

[@deadmanswife3625]

Oh yeah and I have orange on my water heater and my baseboard heaters on the porch

[@steveurbach3093]

I have some pale blue 14/2 w/g from quite a while ago.

[@gtbkts]

There's a pink wire that has 240 running through it to hook up my water heater. I don't know the rating on it. I should probably check it out😅

[@lkeil84]

That has, been since 2001 and there is orange for #10 wire, but not used often except for a dryer perhaps.

[@jrob8931]

Nice job! Especially with your on-camera work: You look very confident and comfortable and natural facing the camera, which is not easy. Thanks for another great video.

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you for the nice word,s I really appreciate it

[@GroovyGrandpa2]

They should make them smell like different fruits too, For us blind electricians. 😊

[@nephilimshammer9567]

They do. Also the conduit when cut smells like delicious

[@jamiemorgan4146]

Even Better… Taste like the color! Maybe the inspector will lick it….

[@curtwuollet2912]

Only in California.

[@sammyrothrock6981]

Sounds like some crazy woke to me! ​@@curtwuollet2912

[@Cline3911]

The snozberries taste like snozberries.

[@karenstein8261]

It’s time to give credit where it is due - AND to separate fact from fiction. We owe color-coded Romex to Rex Caufield, who wrote in Fine Homebuilding magazine that he used spray paint for his convenience in sorting wire coils on the job site. A few years later and Southwire started marketing colored Romex. Color coding is NOT required; it’s just marketing. A few years back, one contractor ordered his cables in a custom color, just to reduce job site theft.

[@thedamash1]

we've had colour coded wires in Canada for like 25 years. at least since 2000

[@MarcLeclerc-w5o]

It's Rex Cauldwell not Caufield.

[@onecrazywheel]

Manufacturing Dates many times have been on NM cables for 20-30 years. I have beeen an electrician for 2 decades and all of Southwire Romex cable jackets have had dates. Even MC (Metal Clad) cable has inside clear ribbon manufacturing dates and wording on the inside ran with the conductors. Great video. I think it was Canada who first started using these colors many years ago. I would see the blue and pink NM cables in videos and found out that is what they would require up there. Im from Florida.😊 Im an electrician in a hospital. We use AC cable all the time. Similar to MC cable snd it has a green jacket. It show that it is Healthcare Rated. We can use it in a Healthcare Facility then. 😅 Great video. God bless. Jeff - Sunny Central Florida ☀️🙏

[@sqeekykleen49]

Lol yes the blue NM was to identify afci for bedroom circuits. There is some of that NM with 2pair and a bare... for gfi recepticals? Idk two circuits, because no neutral sharing... it makes the combos trip😂.

[@john-hughboyd233]

The US has been copying the Canadian Electrical Code CSA C22.1 Part 1 for years

[@StevenSokulski]

Very interesting. In my home town, the major electrical contractor for new construction had so much Romex stolen that they started ordering theirs with custom colored and labeled jackets. Basically it was a way to easily prove the providence of the cable to the cops so that the contractor didn't have to work too hard to prove that it had been stolen.

[@JohnQPublic345]

its about time! ive been an electrician since 1996. yes, i can tell the gauge just by looking at the wire, but color-coding is a great idea. i just discovered that they make 12 / 2 / 2 (two sets of hot, 2 sets of neutral) romex

[@dwayne7356]

Prior to 2024, the color was up to the manufacturer. I believe it is not in the NEC yet and is just a manufacturing thing. I had installed a baby blue 12 AWG in my house in the late 1980s. If you have a house built before 2024, do not trust the wire color without verifying the actual wire gauge. Color standardization did start until the 1990s on some wire gauges. Be careful.

[@danielotoole72]

A striped jacket indicating x/3 would have been better than 10,000 different colors. Thanks for the video. As a DIYer I saw the blue at Home Depot and thought they were just trying to differentiate from Lowes or something. Was only wiring up a closet light, so didn't investigate further.

[@barryb3476]

SouthWire and CerroWire manufacturer for both Mendards and Home Depot. Neither change their color for the distributors. Now, CerroWire does supply to other companies that have standard colors they use for their installations. Like a purple 10/3.

[@palfruswyrmrest8321]

Your stripe idea makes the most sense, but probably costs more to implement. The idea of one color per gauge is logical, I doubt the number of conductors is of the same interest to an inspector

[@elitearbor]

Short, sweet, to the point, and nothing to draw it way out in time. Well done video!

[@themagiccoasterlover]

Manufacturer's putting dates in cables is a big reason theres a market for old cable. People will buy it up, sit on it for years and sell it for a marked up price to people looking to do home renovations.

[@billrobert3226]

Aint no way you have a source on that info

[@rightwingsafetysquad9872]

Source, experience. People tend to not write stuff down when they know they're trying to break the law.

[@homestar92]

Can't really mark it up too much though - if the wire is so expensive that it's suddenly worth pulling a permit then the market for the old wire goes away.

[@EnthalpyUplusPV]

Why would you go through the trouble of buying old wire from sketchy sources so you can wire your house wrong and maybe burn it down rather than just do it right?

[@orppranator5230]

@@EnthalpyUplusPVBecause sometimes, the legally required way is unreasonable.

[@richardb2795]

I work as a residential electrician. The first time I’ve seen blue 14/3 romex cable at our shop was last month. We are still going though our previous pallet of white 14/3. We have been using pink 10/3 for many months now but the brand we use is different from that shown in this videos.

[@danrich6448]

You can also buy a 14-2-2 wire that has 4 conductors (black, red, and 2 whites) and a ground. The jacket is white. 12-2-2 is also available and is yellow. Great for running 2 arc fault circuits together.

[@kennysboat4432]

Here's what not being able to pass inspection on diy work does: it makes it so people don't get inspected.

[@TwilightxKnight13]

As a retired master electrician, in my experience, only licensed professional electricians regularly obtain permits which is when the local inspector gets involved. More often than not, if the work can be done fairly quietly, handymen and DiYers don't get permits and thus never inspected. Plenty of kitchen renovations being done everyday without a permit or an inspection. I'm not saying its right, just that it happens. If you are careful, you can even replace a live service panel on your own and no one is the wiser. Of course if you have to get the local power company involved like increasing a service, say from 100amp to 200 amp, they will insist on an inspection before they will restore power.

[@cch201992]

@@TwilightxKnight13i just added a 70 amp breaker and a 50amp breaker on my 200amp service on 8/3 no permits👀 70amp for EV charger and 50 amp for welder. It's my understanding if it's the homeowner doing the work no permits are required🤷🏼‍♂️

[@SimonBarsinister]

​@cch201992 Usually depends on the municipality. I've lived in municipalities that allowed you to do the work yourself and others that do not.

[@palfruswyrmrest8321]

@@cch201992 I don't know if permits are not required for homeowner-done work, but they are highly recommended. Some code requirements are not critical, such as the number of outlets on a kitchen counter wider than 11 inches, and some are, such as requiring a dedicated ground wire on a 300 foot long, 100 amp sub-panel to my barn. Fortunately, I asked several people at HD and the second guy gave me the correct information. Had that been an inspector, everything I did would have been closely inspected.

[@rakashaagain]

@@TwilightxKnight13 I do most of my reno and electrical work, even replace breaker in my breaker box. It's easy and code is easy to read.

[@dcf8978]

New flavors???!?!? O was getting tired of Vanilla and Lemon... finally someone has answered my prayers!!

[@99Zforgetaboutit]

I'm not somebody likely to do this kind of work, but I was very entertained and educated by this excellent video.

[@N20Joe]

I've seen customers get busted using new wire and claiming an old project a few times now. I might just buy up a few rolls and sit on them for when I do projects in my own house now!

[@2mustange]

The trick with DIYing your own electrical is to do it right so if anyone questions you then you pull a permit to have it reviewed for after the fact

[@Demopans5990]

Which leads to a second point. Pay now for the experience, or pay later after one of the cheap contractors botches the job again

[@scottwhitcher265]

"Permit" implies that someone has the right to deny me to do what I have the right to do.

[@rich7447]

@@Demopans5990 It's not that simple. I graduated from Electrical and Computer Engineering and am qualified to design powerplants in the state that I reside. However, I am not qualified to change out a receptacle in my own home. Do you see the issue?

[@dallas5374]

@@rich7447nope

[@busnorth]

I'm also a commerce electrical engineer architect. I draw it on papper. Do the math. But can't do my own work.

[@igfoobar]

So the take home message is: buy plain THHN and put it in conduit! :)

[@AtomicHermit]

It is dated too, but hard to read inside a conduit - which is also date stamped.

[@Recreationaltrespasser]

Date stickered, which should be installed facing the wall for aesthetic purposes

[@theodorgiosan2570]

Or use MC/BX.

[@jamesherrin3655]

Cannot put Romex in conduit. Especially in the ground.

[@davisladd6473]

Conduit has a date on it as well.

[@user-hm5zb1qn6g]

Excellent, informative, no-nonsense video presentation.

[@vikingranch6377]

Nice rundown, I’d noticed the change, but hadn’t realized that they weren’t just brand coloring

[@davidadamson3664]

New information. Good to know. And the new colors make it easier.

[@guywhite1004]

When we did a whole house renovation in 2020 we had all new electrical put in. I told the electrical contractor that I wanted 15 amp circuits for the lighting, 20 amp circuits for the receptacles, and 30 amp circuits for my home theater/hi-fi room. He said that the 10 gauge romex would cost extra. I told him I had 100’ of it from a previous project at a previous house. He installed all the circuits as I asked. Lots of white, yellow, and a little orange romex. The last two homes I bought had 15 amp wiring in the garages and shops - why would they do that?

[@SnowblindOtter]

As a former Southwire employee, I can say that from the distribution side the different colors were a godsend for quality and inventory control in the CSCs during the few months I actually got to handle them. Now if only they can do the same thing with the MC, NMC, and UT, nothing is more frustrating than a quality error because two nearly identical materials are sitting next to one another.

[@Brian-Burke]

I had no idea Southwire owned Romex. Great video and good info. Thank you.

[@SilverCymbal]

Of all the products I use, wire is so important. I just messed with some 40 year old outdoor boxes, and having the wire still be pliable and not fall apart shows how important the quality of this stuff is.

[@Brian-Burke]

@@SilverCymbal Agreed. I'm big on paying more for quality and reputable brand names.

[@Species-lj8wh]

Glad homeowners can do there own electrical work in my state. Still need inspections and to follow 2013 IECC codebook.

[@billrobert3226]

Not nec?

[@RedHuntsman]

I bought and new custom home in 2010 and I noticed that all the wire was yellow except for heavier gauge wire. They had wired the entire house without any 15amp circuits. I never blew a breaker in that home.

[@toTheWatcher]

Super helpful and honesty a change that has been needed for a long time

[@ericbaker8807]

Used the pink 10-3 to run a new dryer line at my grandparents house recently. I was pretty confused initially when I went to Lowe's to pick up some wire haha. Didn't know they changed color until I googled it.

[@durvius2657]

Honestly this is really cool. Even the dated wire. I'm a fan of easily accessible transparency.

[@karlbrundage7472]

Fortunately for me, I live in a county that doesn't require inspections beyond the construction- electric meter-base and the septic tank and drain-field. I wired my house with 12-2 throughout, except for the kitchen range and the hot-water tank. I like to over-build and I was tired of having the lights dim in my older home whenever someone turned on a hair dryer. My advice: Upgrade your wiring. You won't regret it...............................

[@greggv8]

No 14 gauge for my home wiring. I have a huge roll of yellow jacket 12/2 that I picked up for $60 at a yard sale years ago. Can't go wrong using 12 gauge on 15 amp circuits. Ensures an extra safety margin. I've heard there's an addition to the NEC for 16 gauge wire that's exclusively for circuits that only have LED lights, but nobody makes 16 gauge yet. Replacing all your incandescent lights with LEDs will cut your power bill *and* reduce the load on your wiring.

[@pfcrow]

Thanks. I was wondering why all the Romex in my house was white, regardless of whether it was a 15A or 20A circuit. I had thought they had messed up, but now I see that it's simply that the wiring predates the introduction of yellow (just barely). Thanks!

[@richardlea818]

I just ran into this going to buy some 12/3 the other day. They’re charging roughly double for the fancy new purple coating. Neat.

[@Enlightn76]

incorrect. They are charging nearly double for the 1 addtional conductor. been this way for a decade or more regardless of color.

[@richardlea818]

@@Enlightn76 obviously 3 wire is more expensive than 2 wire, but i paid $55 dollars for a run that only cost $35 ish dollars a few months ago. I’ve bought wire before man

[@dallas5374]

Bidenomics

[@TowerThree]

The new colors for the /3 is so the inspectors can see it for switches. All new switches need a neutral in the box, so no more /2 to a switch

[@foogod4237]

It can also help to identify 240V circuits, and feeder circuits with a shared neutral, as being something different than the ordinary outlet/light circuit runs...

[@KaiserTom]

You can do 2 conductor for a switch, you just need to feed the switch then the light. You also only need one switch in a lighting circuit to have a neutral, so the 2nd switch on a 3 way can be line, traveler, and switched hot and not need a neutral.

[@billrobert3226]

Remember there are many exceptions to the nuetral in a switchbox rule. anything with conduit, and if more than one switch controls a light and the boxes are within sight of eachother, only one needs a neutral

[@billrobert3226]

​@foogod4237 unless it's a 2 wire 240! Although that is less common in modern appliances, i still haven't seen a 240 water heater with a nuetral and I would assume that would be the case unless you have some fancy water heater with built in electronics like a screen or wifi

[@1djbecker]

@@billrobert3226 Older appliances used 120V for lights, motors, timers and controls. With LED lighting, inverter-driven motors and world-compatible electronic controls is is easy to foresee a day when there won't be a need for a neutral on the dryer and range circuits either.

[@ClubhouseGardens]

This is amazing for a DIY guy because it empowers me to make sure i know what I'm doing before I do a project.

[@rolandsolomon7728]

Thanks for the detailed, yet simple explanations.

[@VideoArchiveGuy]

Mental note to Sharpie over the date on the cables. 🤣

[@munozinni]

Hola 👋 señor Silver Cymbal 👋😃👋that was a great video very informative and for a minute what I thought when I saw the pink wire I thought the lgtv is sticking its nose in the electrical industry now 😩😫that’ll stink to deal with that but fortunately it’s all for identification only thank you for the information keep up the great content…Saludos!!!👋😃👋

[@sqeekykleen49]

Saludos, el arcoiris... se lo llevaron como bandera...y pintaron los cables...😮.

[@scratchdog2216]

Honestly thought this post was intended as a humorous poke in the ribs at certain aspects of modern culture. Fortunate to have lots of old wire in the trade here for our own use. This all makes complete sense from an inspection POV.

[@kliajesal4592]

Aspiring Sparky here. Thank goodness for color coding!

[@HayesJC]

Lots of DIY projects out there getting called by inspectors. I just inspected a place with only 12/2 wire on every light and outlet. 20+ junction boxes in the attic and 15 in the basement. Only a handful of 20A breakers. Wire color makes inspecting things like this so easy.

[@BigD1395]

Very informative, I've never done a lot of electrical work but it's nice to know now that we own our own home.

[@davidbowser]

Depending on the age of your home, BX might also be ungrounded (old 2 prong outlets). Almost all the BX in my house is ungrounded and I have been slowly replacing it or running ground wires when replacing outlets and light fixtures.

[@lezzistarsmith]

Finally! Make some damn good sense, glad industry stepped up & likely to be code enforced

[@imark7777777]

I'm glad they did it but I was definitely shocked to see the bold color choices.

[@syitiger9072]

Lol thought the wire manufacturer went woke

[@davemeise2192]

Good explanation. I wondered what the new colours were all about at our local Home Depot. I couldn't get consistent answers from staff.

[@matgaragepaul]

When I built my detached garage a few years ago, (2018) I ran 12/2 for the 110v circuits, and 12/3 for some light duty 20 amp 220V circuits (VFD's for a couple little 3 phase machines). As I recall, the 12/3 cost almost twice as much, but only has 1 additional wire. Ouch. I did pull permits and get all inspections (rough in and final). Cost a few bucks, but alot cheaper than any issues that would come up if something were to happen, or when I sell this place. Plus I take pride in the inspection stickers. I did my homework, and passed inspection on the first visit.

[@Digital-Sparks]

This as others have mentioned is more for marketing than anything else, but also it would likely appeal to people who don't know what they are doing or know what they are looking at when trying to deduce whats going on with the electrical circuits they are looking at. As an Electrician who has worked in PLC cabinets with literally tens of thousands of wires that are all the same color seeing this is humorous to say the least. You got yourself some cute wire there my friend.

[@MCW1955]

A very professional video.

[@jessegarman7899]

I appreciate coming across your video. I will be doing a new house build in about six months and it never occurred to me. That yellow was for 12 gauge. I am specifying 20 amp circuit solved throughout the house and I wanna make sure that that is what happens.

[@joshm3342]

Essential info, well presented. Thanks!

[@gnic76]

So be sure to keep an extra roll of wire around for later work, just so you can pass it off as old work. 😂

[@BartlettTFD]

GREAT information. Thanks 👍

[@PerrySummers]

First time seeing one of your videos. GREAT informational piece. Liked, and subscribed!

[@danlux4954]

2:37 google shows in Canada. This blue NMD 90 14/2 wire is coded for bedroom outlets terminating at Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI).

[@steveashcraft718]

I use 12/2 on outlet circuits and 20amp outlets on all outlets I replace. The 20amp outlets last longer.

[@realvanman1]

Get the government OUT of our PRIVATE HOMES. You don't get PERMISSION from BIG BROTHER to do work on YOUR OWN HOME. And get manufacturers OUT of the code making process! This one isn't too bad (when, not if) the NEC adopts it, but the over application of GFCIs and ALL AFCI requirements ARE a direct result of manufacturers pushing their own interests into the code.

[@dupsdf]

this also helps service guys. no more chasing 15 whites to a box to find the jumpers. blue for 14/3 is sweet!

[@busnorth]

I like this idea. Trouble is, in the 60 they had blue and black with white. I don't remember the gauge but I did use a lot of the sky blue. Every room had it's own 15,20 amp breaker and lights were shared. Some rooms had more then one lights on separate wires and yes 2 light switch. There were many dedicated individuals circuits. At least 5 plug boxes pre room. I'd help my dad after school wire new homes and insulate then sheet rock with nails.

[@Nudnik1]

Excellent idea 💡

[@bluenetmarketing]

Great information! Thanks.

[@OldLordSpeedy]

Internationally we count all cable wires plus ground. So are typical 3G (G markes ground international saved earth with coded green/yellow.) and 5G. Typical use 1.5 mm² and 2.5 mm², for feed in into house 6 mm² and 10 mm². The range starts at 0.75 mm² for LED-lamps, over 1 mm², 1.5 mm², 2.5 mm², 4 mm², 6 mm², 10 mm², 16 mm², ... For house and factory buildings only copper wires allowed, only for outside the electrical company can use aluminium cables.

[@annnnonnymous]

Quick and informative, good video.

[@seetheforest]

Good thing I have a nice supply of nos vintage wire. 😊

[@jeremywatts2768]

Its nice that you dont have to break out the micrometer to ensure that its 14 (1.66mm) or 12ga (2.06mm)

[@hamjudo]

Micrometers are way to fiddly. I just use a milliohm meter, a tape measure, and a calculator. A regular ohm meter has two test leads with one conductor each. They suffer because they have to subtract out the resistance of the test lead itself. A milliohm meter runs a known current through one conductor to each test probe and has a sense wire to measure the voltage at the test probe. These are sometimes called 4 wire meters. The fancy versions let you choose the test current, so you can overwhelm noise from magnetic or capacitive coupling, or use a wee tiny current if something sensitive might come in contact with the conductor under test. Oh wait, that's for testing traces on printed circuit boards. For house wiring, I look at the color, read the label, or compare the wire to a known sample. It's a good thing I only do wiring on my own property.

[@ps.2]

Or you can just try to bend it. You cannot possibly confuse the two then, as 14ga is soooo much more flexible it's not even funny. As an amateur, when working with 12ga wire for switches or receptacles, I almost dread stuffing the excess into the box while closing it up. Whereas with 14ga it's simply never an issue.

[@jeremywatts2768]

@@ps.2 If you saw the thick sheathing on the conductors and casing for my wire, you'd question it too.

[@syitiger9072]

U can easily tell the difference between 14 and 12

[@willfriar8054]

if we keep in mind that the electric code is the minimum you're supposed to use. just make sure you're the next size wire up. work very neatly. make sure you do everything in the box exactly perfect. follow the code.

[@soundspark]

Wire size is dictated not only by current but by the length of the wire run, as a long run can have unacceptable resistive losses.

[@willfriar8054]

@soundspark exactly and if you don't know how long the run is for alternating current and direct current is twice as much resistance. the length of the wire run from the breaker box to the load is critical. you can't run 18 gauge 300 ft and expected run a welder..

[@davidrea8833]

There is also, at least in Canada, 12/2 with a red jacket, which is typically used for heating circuits

[@firstjohn3123]

So, a legal beagle lobbyist sales tactic that sounds good...with the added benefit of jamming up home owners so cities can levy fines & contractors get more work....sounds like a bureaucratic self-improvement. Only time I'd run #14 would be dedicated LED ceiling lighting, and/or if spec'd that way. Prefer the breaker to be the weak point...not the wire. Seen #14 break from stress over time ( home/vibration movement due to heavy road traffic ), never #12. That little extra matters.

[@sparkydstoolboxtalk1024]

The cause for the change in color is less for inspection purposes, and more so Southwire can make more money. Inspectors are electricians, and electricians can visually identify a three wire from a two wire romex by eye. Southwire has a history of tweaking their products to try to get more sales, and the rest of the industry quickly follows. For example about twelve years ago Southwire star making sim-pull pre lubricated wire for use with conduit, which boosted their sales. These companies have no incentive to change unless it makes them more profitable, or building code changes.

[@harveylong5878]

your average inspector isnt technically a certified electrician. sure in getting the inspection license they get maybe a refresher course on electrical. We just had to argue with AHJ over having supposed 100 bad GFCIs cuz of the GFCIs we use have EOL indicator. AHJ swore that indicated a tripped GFCI

[@peterwarner8541]

No idea what you’re talking about on this one being in the UK but I like your videos regardless!

[@andrelam9898]

Watching the occasional UK electrician installing wiring... yeah it's radically different in Europe (and UK being a little different from other mainland European electrical requirements). you guys pull wires through mostly plastic conduits, we have preformed wires with the protective sheathing (mostly plastic). Our fuse panels are also radically different from how they look and are installed compared to Europe.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Cool video, thanks. I didn't know about the colors past yellow. Even just 4 years ago in 2020 I bought a bit of 12/3 that was still in the yellow sheathe.

[@elliotthanford1328]

This is why I live where no one cares about building permits aside from new construction

[@ChoiDuong0944]

Very informative. Thank you.!

[@phildelgiudice3448]

Nice job. Great channel too.

[@everettgreenwood4338]

I used to be an electrician, and plenty of wire brands already have manufacture dates on them and they are fairly common in my area

[@TwilightxKnight13]

Orange for #10 has not always been dedicated. For years, orange was used primarily for UF - underground feeder - cable. It was a point of confusion for many homeowners and DiYers

[@claymeister00]

we also have Red romex for Electric heat The conductors are red and Black. it is the same colour whether its 12/2 or 10/2.

[@spikester]

Yup, red romex 12/2 & 10/2 was commonly used to denote 240V split phase circuits, be it baseboards or water heaters. As early as the start of the 90s at least I recall. The white stuff was used for 120V.

[@JasperJanssen]

Cable can’t get you in trouble with an inspector. Lying got you in trouble with the inspector. Unconvincingly, at that.

[@brianbeasley7270]

Wow! That's informative. Thanks.

[@ramosel]

I just ran a hundred feet of 6/2.... which is now Black... Black used to be the color for 12/2 before yellow. I mined out about 400ft of old Black 12/2 from my house when I moved an illegal sub-panel from a closet. 12/3 direct bury is grey.

[@janellgorski7189]

12-2 used to be white before it was yellow. It is in his video.

[@ramosel]

@@janellgorski7189 Yep, but it doesn't change the fact that I have 400ft of BLACK 12/2 from the 70s when the house was built.

[@sqeekykleen49]

​@@ramoselthat cable has green letters on it. Midnight black, that jacket is tougher than that Gray uf bullshit... but it says NM... some had a 16 awg bare egc on 12/2 w ground... that little 16awg would glow before the zinscos would trip..😂 😂

[@rf159a]

The metal jacketed cable is typically called MC Cable. BX Cable is generally old cable without a ground. They were permitted to use the jacket of the cable as a ground. That is no longer allowed and all MC Cable contains a ground wire.

[@sqeekykleen49]

Metal clad, yes, and then there is AC armored clad... bx was the transition from knob and tube... then NM came along.... 😊

[@famitory]

would be nice to see an official sollution for running the 10v control signals for dimmable LED lights in paralell with the power inside one cable.

[@SilverCymbal]

I agree, I worry also for the folks that ran pink for low voltage data cabling as this may create some confusion there too

[@zeake13]

Great info!

[@MrFiver1111]

In Spain they are black or white for normal and then the green is for halogen free and orange for fire resistance. The wire size is printed or engraved in the insulation in mm²

[@OldLordSpeedy]

In Spain they use only 2.5 mm² for most projects, just hob with 4 mm². All very over protective for sure after all other European countries use 2.5 mm² for hob and 1.5 mm² for sockets. 😂 We all have 230 volt only. My LED lamps use 0.75 mm² and 1 mm² normally. But these days are the copper prices mostly stable and it makes no difference if you use higher thicker copper wire as usual.

[@bassiclymike]

What about wire rated for outdoor/underground use? Any color changes there? And what is the difference that makes it rated that way as opposed to normal 14/2 or 12/2?

[@msamyweber]

That was all very helpful, thank you

[@rickhobbs3313]

I work at a local Lowe’s in their Electrical & Lighting department. Yes, we are stocking the new color coded wire by Southwest wire. I admit that I came from the alarm industry, I’ve never been or worked as an electrical contractor and I always tell customers to check with an electrician because not one. I’m learning a lot from this and different videos. That being said, I understood you to say that xx/3 w/ground has a the third (usually red) conductor as a traveler for applications that have multiple switches. May I now see it schematically how that is. However, I thought that a three conductor w/ ground was for specifically a 220VAC circuit. Someone said to me that a 220 circuit was wired in old homes with a two conductor W/ground. How is that possible? Is the ground being used as a neutral wire? Thank you for allowing me to as this question. If you have another video that explains it, please note it.

[@davidhowell8298]

220 VAC (240 VAC) single-phase can be 2-conductor + ground. There is no neutral in this case; just two “hot” conductors, one from each hot bus bar so they are inverse phase to each other, with full incoming peak voltage between them rather than just one leg and a neutral halving the incoming voltage down to 110 VAC (120 VAC).

[@GenoSalvati]

The system was designed for 220. 110 was added to make Edison bulbs last. Wired into the middle of the transformer as a hack. Criminal how much electricity we waste running stuff like heaters and A/C on it.

[@Sokka-p5h]

Could be worse. Could be dealing with military vehicles where every wire is black and every connector is identical.

[@ShadowZero27]

code changes are good for builders but not for penalizing owners. that just assures it'll be done in secret and incorrectly

[@tomf9292]

As an electrician for 40 yrs, I think this is good especially for us folks who’s eyes aren’t that great!! LOL!