Care must be taken when connecting electrical consumers to prevent dangerous electric shocks or short circuits. In order to avoid injuries and defects, the conductor colours of power cables are standardised so that there is no confusion with the respective electrical conductors during electrical installations in the commercial or private sector. Depending on the scope of the electrical installation, the cable colours (conductor colours) are also very important in terms of saving time and money.
Standardised conductor colours are therefore indispensable, especially in industry, as the cable colours help to implement even complex wiring safely and with less effort, as you can see at a glance what the colours mean.
We have summarised the most important information on what colour the wires in a (power) cable usually are in our guide.
Meaning of the different conductor colours in power cables
The question often arises among laypeople: What do the conductor colours on power cables mean? First and foremost, the conductor colours in a power cable serve as a guide so that lamps, sockets or other electrical consumers are wired correctly and the risk of electric shock is minimised. For this purpose, each conductor colour in a cable is assigned a meaning, e.g. to distinguish the live phase from the neutral conductor. We have summarised the colours you may encounter in electrical installations in the following table.
| Conductor colour | Designation | Abbreviation | Function | Classification of the colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| brown | Phase 1 | L1 | Outer conductor: switched or unswitched | Basic colour |
| blue | Neutral conductor | N | Neutral conductor is always blue. Must not be switched independently | Basic colour |
| green/yellow | Protective earth | PE | Protective earth conductor is always green/yellow. Must never be switched! | Basic colour |
| black | Phase 2 | L2 | Outer conductor: switched or unswitched | extended basic colour |
| grey | Phase 3 | L3 | Outer conductor: switched or unswitched | extended basic colour |
| white | switched phase | Switched. Corresponding wire | Alternative further colours | |
| orange | switched phase | Switched. Corresponding wire | Alternative further colours | |
| red | switched phase | Switched. Corresponding wire | Alternative further colours | |
| violet | switched phase | Switched. Corresponding wire | Alternative further colours |
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What wire colours do old power cables have?
Cable colours have changed over the course of time, which is why it is important to know the old conductor colours for old buildings or older cable installations. Old conductors in power cables up to 1965 have a different colour than today, e.g. red was used as the protective earth conductor (PE) back then.
The colours were not standardised before 1965.
The following table provides information on the meaning of the core colours of the "old" and "new" cables, as well as the colours of old NYM cables.
| Designation of the conductor | Conductor colour (until 1965) | Conductor colour (since 2003) |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral conductor (N) | Grey | Blue |
| Earthing, protective earth conductor (PE) | Red | Yellow-green |
| Phase (L1), outer conductor | Black | Brown |
| Phase (L2) | Blue | Black |
| Phase (L3) | Black | Grey |
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| Designation of the conductor | Conductor colour (until 1965) | Conductor colour (since 2003) |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral conductor (N) | Grey | Blue |
| Earthing, protective earth conductor (PE) | Red | Yellow-green |
| Phase (L1), outer conductor | Black | Brown |
| Phase (L2) | Blue | Black |
| Phase (L3) | Black | Grey |
Electrical cables and the colours of their conductors are, of course, available in different cable cross-sections, so that in addition to main lines to junction boxes, the wiring of wall sockets and light switches is also possible without errors or danger. In addition to the safety aspect, the different electrical cable colours are also very important in terms of saving time and money. In complex electrical installations, e.g. in control cabinets or fuse boxes, the standardised colours ensure that wires can be laid quickly without time-consuming measuring.
Power cables - colours for different numbers of cores
The cables for three-phase current, often also referred to as heavy current, have the following core colours, e.g. for a 5-core cable with 3 phases: Brown, black, grey (L1, L2, L3), blue (N), green-yellow (PE).
Note: The colours in a NYM cable also follow this scheme exactly.
An overview of other cables and colour codes:
- 2-core cables: brown (L1), blue (N)
- 3-core cables: brown (L1), blue (N), green-yellow (PE)
Note: The colours of the conductors have a different meaning depending on which 4-core cable is used. For example, there are versions that have 3 phases (L1-L3) and either a neutral conductor (N) or an earthing conductor (PE).
- 4-core cables: Brown, black, grey (L1, L2, L3), green-yellow (PE) or blue (N)
- 5-core cables: brown, black, grey (L1, L2, L3), blue (N), green-yellow (PE)
- 5-core cables (before 2003): Black, brown, black (L1, L2, L3), blue (N), green-yellow (PE)
- 7-core cable: If there is a 7-core cable, e.g. a NYM-J cable, the conductors are in the following colours: Black (printed numbers 1-6) + yellow-green
We have summarised the colours for a 12-core cable and the cable colours for a cable with 13 cores based on DIN 47100 in the following table.
| Core numbering | Cable colour |
|---|---|
| 1 | white |
| 2 | brown |
| 3 | green |
| 4 | yellow |
| 5 | grey |
| 6 | pink |
| 7 | blue |
| 8 | red |
| 9 | black |
| 10 | violet |
| 11 | grey |
| 12 | red |
| 13 | white |
Norms for cable colours
In addition to brown, black and grey, the VDE cable colours also include blue and yellow-green. The cable designation of the colours of individual conductors in this case is: brown L1, black L2, grey L3, blue N, PE green-yellow. We have listed the cable colours of DIN 47100 for up to 32 cores in the following table.
| Wire numbering | Cable colour |
|---|---|
| 1 | white |
| 2 | brown |
| 3 | green |
| 4 | yellow |
| 5 | grey |
| 6 | pink |
| 7 | blue |
| 8 | red |
| 9 | black |
| 10 | violet |
| 11 | grey / pink |
| 12 | red / blue |
| 13 | white / green |
| 14 | brown / green |
| 15 | white / yellow |
| 16 | yellow / brown |
| 17 | white / grey |
| 18 | grey / brown |
| 19 | white / pink |
| 20 | pink / brown |
| 21 | white / blue |
| 22 | brown / blue |
| 23 | white / red |
| 24 | brown / red |
| 25 | white / black |
| 26 | brown / black |
| 27 | grey / green |
| 28 | yellow / grey |
| 29 | pink / green |
| 30 | yellow / pink |
| 31 | green / blue |
| 32 | yellow / blue |
Cable colours: VDE regulations at a glance
The VDE standard for cable colours stipulates that cables with more than 5 cores must be numbered consecutively or coloured differently. The permitted colours include the following: Black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, grey, white, pink and turquoise.
There is also a cable colour standard for motor vehicles. There are also cable colours for low-voltage cables in road vehicles, which are standardised in accordance with DIN 72551. The DIN cable colours for the automotive sector, e.g. for a 7-pole cable (from 1-7) are as follows: Yellow, blue, white, green, brown, red, black
In addition to cable colours that comply with DIN 47100, there is also a colour coding according to DIN EN 60204 1, whose test protocol for cable colours provides for the following colours - for electrical equipment of machines - to identify conductors:
- Black: Main circuits for AC and DC
- Red: AC control circuits
- Blue: DC control circuits
Power cable colours in other countries
Since 1965, the cable colours already described - e.g. for a 5-core power cable: black (L1), brown (L2) and grey (L3), blue for the neutral conductor (N) and yellow-green for the protective conductor (PE) - have become established in electrical engineering as well as in building services.
These cable colours are also established internationally. The cable colours are subject to the EU standard DIN EN 50575.
| Designation of the manager | Germany | Italy | France | Switzerland | Former GDR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral conductor (N) | Blue | Blue | Blue | Blue-light blue | Grey |
| Protective earth conductor (PE) | Yellow-green | Yellow-green | Yellow-green | Yellow-green | Yellow-green |
| Outer conductor (L1) | Brown | Brown | Brown | Brown | Black |
| Phase (L2) | Black | Black | Black | Black | Blue |
| Phase (L3) | Grey | Grey | Grey | Grey | Black |
Colours for other cable types
In addition to domestic electrics, cable colours are particularly important in industry and the automotive sector. It is also important to know the colours and their meaning in switch cabinet construction, where single core cables are often used, as well as in the wiring of cars and truck trailers. Other cable types where the wire colour plays an important role are underground cables, rubber cables and data cables.
Wire colours in switch cabinet construction
In switch cabinet construction, the colours of cables are subject to the standard DIN EN 60204-1 (VDE 0113-1). However, only green-yellow for the protective conductor and light blue for the neutral conductor are clearly defined in this standard for cable colours in the distribution enclosure. The other cable colours for a switch cabinet are only defined as recommendations in the DIN VDE 0113 standard.
Recommended wire colour for an electrical enclosure according to DIN VDE 0113:
- Black - main circuits for AC and DC
- Red - control circuits for AC
- Blue - control circuits for DC
- Orange - interlocking circuits
Profinet cable colours
The colours of the conductors in Profinet cables of type A, B and C are blue, yellow, white and orange.
Note: There is no difference in the colours of the inner conductors of Profinet cables. However, the cables differ in their flexibility and bending radius, for example.
Cable colours for vehicle trailers
Standardised colours for the cables are particularly important when wiring a trailer coupling, e.g. for a trailer. Thanks to the standardised cable colours, it is much easier to wire a 7-pin connector for a trailer in order to loop through the vehicle's brake signal as well as the indicator signal.
| Number | Cable designation | Cable colour | Pinning of the contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L (indicator left) | Yellow | Indicator left |
| 2 | 54G (rear fog light) | Blue | Tail fog lights |
| 3 | 31 (negative line) | White | Ground |
| 4 | R (indicator right) | Green | Indicator right |
| 5 | 58R (light switch terminal, left) | Brown | Tail light right |
| 6 | 54 (brake light) | Red | Brake lights |
| 7 | 58L (light switch terminal, right) | Black | Tail light left |
In addition to the 7-pin connectors commonly used in the automotive sector, there are also connectors for trailers that require a 13-pin connector with numbered contacts, to which the cable colours can be easily assigned.
Despite careful editing and checking of the content, Stecker Express assumes no liability for the topicality, correctness, completeness and quality of the information provided.
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