We're ordering some machinery from China and need it manufactured to Australian electrical standards including the wiring colour code. Unfortunately we don't have any electricians or engineers that work here (I'm an engineering student) and online all I've been able to find is info in forums – it seems government makes you purchase standards documentation. Some sources I've found indicated:
- P1: Red
- P2: White
- P3: Dark Blue
- Neutral: Black
- Ground: Green
and others have indicated that it has since changed to:
- P1: Brown
- P2: Black
- P3: Grey
- Neutral: Light Blue
- Ground: Green/Yellow
Can anyone with experience in this topic enlighten me on the current Australian standard before I request the spec for the machines.
Best Answer
For three phase wiring, our standard colours are:
For example, any three-core (3C+E) or four-core (4C+E) power cable bought in Australia would follow the above colour codes.
These colours are strongly advised, but not mandatory.
The internal wiring of equipment may come with European colour codes (brown, gray, black, blue) - this is permissible by AS 3000.
The wiring may also come with no colour code at all. For example, all the wiring might be gray, with wires identified by numbers or labels - this is also permissible by AS 3000. German equipment, in particular, often comes like this - a baffling collection of gray spaghetti.
Therefore, writing a specification that "all wiring colours shall comply to AS 3000" is a pretty weak specification. It's better to specify that three-phase power circuits shall be identified by colours, and the acceptable colours are - red, white, and dark blue for phase conductors, black for neutral, and green/yellow for earths.
For single-phase wiring, I've seen both a) red active / black neutral, and b) brown active, light blue neutral (European style.) AS 3000 allows for both - so long as you don't mix the two colour schemes in the same installation.
Relevant citations From AS3000:2007+A2 Wiring Rules: