Wiring a socket box

[caz21]

Hi! i am having a problem rewiring a socket box ! my younger brother dismantled the wires in my socket box on my dresser the trouble is the wires are red, white and black instead of the traditional green, brown and blue, can anyone please help, does anyone know which would be which? i have no electric to my room!! thanks in advance!

[jake-the-peg]

Red is live, black is neutral and earth is normally either bare or has a green and yellow sleeve slipped over the end.

Obviously do make sure you turn off the power before fixing it.

[caz21]

Ha! what do you take me for jake? ;o)

Thanks for your help!

Are red white and black usually used in wiring then as i have never seen this before?

[buildersmate]

The UK, for reasons best known to the Institute of Electrical Engineers who decide these things, has ALWAYS used Red, Black and Green (sleeved) for FIXED cable used in electrical single phase installations (the cables in the walls). It uses Brown, Blue and Gn/Yellow for the FLEXIBLE cable for appliances that plug in. However in harmony with the EU, cable colours for fixed installations have just been changed to be the same as Europe and the same as flexible cables. You cannot now purchase the old colours but they will be in houses for the next 60 odd years.

[buildersmate]

PS The White you've got - I assume its a sleeving? It should be Green/Yellow.

[caz21]

Thanks for your help!

We opened the main socket on the wall and it had around 12 wires inside is this safe? (all different colours)

So i should be ok to wire the white as earth then!

[buildersmate]

What do you mean the main socket on the wall. You said the socket that was interfered with was on a dresser. Did you just look inside another one to see what colours existed in there?

As Jake said, the Reds all go together and are pushed into the L terminal of the socket. The Blacks all go together and are pushed into the N terminal of the socket. The other wires (which should be bare copper wires having no PVC insulation like the other two, instead having pieces of sleeving slipped over the copper wire) are attached together and go to the earth terminal. It is most unlikley that you have more than 9 wires in total - 3 Reds, 3 Blacks and 3 earth wires.

If it doesn't resemble this, or you can't make sense of this advice, please refer to an electrician. Electricity can be lethal.

[heathfield]

Woooah! Back before the World War II, Germany used red for earth. In the USA, it's a general rule, but not cast in stone, that white is nearest to earth. And in the UK, as stated, green, or green and yellow, is earth. Confused? So am I. Whatever the system, you have a non-standard colour coded cable, and you most definitely need the services of someone who knows how to use a multi-meter safely to sort out what's what.

[caz21]

Morning buildersmate, i meant we opened the socket on the wall to get some idea of where to put the wires back but we couldnt get the front casing out far enough as it was stuffed with wires, not just red and black etc but green and blue and brown as well which makes things mighty confusing! no bare copper ones though! i think i'm going to leave well alone and put up without it until someone can check it out properly for me! i don't want to get blown up or anything!

thanks for your help though!