Why Are Electrical Wires Different Colors?

Wires inside an electrical panel or device are coated in a colored, insulated wrap to provide a visual guide to each wire’s purpose and degree of electrical hazard. Understanding each wire color code–and knowing which color wire is live and which is neutral–helps to keep the circuitry organized in order to minimize the risk of shock and safely maintain or repair any electrical project.

Types of Electrical Wires

Wires are categorized as live, neutral, or ground. Coding each type of wire by color helps prevent serious damage to property or injury to people.

1. Live: Black, red
2. Neutral: White, gray
3. Ground: Green, bare copper, green-yellow striped

Live Wires

Also known as ‘hot wires,’ live wires carry power and should be handled with the most caution.

Black

Black wires carry currents from an electrical panel to the device, appliance, outlet, or light that it’s powering. Black wires are used as the primary power supply.

Red

Red wires are secondary live wires, often used when a device requires a higher voltage of power than a black wire can supply. For larger appliances, red wires can deliver as much as 240 volts. Red wires are also used in trigger devices, such as smoke detectors, and allow for multiple signals to be sent at once.

When evaluating any electrical panel, keep in mind that while black and red are the standard of live wire, there is no regulation requiring them to be color-coded this way. If you see a white wire that has red or black tape on it, consider that wire to be live. Always test wires before attempting to disconnect or cut them.

Neutral Wires

Despite its terminology, neutral wires carry electrical current and should be handled with caution.

White or Gray

White or gray neutral wires carry the current from the device or appliance back to the electrical panel it came from. This current will then go through the loop again to keep powering the device or appliance.

Ground Wires

Ground wires serve as a protective measure against power surges by providing the electrical current an alternative pathway before it can cause damage.

Bare Copper

Bare copper wires do not have any color-coded coating, and the full wire is exposed. Copper is highly conductive, and bare copper is typically used for lower voltage devices.

Green and Green-Yellow Striped

Is green wire live or neutral? Neither–when there is an error or fault in the electrical current’s pathway, the green wire will route the excess electricity from your home to the ground to be neutralized and prevent shock or fire. Green wires are often paired with green ground screws.

Additional Wire Colors

Depending on the electrical project, you may encounter more wire colors to consider–although these are not as common.

Blue and Yellow

Blue and yellow wires are live wires that are more commonly seen in larger commercial properties, but you may see them in three or four-way switches. Should you encounter a blue or yellow wire, proceed with the same caution as you would a black or red wire.

Orange

Orange wires are live wires and are typically used as secondary wires the same way red wires are.

Pink, Violet, and Brown

Pink, violet, and brown wires are also live wires you might see in dimmable light features, as well as three- and four-way switches.

Following the color codes of wires makes it easier and safer to work with electrical panels, devices, and appliances. No matter which color wire you are working with, be sure to shut off all power to the circuit and test your wires before handling them. When in doubt, always defer to a licensed electrician.