Australia revamped its electrical wiring colour codes in 2018, so it is important to understand the current colour codes and how electrical wiring mix-ups can be dangerous, especially in older homes.
The information below is for general purposes only. Contact a licensed electrician today for any work that needs to be carried out.
The wire colour codes for Single Phase Wiring
Active wires (high potential) – brown
Neutral wires (low potential) – light blue
Earth wires – green and yellow
The wire colour codes for Multi-phase Wiring
Active wires –
Phase 1 – brown
Phase 2 – black
Phase 3 – grey
Neutral wires – light blue
Earth wires – green and yellow
Note that three phase wiring installations must be done by a licensed level 2 electrician.
Are the colour codes for wiring the same throughout Australia?
Yes. All states of Australia have the same codes. The 2018 amendments are modern updates bringing us into line with some other countries such as the UK. In modern codes the green and yellow striped wire replaces the green wire, so it is now more distinct from the blue wire.
Can I safely carry out electrical work with the colour codes?
No. It is important to understand the colour code, but only a professional electrician should carry out work with the electrical wires. It’s the law. The risks are death or injury. There are also financial penalties including incurring fines for breaching the law, or voiding insurance.
Nine dangerous mistakes people make with coloured electrical wiring
- Older home has wiring with outdated colour codes
- Older home has wiring with a mix of outdated colour codes from several different eras
- Rubber casing around old wire has worn away, obscuring colour code
- Non-professional maverick has worked on your home’s wiring in the past and their system can’t be trusted
- Electrician without current qualifications uses outdated colour codes
- Electrician without local qualifications confuses colour codes
- Online-DIY aficionado sees outdated online article with older colour and mistakes wiring requirements for a home project
- Unwitting colour-blind DIY person misinterprets colour wires when doing emergency repair job
Electrical wiring services
Wiring upgrade could be required, especially older homes. Some associated services from Curran and Electrical include:
- Switchboard upgrade eg for older switchboards with asbestos
- Upgrade wiring to three phase system.
Get in touch
As providers of electrical wiring services for homes and businesses, we believe customers should understand the key issues related to wire colour codes and their complexity, but know that any repairs must be addressed by a qualified electrician.