Number of conductors

Electrical · Branch Circuit Wiring (Distribution Wiring) · printed page 99 (PDF page 100)

Original page Sign in to save

Book index entries

Conductors – Number of Electrical Electric Conductors – Number Number of Electrical Conductors

Text in the illustration

red (hot)
black (hot)
ground
white (neutral)
modern cable - plastic sheathing, three conductor with ground
used for 240-volt circuits and multi-wire branch circuits (post-1960)
modern cable - plastic sheathing, two conductor with ground
used for regular household circuits (post-1960)
older style cable - cloth outer sheathing two conductor with no ground (pre 1965*)
knob
older style knob and tube wiring (no ground) - pre 1945

Generated explanation

The illustration compares four branch-circuit wiring configurations and identifies their hot, neutral, and grounding conductors. Modern plastic-sheathed three-conductor cable contains red and black hot conductors, a white neutral, and a separate ground, and is labeled for 240-volt and multi-wire branch circuits. Modern two-conductor cable contains a black hot, a white neutral, and a separate ground for regular household circuits. Older cloth-sheathed cable has a black hot and a white neutral with no grounding conductor. The knob-and-tube example shows separately routed hot and neutral conductors supported on knobs, also without a ground; tubes are not illustrated.