That definition helps you when you buy a spool of wire that has the red and black wires molded into one wire. For a DC electrical system red is supposed to be positive and black is supposed to be negative.

If everyone followed the color codes for wiring the world would be a safer place and less confusing. Wires are wires but the color-coding helps you avoid trouble. One end cannot be positive and one cannot be hooked to the negative side. In other words, if you are using green as the negative it needs to be hooked to both negative connections. In reality, you can use any color wire wherever you want as long as you hook both sides up to the same circuit. that is what everyone expects until they buy an RV or a product made in a different country. There are products that will use solid colored wires for both sides of the electrical system. That has been the way it has been for over 100 years. For example wires with stripes and dashes are supposed to be positive and wires with solid colors are supposed to be negative.īut when you look at your car’s DC system you will see that both colors of wires are solid. This can be confusing as there are codes they should be following but RV makers seem to make up their own codes as they go along. RV makers have taken that freedom to new heights and often you do not see the color you expect connecting the negative terminals. The reality is that you could possibly use any color wire for that function. Generally and in theory, the white wire is supposed to be for the negative terminals. What Does a 12v Black And White Wire Mean? While Canada has the same basic DC power system, the colors are often different from the American style. The link under the table will also explain the color codes for Europe, Asia, Canada, and so on.

For example, look at the table immediately below: FunctionĪs you can see there can be some confusion when you go to the wire in different products for your RV. Then even the color code for America depends on the electrical wire system placed in RVs and products. The reason we bring the different codes to your attention is that while RVs are made in America and possibly Canada, not all products for RVs follow the American color code system This will depend on the country or continent you are living in. Is black And White Wire Positive or Negative? 12 Volt DC Wire Color Code

Transformer wire color codes