Thoroughly labeled electrical conduit helps save electrical professionals time when troubleshooting, improves safety, increases efficiency, and helps avoid costly mix-ups. Are there standards for labeling electrical conduit? Not specifically. However, ANSI A13.1, Standard for the Identification of Pipes, provides the label and text sizes that are appropriate for labeling electrical conduit.
The ANSI Z535 standard defines the colors that should be used for safety-related labels. For example, yellow with black printing should be used for cautionary labels and orange with black text for warning labels. The Table shows the ANSI A13.1 standard for label and text size based on conduit diameter.
There are no codes that specify the quality of electrical conduit labels. However, conduit labels that don’t last might as well not even be there. If you’re going to use them, electrical conduit labels should be resistant to abrasion, moisture, dirt, and cleaning fluids. Outdoor electrical conduit labels must be resistant to weather and fading in sunlight. Labels in other locations may need to be resistant to oil, grease, extreme temperatures, and other harsh environmental conditions.
It’s a good idea to label electrical conduit with the voltage, an ID number, and the locations the conduit connects from and to. Labels should be placed at both ends of the conduit, at junction boxes, and any other location where information about the wiring in the conduit might be needed.
Several labels may be used to supply all the needed information. For example, an orange warning label with the text “480V” might be used. An arrow may be used to indicate the direction of power flow from the source to the point where the power is distributed or used.
A second label, white in color, may be used to identify the purpose, source, and destination of the conduit. The label with the voltage is orange because it is a safety-related label informing the reader about the voltage hazard. The second label is white because it is an informational label.
Labeling smaller diameter electrical conduit that is one inch or less in diameter may be difficult because labels may fail when applied to a tightly curved surface. Or, to make labels that fit, the text must be made too small to read. To overcome these problems, you can use self-laminating labels.
Whether you choose to use continuous vinyl, self-laminating, or special low-temperature labels that will withstand frigid arctic winter temperatures, make sure the label is durable enough to stand the test of time.
Editor’s Note: What’s the difference between safety labels and signs? For tips on how to choose between these two forms of communication, read the article from Graphic Products at https://bit.ly/2OVEI9H.
