What color must ground wires be?

Ground wires must be colored either green, green with a yellow tracer, or be left as bare metal. This standard is vital for safety and helps to clearly identify ground wires from other types of wiring in electrical systems. The use of the green color or a combination of green and yellow facilitates the quick identification of grounding conductors, which is crucial to ensuring proper connections and avoiding accidental contact with live wires during maintenance or installation.

Using bare metal for ground wires is also common practice, and both of these conventions serve to minimize the risk of electrical shock or equipment malfunction. Clarity in electrical wiring color-coding increases safety not only for technicians but also for anyone dealing with electrical systems, reinforcing the importance of using standardized colors to signify specific functions within electrical installations.