Used for portable and small appliances such as table lamps, pendant lights and fan heaters.
Several types of flex are available. The type used is dependent upon the appliance being connected. For very low voltage applications such as battery-operated doorbells, the flex may have just two conductors each insulated in a plastic coating. These are not generally color-coded.
Other applications will require sheathed flex which has two or three insulated conductors inside. Those with two conductors are used for double-insulated appliances. Those with three conductors are used for appliances requiring an earth.
The sheathed flex has colour-coded conductors.
Brown = Live.
Blue = Neutral.
Green and yellow = Earth.
When choosing a flex it must be of the appropriate type and size for the job. The following table shows the rating and the size of the conductors (its cross section measured in mm sq) for various appliances.
Flex sizes
Conductor size measured in mm sq
0.50
0.75
1.00
1.25
1.50
2.50
4.00
Rating in amps
3
6
10
13
15
20
25
Maximum appliance rating in watts
Lighting up to 720
1440
2400
3120
3600
4800
6000
