Quote: "all DC toggles should be white and AC toggled be red? I know that that is today's standard and that it changed sometime while I was away from the U.S. I know the black handles are available but the stores only carry white these days.
And who declared that DC ground wires should be yellow?
To my way of thinking, anyone wiring a boat that can't tell his DC circuits from AC should be hiring an electrician."
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No one that I know of declared all AC breakers are white and AC red, and certainly not the ABYC. Section 11.9. PANELBOARD, of E-11, deals with panel board markings and there have been no recent changes that I am aware of, and I have the current up to date standards. It does not specify any color markings for either AC or DC breakers.
As for DC yellow that is merely an ABYC suggestion at this point not at all a mandate. Both black and yellow are acceptable for DC negative though most new boat builders have moved to yellow.
ABYC E-11 (current standard 7/2009)
TABLE XIII - WIRING COLOR CODE
Color Use
DC grounding conductors - Green, or green w/yellow stripe(s)
DC negative conductors - Black, or yellow
DC positive conductors - Red