**Show Us Your Installs!!!**

[Knobhead]

I’ll hold my hand up, I must have run miles of 3½C.

Things like VSD and SMPS were weird and wonderful things then. You only had to worry about the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] natural harmonic in the neutral.

There was a lot to be said for our old 550V system, no neutral!

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

Intresting to read your thoughts on this. Scottish Power have met one of our lads on site today and signed off the work and he is happy with it. It looks like we will have a few more of these stating soon so ill keep you up to date with what is specified to be installed in those ones. Ill raise the question about why its not copper tape as well.

 

[Knobhead]

Would be interesting to hear the answer. The spec I’ve got allows both CU and Al. without trawling through them I cant remember the sizes.

I’ve got to talk to UKPN soon, will ask the question.

 

[Guest55]

a minor update of my on-going project with additional pics.......

before.....



after......



before.....



after......



before , new & old submains......



after a tidy up......



before ........



after , nothing left other than the main earthing i managed to salvage.....
all bonds labelled , E54 will be so proud lol ;-)




most difficult tray run .......



only 2 anchor points along the whole run to the plant below , so most of it free standing , quite pleased with that really.

 

[specs]

They’ve been using it since I were a lad.

I went to EMEB’s training collage about 30 years back. They had us jointing Al to Cu 11KV cables.

I remember, in the early seventies, buying aluminium cored t&e, can't remember the 'why' but I do remember it went on for about 6 months or maybe a year. Anybody care to jog my memory.

 

[Phoenix]

I remember, in the early seventies, buying aluminium cored t&e, can't remember the 'why' but I do remember it went on for about 6 months or maybe a year. Anybody care to jog my memory.

I think that was down to rocketing copper prices and availability. Was it not copper coated? Bit blurry thinking that far back...

 

[Engineer54]

Yep, copper coated Al cable in T&E form. Required 4mm for 30A ring circuits and 1.5mm for 5A lighting circuits!!
As far as i know still available, but only in 16mm and above sizes!!

 

[ipf]

Marketed as 'copperclad'. Waste of time for various reasons.

 

[Knobhead]

Never come across Cu coated Al. Sounds horrible stuff!

The cables I was referring to were 11KV 185mm² Al PILCSWA joined to 11KV 70mm² Cu PILCSWA. You have to bind the Cu conductor with 2.5mm² until it’s the same size as the larger conductor and then sweat it solid. It’s a ball ache!

 

[ipf]

Never come across Cu coated Al. Sounds horrible stuff!

The cables I was referring to were 11KV 185mm² Al PILCSWA joined to 11KV 70mm² Cu PILCSWA. You have to bind the Cu conductor with 2.5mm² until it’s the same size as the larger conductor and then sweat it solid. It’s a ball ache!

Been as well terminating that 4mm CCA in the same way. The stuff WAS horrible...and those terms were like mush. Normal screw terms went straight through it. I think it was MK who made a special range with flat to flat connection points especially for it.

 

[sythai]

Sketchy one I discovered today.... Directly supplied from DNO 100amp cut out, cables have also been crushed under the busbar shield :cowboy::cowboy:

 

[Dcf]

proteus as well. classy job that.
no mcb? just stick it in the switch that will do.

 

[sythai]

proteus as well. classy job that.
no mcb? just stick it in the switch that will do.

Thing is there where spare MCBs above empty, correct rating... F'king nuts !!

 

[Bobster]

Was the circuit at least protected within 3m?

 

[sythai]

Was the circuit at least protected within 3m?

Nope this was a run of about 35metres ! Fused spur on the end

 

[Bobster]

Brilliant. Haha.

Can't make this stuff up!

 

[ipf]

Nope this was a run of about 35metres ! Fused spur on the end

Did they use the yellow phase as earth ? lol!

 

[sythai]

Did they use the yellow phase as earth ? lol!

:leaving:

 

[Knobhead]

Sketchy one I discovered today.... Directly supplied from DNO 100amp cut out, cables have also been crushed under the busbar shield :cowboy::cowboy:
View attachment 19477

Sythai,
I hope you realise where you’ve put this. Show us YOU’RE installs.

Yes I know you found it, but I hope you have a tin hat.

 

[sythai]

Sythai,
I hope you realise where you’ve put this. Show us YOU’RE installs.

Yes I know you found it, but I hope you have a tin hat.

Whoops your right there Tony...... definitely not one of my installs, far from it.

This should have gone in ' Tell about us your faults' thread, maybe if one of the kind Mods spots this they could possibly move it over

Thank you

Sy

 

[Amp David]

Whoops your right there Tony...... definitely not one of my installs, far from it.

This should have gone in ' Tell about us your faults' thread, maybe if one of the kind Mods spots this they could possibly move it over

Thank you

Sy

Sorry mate, don't hink thats allowed. You've finally let slip your high standards of work!:ihih:

 

[sythai]

Sorry mate, don't hink thats allowed. You've finally let slip your high standards of work!:ihih:

Oh ok then, go on then it was me, busted!

Was just having a bad day, got fed up with the breaker constantly tripping out and thought this would be a quick fix :uhoh2:

Best not show this one for yearly nic visit in a few weeks time

 

[Marvo]

...if one of the kind Mods spots this they could possibly move it over

Thank you

Sy

Sorry Sy, it's a bit late. Moving the post will just leave the rest of the thread making no sense.

 

[sythai]

Sorry Sy, it's a bit late. Moving the post will just leave the rest of the thread making no sense.

No worries....thanks for replying anyway:biggrin:

 

[cdavies33]

 

[cdavies33]

 

[arturas]

One of my older ones when I used to take pictures of everything

 

[Engineer54]

I'm trying to work out why you needed trunking surrounding the CU in these photo's??

 

[Darkwood]

Hmmm... aesthetically it looks crap, functionally having the trunking all round serves no purpose...i assume you in your learning curve here so please dont take direct offense its an honest opinion from a well experienced engineer.... take it as constructive advice

 

[Knobhead]

I’ve got to agree (don’t all fall over laughing, it does happen occasionally) but the surrounding trunking is a total waste. It serves no purpose what so ever.

Ergonomics (look it up) are one thing, that just looks plain daft to an electrician. It’s a waste of money.


PS I don’t like sockets on their side either.

 

[Knobhead]

I must be ill (it’s the heat), I’ve just agreed with DW!

 

[arturas]

Thanks for opinion, the trunking was for running the cables from the ceilings into CU, it's a brick wall, and on the other side of the wall there's a neighbours apartament. As the cost wise it's not that expensive,but some would rather have a pint for that money

 

[stitch]

Is it just me or is the polarity reversed on input side of the middle RCD?

 

[arturas]

May be, the cables where not screwed in yet as I'm allways taking them out when installing CU, and only checking and tighten the cables after testing,same with all the circuits etc. testing one circuit and then tighten all its connections, then going to the next one.
oh and as well if someone will spot that the earth cable is hanging about, it's not because I leave them like that,MET is outside the CU, and it wasn't done by the time the picture was taken.

 

[pennywise]

I've got no problem with the trunking going around the entire consumer unit, as for costing more it wouldn't as it looks like one length has been used total and last time I looked you can't get it in half lengths . It makes for wiring the accessories below neater too. The next bloke in, will probably be thanking you, as now he can bring the the cables in through the bottom entry points without having to squeeze it thought the top with the original cables. Nice job

 

[Engineer54]

PS I don’t like sockets on their side either.

Tony, I think the photo has been posted showing the wrong orientation, so the sockets will be at the bottom of this CU the right way round!! lol!!

 

[Engineer54]

I've got no problem with the trunking going around the entire consumer unit, as for costing more it wouldn't as it looks like one length has been used total and last time I looked you can't get it in half lengths . It makes for wiring the accessories below neater too. The next bloke in, will probably be thanking you, as now he can bring the the cables in through the bottom entry points without having to squeeze it thought the top with the original cables. Nice job

I think you're well and truly in the minority on this one!! Oh, and there is nothing neat about this arrangement, visually or otherwise.... lol!

 

[pennywise]

I think you're well and truly in the minority on this one!! Oh, and there is nothing neat about this arrangement, visually or otherwise.... lol!

I don't mind being in the minority, as long as it complies and is fit for purpose. It's a different opinion

 

[john25]

Tony, I think the photo has been posted showing the wrong orientation, so the sockets will be at the bottom of this CU the right way round!! lol!!

Yep & you wouldn't have your Switches & Socket outlets Side on either (well unless your just weird like that )

 

[Engineer54]

Yep & you wouldn't have your Switches & Socket outlets Side on either (well unless your just weird like that )

See post #836!! lol!!

 

[arturas]

Here's another one with a little bit of trunking around I had done, no sockets this time, and to be honest i don't see nothing not neat because of the trunking,obviously as many people as many opinions.

 

[Engineer54]

Here's another one with a little bit of trunking around I had done, no sockets this time, and to be honest i don't see nothing not neat because of the trunking,obviously as many people as many opinions. View attachment 19949

Well i think Darkwood summed it up nicely, and i would agree completely. Gaps in the trunking lids only make it look worse...
So tell us what purpose does it actually serve, over and above trunking following the top ''or'' bottom of a CU/DB and maybe on occasion also one side??

Darkwood .... Hmmm... aesthetically it looks crap, functionally having the trunking all round serves no purpose...

 

[pennywise]

I think someone is being a bit obtuse for the sake of it

 

[arturas]

Well the purpose as I said already earlier is for the cables to come down from the ceilings and then to go into the CU. Well thanks for opinions! Obviously I'm nowhere near the best guys in here,but I don't think it's near the bottom as well. Learning everyday and hopefully I will be as neat as others

 

[shagbite]

i think your terminations are very good - nice and neat.

 

[shagbite]

I think someone is being a bit obtuse for the sake of it

ENG'54..........................

 

[cablemedic]

Good God! The sparks (I use that term loosely) that you say was round first to look at this "Nightmare" want's stringing up by his B*****ks!!. The geezer obviously has no conscience, god forbid if anyone touched that, even to curiosty minded children. Thank christ you had Henly on your van.

 

[gazj82]

I'll play

 

[gazj82]

Sorry guys, hace no idea why they came out all rotated wrong, or how to stop it showing a huge picture on these forums, apologies to anyone viewing over a slow connection.

 

[Engineer54]

ENG'54..........................

I just speak my mind, and say as i see. If that's being obtuse, so be it!! lol!!

Nothing wrong with the internal cable dressing and connections of this CU, all very neat and tidy. Just can't see why the things surrounded with trunking!!