**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