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installing 1.5 armoured cable, need termination advice please

Discuss installing 1.5 armoured cable, need termination advice please in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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I am replacing a 1.5 internal cable that was run temporarily to give a constant on feed to,my new boiler, as the previous one didn't require this. Unfortunately the only route this could take was from a bedroom ceiling through the floor to the boiler downstairs.

I intend running a 1.5 armoured cable from the loft area, picking up the existing 1.5 cable which comes from the airing cupboard and central heating control /pump. this will then exit the loft, be fixed to the outside wall and enter lower down into the kitchen above the kitchen cupboards and pick up the cable from the boiler....

I will be picking up existing cable so will not be disturbing connections at each end.

I have the 3 core armoured cable and now need to properly connect it to the existing house 1.5 twin and earth...

I believe this is https://www.amazon.co.uk/20mm-Small...007IU33OU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pl_foot_top?ie=UTF8
part of what I need. but not sure if to use a metal or plastic internal surface box....I see the armoured cable metal sheath needs earthing, not sure how to connect the existing earth to the either tag, is this with a bolt and nut ? if I use a metal box and it is earthed independently, would this be sufficient , as the armoured cable sheath would earth through its connection to the metal box.

sorry for all the questions, tried to put this in the DIY forum, but it wouldn't let me post there ???
 
hy on earth are you bothering doing this yourself? from your profile it looks like you have very little experience with electrical installation work, with all due respect get a local electrician in to do this work, not sure if it will be notifiable with the LABC but a sparky will install test and notify the LABC safer for you and yours in the long run.
 
I've had some pretty bad runs in the past getting cables to a boiler for pump over run etc. A couple of times the only viable option due to flat roofs, laminate flooring, internal decoration, customer doesn't want trunking, chasing etc has been from the airing cupboard across the loft then external down to the boiler position. If this is your only option then armoured cable wouldn't be one of my choices. I would use black Conduit and a suitable cable with enough cores.
 
Do you not need 4 or 5 core cable?

You need permission to get into DIY - I'll flag this to the mods

Cheers for the heads up, we are at the moment giving the DIY section a break and letting them run in the normal forum, the initial reason for the section was to stop DIYers been ganged up on, we could choose which members to admit to give advice, as the forum is now a very different place and the key offenders no longer frequent the forum we are seeing how leaving DIY in the main section goes, of course we will still update the OP's tag as DIY when Admin is next online. We haven't used the DIY section for quite a few weeks now and we are seeing the respect and advice given is good thus far.

The other issue with DIY is once moved over to that section then some members who had posted while the thread waited to be relocated and didn't have access were no longer able to follow the thread or reply.
 
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I've had some pretty bad runs in the past getting cables to a boiler for pump over run etc. A couple of times the only viable option due to flat roofs, laminate flooring, internal decoration, customer doesn't want trunking, chasing etc has been from the airing cupboard across the loft then external down to the boiler position. If this is your only option then armoured cable wouldn't be one of my choices. I would use black Conduit and a suitable cable with enough cores.
Hi did consider this option, but was advised ( rightly or wrongly that armoured was the best way ) I have bought the cable already 10m and have ordered the gland kit, just wondered if plastic or metal JB best internally...and my earthing question...
 
Its 3 core

its 3 core...

Take it back. Get a length or two of conduit, a coupler, 2x stop end boxes, 4x M4 screws, 2x lids, 2x gaskets, saddles and a pot of cement/glue and do the job properly. SWA has got to be one of the roughest ways to carry out this job and your more than likely end up with two unnecessary joints that you wouldn't have if you used another method like the one I've mentioned.
 
I've had some pretty bad runs in the past getting cables to a boiler for pump over run etc. A couple of times the only viable option due to flat roofs, laminate flooring, internal decoration, customer doesn't want trunking, chasing etc has been from the airing cupboard across the loft then external down to the boiler position. If this is your only option then armoured cable wouldn't be one of my choices. I would use black Conduit and a suitable cable with enough cores.

I have such a good relationship with the plumbing company that I do boilers for that when I'm faced with such a situation I can stamp my feet and insist that they move the pump next to the boiler to solve the issue. And they actually do it as they know if I say it's not possible, it's really not possible :)
 
I have such a good relationship with the plumbing company that I do boilers for that when I'm faced with such a situation I can stamp my feet and insist that they move the pump next to the boiler to solve the issue. And they actually do it as they know if I say it's not possible, it's really not possible :)
unfortunately I'm not so lucky with some of the ones I do them for. Its a bit silly as it costs them more 2 have me there all day instead of a few hours when it wouldn't take long to move the pump when they have the system drained down. sometimes when the programmer is near the boiler I've managed to persuade the customer for me to move it to the airing cupboard which I know isn't ideal but it gives me the extra cores I need for the boiler lol.
 
are you terminating the armoured in to an adaptable box outside?

No, the armoured cable is to be joined in the loft to existing 1.5 twin & earth then exits the loft through a drilled hole to the outside wall, then drops down to the kitchen, which houses the boiler...then enters the house via another drilled hole ( with an external drip loop ) then joins the existing 1.5 twin & earth cable which runs to the boiler.....so I am not disturbing the cable connections at either end, just interrupting the original cable which runs down an internal wall and replacing with armoured, which will run down the external wall.....with cable clips to secure it...

Wanted to know best junction box for loft space / kitchen....plastic or metal, special purpose box or just a housing with connectors...will use gland kit each end

thanks
 
No, the armoured cable is to be joined in the loft to existing 1.5 twin & earth then exits the loft through a drilled hole to the outside wall, then drops down to the kitchen, which houses the boiler...then enters the house via another drilled hole ( with an external drip loop ) then joins the existing 1.5 twin & earth cable which runs to the boiler.....so I am not disturbing the cable connections at either end, just interrupting the original cable which runs down an internal wall and replacing with armoured, which will run down the external wall.....with cable clips to secure it...

Wanted to know best junction box for loft space / kitchen....plastic or metal, special purpose box or just a housing with connectors...will use gland kit each end

thanks

Metal for SWA, I'd probably use a besa box.
But then I would also do the job properly including complying with the wiring regulations and testing the job.
But I guess there's no real need to worry about that, it's not like electricity will kill you within a fraction of a second if you make a simple mistake is it?
 
Just choose an electrical enclosure that has enough room to join the cables and to fit the gland nut securely it will also need to be able to seal the entry of a flat cable.
An earthing nut (piranha nut) will make earthing the armour easier but will still need a ring crimp on the earth tail to affix it to the nut.
If you were to clean the coating off the contact area of a metal enclosure and fix an earth connection from the enclosure to the circuit earth then this would also be acceptable, however it can be difficult to get a good clean contact on the metal box (though piranha nuts also have cutting teeth on one face to assist with this.
 

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