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WallaceP

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Hey, has anyone used 6381Y PVC double insulated flexible tails for meter tails? Personal I have only used 6181Y Double insulated tails before but I seen them in a catalog and thought the flexible tails could be handy. Only seems to come in double blue or double grey tho, well in this CEF catalog anyway.
 
I've never seen that cable used for tails, I use 19 strand tails as they are now more commonly available,i think that's 6181yh.

6381Y looks like fine stranded flex so will need ferrules fitted and won't be accepted by some meter operators for connection to their meter.
 
Hey, has anyone used 6381Y PVC double insulated flexible tails for meter tails? Personal I have only used 6181Y Double insulated tails before but I seen them in a catalog and thought the flexible tails could be handy. Only seems to come in double blue or double grey tho, well in this CEF catalog anyway.
That cable is not DOUBLE INSULATED, Wallace it s insulated with a Mechanical Outer sheath the same as the Twin and Earth cable used house wiring, have you ever seen the Double Insulated square within a square on consumers unit tails?
 
That cable is not DOUBLE INSULATED, Wallace it s insulated with a Mechanical Outer sheath the same as the Twin and Earth cable used house wiring, have you ever seen the Double Insulated square within a square on consumers unit tails?
I guess you are technically correct but this is a fairly common term for this cable. To save any regional confusion over terms, I gave the code also. Sorry you seem to struggle with the difference between common terms and technical terms it must make your life a lot harder than it could be trying to prove yourself.
 
I guess you are technically correct but this is a fairly common term for this cable. To save any regional confusion over terms, I gave the code also. Sorry you seem to struggle with the difference between common terms and technical terms it must make your life a lot harder than it could be trying to prove yourself.
No not really, especially when, I am correct.
 
we used to refer as double insulated, same as we said ring main. both terms now incorrect. same as what we used to call an earth wire is now a cpc. current terms are technically correct. just wish we'd stuck to inches and real measurements. sick of getting as dual tape measure out to convert mm into inches.
 
Just had three days running in 700m of that stuff in a BT exchange in overhead containment. 35mm is delightful to work with when you're 3m up a step ladder trying to reach over the existing baskets and not damage any fibre optics... ?

And no, I wouldn't use it for meter tails as you will need to use ferrules and, as Dave has mentioned, it's doubtful the suppliers would be happy with that. TBH technically I can't see anything wrong with it but no doubt some meter fitter would burst a blood vessel on seeing that...
 
Yes, I've used it - Cleveland Cable sell it in the "right" colours by the metre. It's just soooooo much easier to work with. IMO it should be safer as well since it will put much less mechanical strain on connections.
It was funny though when trying to buy it. CEF only have grey and blue, at another wholesaler the guy just couldn't compute why anyone wouldn't just use 6181Y as "that's what everyone uses". Found another outfit listing it on their site - but they didn't have all the combinations I needed in stock and only bought in stock if using it for their own internal manufacturing o_O Eventually I found that Cleveland Cable do it.
I also went with tri-rated green/yellow.
As for "but you have to use ferrules". Really ? It takes longer to pop a ferrule on the end than it takes to wrangle 6181Y into shape ?

If a meter fitter said "non" then I'd just ask him to state what regulations say it can't be used, and "until you come up with that, you can darn well get on with your job".

TBH, I've often wondered why 6181Y is even allowed to be used for tails :rolleyes:
 
I'm sure EON [And possibly others] stipulate in their Terms and Conditions that they will only accept the 7 strand tails for connection to metering equipment.
 
If the dno only accepted 7 strand meter tails then most of these new builds that have swa installed as the ‘tails’ would have been ripped out by now, so I’d say that they wouldn’t give a monkeys if you used 19 strand
 

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