Does anyone know of a cable identification guide?

[bleach]

Just wondered if there is a guide out there to identify csa of cable by visual inspection? I have read about confusion re tails eg 16mm or 25mm. or twin and earth etc?

 

[onions1066]

Obviously some have markings on, but you just get to know with experience. If your struggling I have seen a few of the younger guys with some cut off in their tool bags marked up with the sizes on them to use a reference.

 

[sparkless]

Obviously some have markings on, but you just get to know with experience. If your struggling I have seen a few of the younger guys with some cut off in their tool bags marked up with the sizes on them to use a reference.

thats what we did

 

[Octopus]

Or take measurements from old units and make your own "look up" table

 

[bleach]

Yeah, think i'll do that. Thanks guys

 

[ian.settle1]

Get a vernier gauge , measure the OD of the copper then use the formula

 

[bleach]

Sorry thats new to me....confused!

 

[ian.settle1]

cable is circular,
made of x amount of cores
csa = diameter of cable (or individual cores) x a certain formula
number of cores x csa
bingo the size of cable

 

[bleach]

hmm? examples appreciated ..but dont different brands have thicker insulation etc?

 

[ian.settle1]

hmm? examples appreciated ..but dont different brands have thicker insulation etc?

Nothing to do with insulation, I am talking about the part copper.

If you have XPLE insulation it is not as big as PVC

 

[Knobhead]

CSA = C*πr²
Where C = No. of cores

 

[telectrix]

easy quick way i used many moons ago was a piece of plastic with different sized holes drilled in it.

 

[Octopus]

I think the "calculator" generation may struggle with this!! lol

 

[tazz]

easy quick way i used many moons ago was a piece of plastic with different sized holes drilled in it.

Must still be available, had one given to me years ago all pre dilled with swg sizes on each hole. was a small ruler aswell.

 

[Tuttle]

A digital vernier calliper works well, it can easily tell the difference between 1.0mm and 1.5mm and I've used mine to identify the size of imperial stranded T&E cables, which I am less familiar with.

 

[Knobhead]

Must still be available, had one given to me years ago all pre dilled with swg sizes on each hole. was a small ruler aswell.

Hate to tell you this. SWG rulers were usualy American steel wire gauge.

 

[mechelec]

Good ideas above but wont work with delta or shaped cable cores.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Good ideas above but wont work with delta or shaped cable cores.

You could measure the volume of a length of shaped cable and work out its csa from that.


A bit tricky to do with an in service cable though!

 

[Knobhead]

Weigh a length of the cable and use specific mass tables to work out the CSA. It’s as simple as that.

 

[Stroppy]

Just use the offcuts reference method. Who the hell carries around a digital vernier calliper with them and a scientific calculator?!