earthing the SWA cable armour in a rotary switch?

[HappyHippyDad]

Morning... sort of for me.

Have just got my rotary switch for the Hot tub and notice there is no room for a banjo inside as the front cover fixing holes are in the way. Just wondered what you guys do with this type of rotary switch? Perhaps a piranha earthing nut?

Have just contacted the local wholesaler who I have started using and he said the chaps dont usually earth the armour in a rotary switch which was a bit of a suprise!!

 

[GMES]

Steve if you have a seperate core in the swa for your cpc and the armouring is earthed at the supply end you should be ok, I presume you are using a flex for the loadside so no need to worry about acheiving continuity.or for belt and braces as you say a piranha nut.

 

[davesparks]

Bend the banjo or use a piranha type nut.
I don't normally use such small enclosures though, a decent make will generally give you a bit more room inside

 

[stevethesparks]

You will probably find that if you bring the banjo looking forward - out of the rear of the enclosure, that there will be enough space within the front of the enclosure once fitted. Just bend it slightly upwards so it doesn't obstruct the front cover.
Its amazing the amount of - or lack of - room inside these isolators for the size of the cable they may be accepting.

 

[Hellmooth]

Was going to say the same as Dave, bend the banjo up the side should be fine!

 

[davesparks]

You will probably find that if you bring the banjo looking forward - out of the rear of the enclosure, that there will be enough space within the front of the enclosure once fitted. Just bend it slightly upwards so it doesn't obstruct the front cover.
Its amazing the amount of - or lack of - room inside these isolators for the size of the cable they may be accepting.

Use a decent brand like Craig and Derricot and you'll find you have much better room

 

[Darkwood]

Piranha works fine with these brands, neat and professional, hammering banjo's round or leaving them sticking out is a rough approach and yes! done it myself before the Piranha alternative but for the saving on the budget isolator you make its not much more to pay the extra to fit an earthing nut.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I've bought a couple of piranha nuts now! Sorry Darkwood I would probably have just bent it had I read post 4 before buying the nut! Not having much experience with rotary isolators I didn't notice just how much space in the front there would have been for the banjo to have been forward facing!

 

[Darkwood]

I've bought a couple of piranha nuts now! Sorry Darkwood I would probably have just bent it had I read post 4 before buying the nut! Not having much experience with rotary isolators I didn't notice just how much space in the front there would have been for the banjo to have been forward facing!

Each to their own, personally its what suits you and as long as it looks professional and provides a good earth joint then its good, we all get caught out buying different brands etc and finding its fiddley etc, I tried the Piranha with a M/C sw/spur but the nut caught on the moulded switchgear and you couldn't fit the front back.. so had to fit a Y box above and tail an earth into the spur.

They are a good solution but not all the time.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Some makes of banjo snap off if you try to bend them,got caught like that with one yesterday. In the end didnt bother with it as the SWA is earthed at the supply end.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Use a decent brand like Craig and Derricot and you'll find you have much better room

Craig and derricot is that like ... Fornum and Mason :dizzy2:

 

[colshaws]

Thats Fortnum and Mason

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Sorry nissed as a pewt.

 

[Guest77]

Was going to say the same as Dave, bend the banjo up the side should be fine!

Me too

 

[Marvo]

Hell fire it's tight in that enclosure. Looks like you've only got about 5mm above the termination of L2 to squeeze the wire in. What make is it? Is that an auxiliary contact on the right hand side?

 

[Guest77]

I tend to fit the Banjo on the outside under the bottom where the armoured enters the box, and bend it down enough so I can get a bolt into it, the earth then connects to the banjo with a tiny hole into the side of the enclosure to enable the earth to get back into the enclosure from the banjo, it is a bit heath robinson but it works, the rotary isolators under 63 amp are terrible to work with if an armoured over 6mm2 is used.

 

[telectrix]

I tend to fit the Banjo on the outside under the bottom where the armoured enters the box, and bend it down enough so I can get a bolt into it, the earth then connects to the banjo with a tiny hole into the side of the enclosure to enable the earth to get back into the enclosure from the banjo, it is a bit heath robinson but it works, the rotary isolators under 63 amp are terrible to work with if an armoured over 6mm2 is used.

done same with wiska boxes where the gland entry is threaded and you can't get any sort of locknut on the inside.

 

[malcolmsanford]

I personally would fit a 4 x 4 adaptable galv box and then coupling and bush from the box into the isolator.

Then flyearth the banjo onto adaptable box and then take the flyearth into the earth in the isolator

 

[Marvo]

I personally would fit a 4 x 4 adaptable galv box and then coupling and bush from the box into the isolator.

Then flyearth the banjo onto adaptable box and then take the flyearth into the earth in the isolator

That would be the right way I'd do it but I'm guessing he's got such a small isolator because he's short of space. Either that or masochistic tendencies

 

[davesparks]

I personally would fit a 4 x 4 adaptable galv box and then coupling and bush from the box into the isolator.

Then flyearth the banjo onto adaptable box and then take the flyearth into the earth in the isolator

The problem with that is adaptable boxes these days tend to leak like sieves, so fitting then outdoors isn't great.