Extending Cables

[newby10]

Can anyone tell me the correct way to extend cables. I have seen many people using pre-insulated crimps, and yet they are not supposed to be used on solid core cable.

 

[telectrix]

better with wagos on solid cable, but crimps are ok if fitted correctly. i would like to see a crimp whereby the solid cables could be overlapped then crimped.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Who told you they are not supposed to be used on solid core cables

 

[newby10]

Again, the same Tutor who told me that the neutral bar in a consumer unit is live.
Apparently they cut into the conductor and can weaken the joint. He said they should only be used on stranded cable.
It makes sense, but I know of loads of electricians that use them all the time.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Looks like it's 1 all with the tutor. The neutral was right the crimps are wrong. As a use of compression tool is recognised in the regulations, and the regulations does not exclude solid conductors, then it's not only permitable but done correctly there should be no problems.

For repairing a break on a cable in a wall. where running a new cable is just not feasible, then crimping with a compression tool and IMO using heat shrink is the most sensible way to go. If your extending cables inside a control box where there are many circuits then again crimping is perhaps the most sensible way to go, and as it's in an enclosure you may IMO omit the use of heat shrink.

Extending a few circuits on a CU change then I would IMO not use crimps but an adaptable box with klippons and din rail. it looks a much neater jobs and easy for future testing.

 

[newby10]

Many thanks.
So are you saying that the neutral bar in a consumer box is live?
It's just that I had a reply to this in another thread, and I was told that it wasn't

 

[malcolmsanford]

As the LINE and NEUTRAL condutors are both classed as LIVE then yes the neutral bar is "LIVE" as such

 

[newby10]

Now I'm confused again. If you have time, would you be kind enough to have a look at my thread in the General Electrical category, under Neutral Bar in a consumer unit.
I have various answers on this subject that are different

 

[telectrix]

just to clarify. the neutral is the return path for the circuit. as such, it is technically a phase conductor and should be treated as such. the fact that it's potentiual wrt. earth is normally 0v does not make it necessarily "safe to touch"

 

[newby10]

Thanks again telextrix. That all makes sense to me now. The way my Tutor explained it though was obviously wrong. He told us that there was 230v on the Neutral, and he didn't mention any fault conditions which just didn't make sense to me.