Guardian and Screentuf Cables - CCC and other info

[Dartlec]

While sorting the garage I've rediscovered 2 reels of cable bought 10+ years ago.

1 reel Screentuf cable 2x1.5+E
1 reel Irish Driver Harris Guardian 3 x 1.5 + E

Which are both of the type with an (aluminium?) screening round the cores for extra protection. Earths are bare stranded, which then apparently earths the screening.

IDH Guardian is still a current product it seems - and is approved to BS 8436

Screentuf I can find practically no information on, other than a fleeting mention on this forum 10 years ago - it appears to be similar stuff so may also be to BS 8436, but doesn't seem to have this on the cable that I can see.

Anyone have an idea who made Screentuf? Cleveland do something similar now but just called 'protected wiring' cable

Doesn't seem to be widely available now from wholesalers, is there a reason for that, or just not commonly used so low demand?

I'll probably end up using it for outdoor lighting most likely, though looks like its intended usage was for building voids and walls in place of armoured. Might be good for nasty new builds with metal studs in walls I guess too.

CCC seems to be the same as flex, so no real benefit using it for outdoor lighting, other than it will last a bit longer against anything chewing it I guess....

Anyone used the stuff before?

 

[nicebutdim]

Here's a link to an archived Screentuf brochure.

The internet has surprisingly little information on this stuff, but I notice a mention of it on Screwfix's forum from 2005 which points out its availability from Regent Electrical in Sevenoaks - might it have been imported by/ manufactured for a company in Kent?

 

[Dartlec]

That's the stuff, good find!

It might well have been - I got it from a local independent wholesaler at the time in Dartford, so not far at all from Sevenoaks... Maybe someone imported a batch and it didn't sell, so didn't try again....

Interesting that it seems not to be officially mentioned as rated to BS 8436 like the other stuff, so possibly not suitable for <50mm deep in a wall without RCD protection. It also appears to have a 1mm cpc with 2x 1.5mm cores, so more akin to a T&E.

 

[nicebutdim]

Oddly unfortunate that no manufacturer or importer is named on the brochure - companies rarely miss an opportunity for promotion.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I haven't seen Screentuf since I was involved with the Mansion House redevelopment forty two years ago a lot of it was pulled out of the walls in Mappin & Webb's.

 

[Dartlec]

Oddly unfortunate that no manufacturer or importer is named on the brochure - companies rarely miss an opportunity for promotion.

Not sure that's a sign of confidence in a product!

The markings on it are 300/500V SCREENTUF 2 x 1.5 SQMM + E CAUK CC

but that doesn't seem to help Google much either...

 

[Dartlec]

I haven't seen Screentuf since I was involved with the Mansion House redevelopment forty two years ago a lot of it was pulled out of the walls in Mappin & Webb's.

Interesting - It had been in there a while I assume? Same construction of screened cores with bare earth? Had it stood up OK to time/usage?

Maybe someone reused the brand later on? This is new colours, and definitely post 2006 and probably pre 2010ish - I seem to remember I bought it for a garden job that it wasn't used on in the end.

Odd that Google has so little memory of it - but perhaps a South Eastern thing - BICC had a big cable plant not far away....

 

[Mike Johnson]

Interesting - It had been in there a while I assume? Same construction of screened cores with bare earth? Had it stood up OK to time/usage?

Maybe someone reused the brand later on? This is new colours, and definitely post 2006 and probably pre 2010ish - I seem to remember I bought it for a garden job that it wasn't used on in the end.

Odd that Google has so little memory of it - but perhaps a South Eastern thing - BICC had a big cable plant not far away....

I don't know how long it had been there, but it was additional to the single cores in metal conduit elsewhere or even side by side, can't remember if it had bare earth or not, but the building was being gutted and re-built so the power was off everywhere and labours where pulling it out of the walls, and including Mr Portillo MP flat above, I remember the black Marble bathroom and bedroom.