How to deal with Pyro Cable?

[Pete999]

OK I will give you that, but I would be interested how many electricians can terminate an end correctly with confidence.

I haven't touched MICC since I retired some5 years ago, I had a call from a mate who had never touched it, would I give him a hand, made 2 ends off on a 4l2.5 no troubles. It's like a lot of things really, take your time, follow the correct procedure, as I said, simples. The biggest problem I had was setting the stripper properly. I remember when it first came into service in a big way.

 

[westward10]

Hey OP have you disappeared, have you actually opened up some accessories to find this cable to disconnect it or are you taking the hide in the wall as the best Approach?

 

[holychihuahua]

Whenever you come across copper pyro always inform the client that the whole lot has to be pulled out and replaced. No fafing about remove the whole lot end of.

 

[Leesparkykent]

^^^another wind up^^^

 

[Leesparkykent]

Pyro is a great cable, we will soon be starting a big lighting contract in a very old church and all the cabling will be bare pyro. If it's installed correctly and dressed right it just disappears after a while. I think I'm right in saying that most, if not all older churches must still be wired using it.

http://www.leicester.anglican.org/s...al Wiring Installations in Churches (CBC).pdf

 

[Darkwood]

Whenever you come across copper pyro always inform the client that the whole lot has to be pulled out and replaced. No fafing about remove the whole lot end of.

Your post lack emoticons so cannot tell if your joking or not, if not are you suggesting that you remove some off the toughest most durable cable and change it for something a lot lesser just because one might not be skilled in using MICC and consider it a faff to deal with?
I would have thought what is best for the customer comes before what is best for you.

 

[nunthe wiser]

Pyro a dark art ?. You're electricians even if you never do it, is it still not part of the apprenticeship you can read the instructions on the bloody packet. Just because you can't stick it in connectors and wrap it in tape people won't work with it. I've seen it still serviceable in domestic and sparks rip it out because they'd rather use t+e. Same with conduit because they can't wire in singles. I used to hate being referred to as a house basher, but the term seems more apt than ever. Domestic is flooded with Cowboys . Also when looking for a blade for my joi stripper Google threw up some interesting search returns.

 

[freddo]

I use Remora for new blades. I use a chisel sharpening guide and a sharpening stone to regrind them, they can be sharpened quite a few times before they need replacing.

 

[westward10]

RIP MICC.

 

[freddo]

Noooooo! Don't say that! It's still here it's still here!

 

[Deleted member 93172]

When I first started using MICC there were no "joystrippers" around, we had to use a larger version of a corned beef can key opener and a ringing tool.

 

[westward10]

Noooooo! Don't say that! It's still here it's still here!

I know I know

 

[Gnasher]

Whenever you come across copper pyro always inform the client that the whole lot has to be pulled out and replaced. No fafing about remove the whole lot end of.

Why.

Seems an odd thing to say with qualifying your statement.

 

[Darkwood]

When I first started using MICC there were no "joystrippers" around, we had to use a larger version of a corned beef can key opener and a ringing tool.

That was the first thing we made in college in the 80's, a 5mm rod, hacksaw a slot in the end and bend the other end over for a handle, I actually preferred it more than the joy stripper when they popped up on the scene.

 

[Pete999]

Whenever you come across copper pyro always inform the client that the whole lot has to be pulled out and replaced. No fafing about remove the whole lot end of.

Rubbish

 

[Pete999]

That was the first thing we made in college in the 80's, a 5mm rod, hacksaw a slot in the end and bend the other end over for a handle, I actually preferred it more than the joy stripper when they popped up on the scene.

Started by using a pair of side cutters

 

[holychihuahua]

Whenever you come across copper pyro always inform the client that the whole lot has to be pulled out and replaced. No fafing about remove the whole lot end of.

http://www.leicester.anglican.org/site-includes/uploads/wygwam/Electrical Wiring Installations in Churches (CBC).pdf

 

[Leesparkykent]

Whenever you come across copper pyro always inform the client that the whole lot has to be pulled out and replaced. No fafing about remove the whole lot end of.

Yeah you've already stated that and its complete bollox.

 

[westward10]

Yeah you've already stated that and its complete bollox.

He is a plumber.

 

[holychihuahua]

Old churches have lots of real wood on show not painted. The pews, big doors, the alter beams across the ceiling. Bare micc with no plastic sleave and not painted looks perfect there. The copper micc with brass screws in the clips totally blends in with the wood colours.

 

[westward10]

Old churches have lots of real wood on show not painted. The pews, big doors, the alter beams across the ceiling. Bare micc with no plastic sleave and not painted looks perfect there. The copper micc with brass screws in the clips totally blends in with the wood colours.

It is an education at times.

 

[Pete999]

Whenever you come across copper pyro always inform the client that the whole lot has to be pulled out and replaced. No fafing about remove the whole lot end of.

Why do you make that statement holychiuahua, is it because you are not capable working with it, or some other reason, for the second time your statement id claptrap, it has the ring of a Electrical Trainee about it.

 

[Pete999]

 

[Diddy]

I can remember a time when all english heritage sites were only wired in micc. Loved them jobs. Obviously as well we always used micc for fire alarms and emergency lighting ect ect ect.
As said today it is still used in churches, sauna's, boats ect ect.Blends in very nicely with wood and sandstone ect.
Someone in jest earlier said about working with fp200 lol...well maybe im strange but i actually find working with fp more of a faff than working with micc.
I can't believe how quickly the training setup has moved on from teaching micc to not even mentioning it's very existence....There is bloody thousands of miles of the stuff in everyday use in the uk right now lol and there are still plenty designers and architects that spec it....I mean I can understand not teaching an apprentice how to make off a lead twin and earth.....But this situation is just madness. Oh well more beer money for people like me in the next ten years then lol...wonder what a "fair" rate will be for a dead "art" lol.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Old churches have lots of real wood on show not painted. The pews, big doors, the alter beams across the ceiling. Bare micc with no plastic sleave and not painted looks perfect there. The copper micc with brass screws in the clips totally blends in with the wood colours.

They do this in the public areas of the Barbican.

 

[Pete999]

MICC ----

pictures of MICC cable installs - Google Search - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pictures+of+MICC+cable+installs&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXu624ppvPAhWFlxoKHdIzAg4Q7AkIOg&biw=1525&bih=709&dpr=0.9

 

[Pete999]

MICC ----

pictures of MICC cable installs - Google Search - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pictures+of+MICC+cable+installs&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXu624ppvPAhWFlxoKHdIzAg4Q7AkIOg&biw=1525&bih=709&dpr=0.9

It's no good got to go and find some tissues, I'm filling up looking at all this "dark art" stuff

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Must admit, the cables in the video, could use some dressing in.
No mention of a nylon headed hammer in their list of tools either.

 

[Pete999]

My first day as an Apprentice was polishing MICCs at a DB with Brillo pads and cleaner WTF

 

[freddo]

I hope you polished the tea kettle while you were at it.

 

[Pete999]

I hope you polished the tea kettle while you were at it.
View attachment 33561

No only the cables

 

[Sintra]

Few pics of some pyro ---- I came across a while ago.

 

[freddo]

They could have taken the picture off of the wall before installing the cable tray!!

 

[Sintra]

They could have taken the picture off of the wall before installing the cable tray!!

Lol never noticed that. Hopefully it's just stuffed behind it, will have to have a nosey as to what it is next time I'm back.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I imagine it's the circuit schedule for the board.

 

[Pete999]

Well he did say it was Pyro ---- didn't he, could be an old copy of Health and Beauty, Ah happy days

 

[Deleted member 93172]

It looks like the picture is resting on the unistrut, looks a great job though and it has brought back a few memories, its a shame we didn't take pictures of our works back then.

 

[Pete999]

It looks like the picture is resting on the unistrut, looks a great job though and it has brought back a few memories, its a shame we didn't take pictures of our works back then.

You mean you had cameras, back in those days? lol

 

[Andy78]

Might interest you Pete. An article from Electrical Engineer magazine from 1938 about a relatively new type of cable "Pyrotenax" and its performance after a fire.

 

[Gnasher]

View attachment 33571 View attachment 33572 View attachment 33573 Few pics of some pyro ---- I came across a while ago.

Rip it all out and replace with T@E

 

[Pete999]

Might interest you Pete. An article from Electrical Engineer magazine from 1938 about a relatively new type of cable "Pyrotenax" and its performance after a fire. View attachment 33577

Thanks Andy

 

[Pete999]

Anyone remember the Pyro Book "Electrician's Mate" a sort of who's who and what's what about Pyro, think it was published Calender Cables BICC

 

[netblindpaul]

Anyone remember the Pyro Book "Electrician's Mate" a sort of who's who and what's what about Pyro, think it was published Calender Cables BICC

Nope, but, I've just bought one!

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Anyone remember the Pyro Book "Electrician's Mate"

Technically it was before my time but I got a copy when I was about 14 and my mentor was teaching me to work MI, and now I've got all three editions. Handy when you are reworking imperial sizes, e.g. to translate gland numbers in thou into cable types and vice versa.

 

[Pete999]

Situation is there's some 53 year old pyro cable that I need to either remove, or make dead, or cut short and push back into the wall having ensured that the still-live end cannot short out the circuit or come into contact with anything.

No hope of fully removing it, as it goes up the cavity and I don't even know the route it takes.
Chances of finding the junction box that connects it to the downstairs power ring are remote, I suspect it connects at a junction box fixed into the wall behind fixed cupboards, next to pipes, in a kitchen, and below the bath (bathroom above the kitchen), however I cannot be sure. I also am not sure I can take the cupboards down without damaging them (I'm no carpenter/kitchen fitter).

SKIP TO THE POINT:

The obvious thing to do seems to be to cut the cable just after it leaves the outside house, fix the end in such a way that it's not going to short the circuit or make live anything it comes into contact with, and shove it back into the wall (then cement over it). I've not had to deal with pyro before, how would you recommend going about this?

Here is a quick solution to your problem, it's not Pyro, but hey ho

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Amazing! I didn't realise you were supposed to use wirenuts, I normally push the end of each cable into a marshmallow (pink for line, white for neutral). If you don't have wirenuts and PVC tape, perhaps you can use biro caps and a rubber band.