Discuss SWA Cable termination in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net
You haven't paid him that is good. As previously stated find an electrician to correct this shambles it is no good asking on here in the hope this individual will follow suit and carry out the compliant job they should have done in the first place. Wash your hands of them.Haven't paid anything yet but will need to contact him soon to see if he can put right.
I'm up to speed with what he needs to do on the shed side of things, however correct me if I am wrong.
Gland the end of the armoured cable into a box on exterior wall and the carry cable through from box to the board (cable is not long enough to gland on inside). Add an earth wire from SWA gland to consumer unit, add a mains switch and adapt wiring to suit.
Can anyone tell me, what should he be doing on the supply end at the house? Is he on the right track with the RCB and MCB getting fed from the mains switch?
I'm assuming he also needs an earth coming from a gland at supply end in addition to the earth from the SWA cable, do both earth's go to same place?
If someone may be kind enough to explain what should happen at the supply end, it will help me have the conversation with him and I can guage the response and decide what to do from here.
As always all advice is very much appreciated.
On a side note, I think I know the answer, but is it possible to run three double sockets from a Spur?
My understanding is that if spurred from a socket, max is one double socket. Multiple can only be added if they are fused or taken from a junction?
Yeah that's right, conduit has the cables feeding the sockets.I think the conduit is going out, supplying the sockets. The feed swa comes in the back of the CU, without a gland
Can anyone point to the regulation confirming that SWA glands must be used?
510.3 is the only one I can think of which states equipment shall be erected taking into account the manufacturers instructions. Not too sure if the SWA manufacturer actually make a recommendation of using armoured glands however.
As rough as it is, I think you'd struggle to find regulations that this install has broken.
The steel wires are only connected at the shed end, which is bad practice, but contravenes nothing, as long as the copper equivalent csa of the number of wires connected is sufficient, which I would estimate they are. Should have sleeving on them, but that's a minor point.
At the house end, the only regulation breaches (from an English point of view) that I can see, are the single sheathed blue and brown, lack of strain relief, non fire resistant enclosures, and possible IP rating issues.
Fully agree, but if you're going to challenge this work, you really need black/white violations of regulations, not something as subjective as poor workmanship.And most of those things would be against the good workmanship regulation.
Correct, but there's no actual reg. to support this; just good sense and good practice.If you gland at least the supply end properly then you protect the outer sheathing if it becomes live. If you cut through the SWA with an earthed armour there will be a protective device operating whereas without that earthing the outer armour will not necessarily operate the protective device. no?
Fully agree, but if you're going to challenge this work, you really need black/white violations of regulations, not something as subjective as poor workmanship.
Can. I ask what you mean by the copper equivalent CSA of the number of wires mean?as long as the copper equivalent csa of the number of wires connected is sufficient, which I would estimate they are. Should have sleeving on them, but that's a minor point.
Also if you don't mind, could you breakdown the above for me, what can be done to fix these issues please.At the house end, the only regulation breaches (from an English point of view) that I can see, are the single sheathed blue and brown, lack of strain relief, non fire resistant enclosures, and possible IP rating issues.
Understood. I won't be applying any measures myself. I'm finding it difficult getting another electrician to come out, so just looking for advice on what can be done to put it right, so I know I know what to look for if the electrician puts it right.You have been told several times to seek the services of an electrian they will know how to rectify it. The forum whilst happy to help DIY members draw a line whereby the advice given maybe applied incorrectly.
Can. I ask what you mean by the copper equivalent CSA of the number of wires mean?
Also if you don't mind, could you breakdown the above for me, what can be done to fix these issues please.
There may be someone on here who can visit you. Which area are you in?Understood. I won't be applying any measures myself. I'm finding it difficult getting another electrician to come out, so just looking for advice on what can be done to put it right, so I know I know what to look for if the electrician puts it right.
Definitely not gonna touch it myself, I wouldn't touch electrics, that's a job for trained professionals.Just get a decent electrician in. They will not need you to tell them what needs doing, and may even be offended if you try to do this.
Or are you thinking of doing the work yourself?
Co Down Northern Ireland. Have found a chap who can hopefully take a look at it today.There may be someone on here who can visit you. Which area are you in?
Great, let us know what he comes back with!Co Down Northern Ireland. Have found a chap who can hopefully take a look at it today.
I see they're doing it wrong as well! You're supposed to not use glands and take the armouring directly into the MET. Silly GSH Electrical!
Don't agree. There's no reg against putting in trunking on the ---- but i'd still challenge it.Fully agree, but if you're going to challenge this work, you really need black/white violations of regulations, not something as subjective as poor workmanship.
The person paying the bill.And who decides the standard of work which falls below good workmanship?
Cable/conductor support for final connections/IP ratings/ installation practice are three of the poor design and installation \s I would question.Hi All,
Looking some advice. Had someone install a SWA cable to exterior outhouse. In the outhouse everything.looks.great, new consumer board and three double sockets all installed and looking good. My.concern is with how the SWA cable has been terminated at the main board in the house. Surely the SWA should have been terminated into a junction box or something similar, then a feed to the new RCBO's? Should I be concerned or leave as is?
View attachment 91350
You can't but that is why 134.1.1 exists and where peer discussion comes into its own; I'd like to think there isn't a single electrician or even learner on here that would see no gland use as anything other than poor workmanship, I mean how do you defend it?You can't put every example of bad workmanship in as a reg. The regs would be 3 times the thickness they are now.
Reg 8264.34.344.33 'All compression glands must be tightened sufficiently'
Etc.
As above; peers, either other sparks or if they're part of a CPS then the area assessor for that CPS, I can't see any defending that lash up.And who decides the standard of work which falls below good workmanship?
We all agree that this is poor workmanship, but there will be plenty of people who do the job correctly but their work looks rough... would that be classed as bad workmanship?
Chapter 13 is all you need, if you have an installation that breaches one of the fundamentals then it needs rethinking, redesigning and redoing.131.3.1 Protection from Thermal effects - With a layer of insulation missing the thermal insulating properties is compromised,
132.7 Type & Method of installation - Not using correct installation methods re; glands
133.3 Conditions of installation - Without the gland there will be stresses on the cable that it's not design for
134.1.1 Good workmanship - No explaination needed
134.1.4 Connections, without thr correct glanding you won't have an electrically and mechanically sound connection.
134.2.1 Initial Verification - I'd like to think this wouldn't pass a decent IV with the cable in that state.
And that's just Chapter 13, you could easily pull regs from Parts 4 & 5to bolster the argument
At the house end, the only regulation breaches (from an English point of view) that I can see, are the single sheathed blue and brown, lack of strain relief, non fire resistant enclosures, and possible IP rating issues.
What if that person hasn't got a clue what's a decent job and what isn't? Say this was that person's house and they said it was good - does that mean it's good?The person paying the bill.
What was the outcome with the original "electrician" if you don't mind me asking?
Have you spoke to him about it?
Are you going to pay him for the bits that have to be redone?Gonna speak with him in Saturday, gonna pay him for what he has done so far, but tell him I have gotten some one else to complete the rest of the work. Second part of the job was to do some garden lighting and another shed.
Are the sockets and light in your shed working at the minute? Did the original bloke give you a test certificate?
Will definitely pay him, I've no problem with that, for me it's not about the money, more about peace of mind with it being my elderly parents house.Keep it simple @mjjm986 . You're going to get confused by all the differing advice and viewpoints on the forum if you try and take it all in and understand every post. Just get the new guy out and let him sort it out.
I think it would be harsh not to pay the original chap at all. However much the new guy charges to put it right, take that amount off from what you were going to pay the other chap.
Was thinking I just pay him what he's charged up to now and move on.Are you going to pay him for the bits that have to be redone?
You seem like the type of person who would feel guilty about paying any less, so I guess you just pay and move on, as you said ?Was thinking I just pay him what he's charged up to now and move on.
Will cost me £320.Would it be even cheekier for me to ask how much he quoted you?
I wouldn't have a problem paying him if he was asking for what that standard of work deserves which is probably the cost of the parts only.
If you mean the initial blokes charging you that there's no way he would be getting it.Will cost me £320.
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