Bloody loose neutrals!

jwg · Apr 15, 2015

So I'm running an Ethernet cable through my roofspace, using only the downlight holes for access. Bit fiddly but gets the job done with a little perseverance.

Each downlighter is fed from a junction box. I've been taking them out and for a little while they've been supported only by their cables.

Upon inspecting before refitting - guess which connections have ended up coming out, and guess which ones have held tight?! On four separate occasions, with separate fittings, the neutrals and/or earths have come loose, whereas not even one live has done so far.

Do people just not bother to tighten N/E, as they see them as "less important"?! Seems like the opposite to me - just asking for someone to get a shock one way or another!

I know there's been threads on this in the past, but wanted to share my experience as a DIYer. When I've been remaking the connections I've obviously tightened all three up - unlike the person who wired this place initially!

Marvo · Apr 15, 2015

Yeah, poor terminations and connections are very common, especially so if the contractor was inexperienced or if the connector blocks are poor quality. They're more likely to be a fire hazard than a shock hazard under normal use. It might be worth checking connections other circuits if you've encountered a high failure rate on one.

Darkwood · Apr 15, 2015

Your greivance aside are you saying your data cable is now running close to and possible along the same route as power cables not to say the lighting points too?

jwg · Apr 15, 2015

darkwood said:
Your greivance aside are you saying your data cable is now running close to and possible along the same route as power cables not to say the lighting points too?

Thought someone might pick up on that! Just using the holes as access, when the cable is pulled through it's nowhere near the fittings/cables.

I have a lots of experience with data cabling, so no worries on that front. Usually in datacentres though, so none of this routing through downlighter holes nonsense!

jwg · Apr 15, 2015

Marvo said:
Yeah, poor terminations and connections are very common, especially so if the contractor was inexperienced or if the connector blocks are poor quality. They're more likely to be a fire hazard than a shock hazard under normal use. It might be worth checking connections other circuits if you've encountered a high failure rate on one.

Good shout. I have wondered if it was someone less experienced doing the "light" side, as the "supply" side seems better so far and hasn't yet failed. That said, flex is obviously trickier to terminate in a screw terminal, so could explain why this side fails first.

Always the neutrals though, never the lives (so far!).

Marvo · Apr 15, 2015

Flex with fine stranded wires is far better in a screw terminal if you use a bootlace ferrule.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Bloody loose neutrals!

jwg · Apr 15, 2015

Marvo said:
Flex with fine stranded wires is far better in a screw terminal if you use a bootlace ferrule.

Yes - I have a little experience with -48 VDC stuff, and we use these for this exact reason!

Bobster · Apr 15, 2015

Marvo said:
Flex with fine stranded wires is far better in a screw terminal if you use a bootlace ferrule.

View attachment 28822 View attachment 28823

Fine standed flex must be terminated with a ferrule or crimp.

Reg 526.9 iirc.

There re are a couple of exceptions, e.g using spring loaded contacts.

uksparks · Apr 15, 2015

9 times out of 10 I put a ferrule on stranded but there is the odd occasion where it's the end of the day and you cannot find the ends that are burried somewhere in the van. They are well worth using. I think my trouble is that I need to make my ones a bit more orderly.

Bobster · Apr 15, 2015

Buy yourself a little organiser tub, less than a tenner.

Also if you pick it up without the lid closed, it gives the apprentice something to do reorganising it. Haha

uksparks · Apr 15, 2015

I was just looking on eBay at the plastic organiser box things, I think I'd rather see it to ensure its got a tight fit else they will end up mixing together.

Bobster · Apr 15, 2015

Most decent wholesalers will have something behind the counter you can look at. Doesn't need to be fancy, plus if you keep the ferrules in the little zip lock bags rather than loose. Even less chance of mix up.

Marvo · Apr 15, 2015

Rob said:
Fine standed flex must be terminated with a ferrule or crimp.

Reg 526.9 iirc.

There re are a couple of exceptions, e.g using spring loaded contacts.

Not sure what Reg 526.9 says but our local regs would allow the wire ends to be soldered as well unless it was specifically forbidden by the manufacturers of the device being terminated to. It's not a very fashionable method nowadays and it might have been outlawed in the UK. We did receive a small preassembled panel from Italy about a year ago that had soldered wire ends so I'm guessing it's still acceptable in some parts of Europe.

davesparks · Apr 15, 2015

I use the screwfix red organiser cases, the ferrules, wago's and 1362 fuses are all in the same case (i do a lot of domestic boilers so need all these at the same time regularly)