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BILL bus bar chamber clamps.

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GBDamo

GBDamo

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These are new to me so looking for some advice.

[ElectriciansForums.net] BILL bus bar chamber clamps.


Can't open the thing until out of hours at the weekend so I was hoping one of our more senior members could impart some wisdom.

Are they pretty standard?

Would these do the job?
[ElectriciansForums.net] BILL bus bar chamber clamps.


Thanks.
 
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GBDamo said:
These are new to me so looking for some advice.

View attachment 100221

Can't open the thing until out of hours at the weekend so I was hoping one of our more senior members could impart some wisdom.

Are they pretty standard?

Would these do the job?
View attachment 100222

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Depends on the size .style of the busbars within the chamber Mate, get hold of a bill switchgear catalogue and check the references at your local wholesaler, you may find that when you open the chamber there will be some spare lugs and clamps in there.
 
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Worked on plenty of those now I can't picture the bars in my head. What you have won't fit I am fairly sure although not certain you drill out the bars and fit nuts and bolts but don't hold me to that.
 
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I have Bill Busbar / switchgear 1200A 3phase and inside the Chamber, they are solid round copper conductors from memory 3/4"or larger. I had to improvise with something that resembled a chrome exhaust clamp. Not ideal but been working for years now .
 
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This is only on a commercial 100A TPN supply so no monstrous sized busbar.

Anything more than 100A makes me sack retract, leave that stuff to someone who knows what they're doing.
 
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I think that pre-dates the Bill/MEM merger so no the MEM type clamps you linked aren't going to fit.

As mentioned above its probably solid bars you have to drill and bolt to, but it could very well have spare bolts already in there.

Just don't use the busbar fixing bolts as terminal bolts.
 
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westward10 said:
If you have your lugs then get brass bolts, nuts and washers to suit.
Click to expand...

Why do you say brass? The bolt is clamping the lug, not intentionally forming part of the current path. Manufacturers normally use steel bolts for copper bus bars.

For example the neutral bar in a schneider panel board is a copper bar supplied with steel bolts and belleville washers.
 
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davesparks said:
Why do you say brass? The bolt is clamping the lug, not intentionally forming part of the current path. Manufacturers normally use steel bolts for copper bus bars.

For example the neutral bar in a schneider panel board is a copper bar supplied with steel bolts and belleville washers.
Click to expand...
This is true it doesn't really matter I just opt for brass.
 
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I agree it probably has flat solid bars and doesn't need clamps. Resist the temptation to use roofing bolts. Belleville washers are good but single-coil spring washers conventional.
 
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Electro-tech said:
It will be interesting what you do Find.
Click to expand...
I will take some pictures
Lucien Nunes said:
I agree it probably has flat solid bars and doesn't need clamps. Resist the temptation to use roofing bolts. Belleville washers are good but single-coil spring washers conventional.
Click to expand...
I have some brass bolts, nuts and washers on order but as far as I can see there is currently only one tap of this chamber so I'm hoping there is plenty of spares inside.
 
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As per @davesparks it is quite in order to use BZP steel nuts and bolts and they have the advantage of withstanding higher tightening torques, which can be important where a small bolt has to hold a large lug. Current flows almost exclusively through the contact between the lug and the bar.

Brass (especially nickel-plated) is good where high corrosion resistance is important or you have a stack of terminals carrying a high current through contact between the nuts and the bolt. As a former marine power installer I habitually reach for the NP brass but it's not always required or the best.
 
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Thread resurrection time!

I was typing a similar question and this one came back up. In our case it is 800A rated Bill and probably from 1980s but it looks very much like @ipf photo with dual bars and clamps that look really like the Eaton ones. So was an answer found, are those new Eaton clamps (as sold by CEF, etc) OK?

Stupidly I failed to take a photo when covers off (I did when we decided to check the incoming fuses, and they are 800A beasts and look original, which is a relief as blown those is a bad day for someone).
 
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Bill became mem about 30 years ago I think.
mem then became eaton about 15 years ago.
so the Eaton clamps are probably exactly the same as the original bill ones.

p.s. Dates may not be quite right.
 
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