10mm LSF cable for shower

[An Buachaillín Bán]

Hello all you fine folk and hope you're all keeping well.

Having a bit of a dilemma here regarding making off 3x10sq LSF cable for a shower. I'm debating about about whether to use a Crabtree pull chord or to just mount a 2 gang 45/50A shower switch. Shower rating is 9.8kw with cable being clipped direct to timber joist in attic. I don't want to rule out the possibility that the cables could be covered with Insulation at a later stage, as it is a new build and I've asked builder to keep the cables as free from Insulation as possible.

I saw this topic was discussed on the forum before, but I don't think it was the LSF cable being used, which makes my life even harder. I have made off 2x 10sq lsf cables into a Crabtree pull chord before which was a huge pain. I have also made off 10sq cables for cooker switches before into deeper 2 gang metal back boxes, which, again wasn't fun.

But as this was some time ago, I'm just wondering has anybody come across any new accessories that would make it any easier to terminate these cables? Or is it just the same story of sheer finger strength and heartache? If those are the only options still, what are people's preferences?

Thanks

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Can't say I've used 10mm LSF, but the following applies to regular PVC T+E:

My preference is for a 2G x 45mm deep backbox installed vertically, with 2G Crabtree cooker switch (it has 2 screws per terminal). After stripping the sheath, carefully dress the cores into the backbox before stripping and terminating. This takes a little while, but do it right and it will be easy to terminate, and the switch will push back easily when you come to screw it back.

 

[grumpyjohn01]

The Crabtree pullcord is fairly easy to terminate in 10mm provided there is some free play in the cables above the ceiling so you can dress them and then move the whole cable up into the void to terminate, ideally with a timber batten to fix the switch to with the cables going either side. Square pattern switches are a royal pain even with 6mm in my experience. Otherwise @Pretty Mouth is correct, the 1G pattern switch is much harder to do even with a 47mm box and only has 1 screw per terminal

 

[brianmoooore]

My preference is for a 2G x 45mm deep backbox installed vertically, with 2G Crabtree cooker switch (it has 2 screws per terminal).

Being pedantic, the Crabtree 50A cooker switch is a 4500/1, which has 'cooker' printed on it. For a shower, you require the 4500, which is the same, but without the 'cooker' label.
The 4500/3 has a neon indicator built into it, which you should also avoid, since it encourages users to switch the isolator off when the shower isn't in use.
(There's also the 4500/13, which has both the label and the neon.)