Armoured Cable Termination.

[shaun gold]

I recently came across an armoured cable on an ECR that was installed in earthed metal trunking from one dis board to another.
Both ends of the armoured had not been glanded off and the SWA had been taped over. As it is enclosed in the tunking and both ends are in the
distribution boards would this be satisfactory as there is an extra core being used as the CPC so the SWA is not needed.

 

[ayjay]

as long as the armoured is enclosed inside trunking it sounds ok shaun
its more or less the same as using singles (imo) its odd why they used a peice of armoured tho

 

[Engineer54]

I recently came across an armoured cable on an ECR that was installed in earthed metal trunking from one dis board to another.
Both ends of the armoured had not been glanded off and the SWA had been taped over. As it is enclosed in the tunking and both ends are in the
distribution boards would this be satisfactory as there is an extra core being used as the CPC so the SWA is not needed.

In a word ...NO!!

If your going to use a cable that has been designed to be glanded at each end, then that's what the cable demands. You always use the correct cable type for the installation as presented to you. In his case the wiring should have been conducted in singles of the correct size...

There is also absolutely no requirement for an additional CPC either!! This smacks of a lazy electrician that had a bit of suitably sized SWA on the van, so in it went rather than supplying the correct singles....

 

[VoltzElectrical]

In a word ...NO!!

If your going to use a cable that has been designed to be glanded at each end, then that's what the cable demands. You always use the correct cable type for the installation as presented to you. In his case the wiring should have been conducted in singles of the correct size...

There is also absolutely no requirement for an additional CPC either!! This smacks of a lazy electrician that had a bit of suitably sized SWA on the van, so in it went rather than supplying the correct singles....

The fact that the cable is SWA in this instance is incidental. OK, its not the cable of choice, I agree, but here I feel that it can be treated as not SWA as the steel conduit provides the protection normally achieved by the armouring.

Stoop nit picking!

EICR? so what code would you give it then?

Me, I wouldn't code it, That's my stance and I'm sticking to it unless someone can convince me otherwise, and I mean with SOUND REASONING, not like the reasoning behind not having neutrals at switches, LOL!

 

[Knobhead]

Normal sort of responce for this place!

 

[loop3]

Didn't see it senario.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

Normal sort of responce for this place!

Yeah it's your way or the highway! No room for other opinions!

 

[beatboaby924y]

mmm hard one. Think somone has been too lazy to strip the armour.

Suppose you could stick a earth clamp around armour sheath and bond it to the trunking to make the sheath earthed.

Not sure if I would code it or not.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

mmm hard one. Think somone has been too lazy to strip the armour.

Suppose you could stick a earth clamp around armour sheath and bond it to the trunking to make the sheath earthed.

Not sure if I would code it or not.

You could, but with earthed trunking, and a core used as earth, why would you bother? it's no different to a submain run in singles, except all the 'single' cores are in a sheath together. Not the cable I'd use, but not unsafe in any way. Unconventional - yes.

 

[Sintra]

mmm hard one. Think somone has been too lazy to strip the armour.

Suppose you could stick a earth clamp around armour sheath and bond it to the trunking to make the sheath earthed.

Not sure if I would code it or not.

I really hope you are not suggesting to put a BS951 clamp around a SWA

 

[jumpin jax]

I really hope you are not suggesting to put a BS951 clamp around a SWA

You could if you put a sleeve under it as is supplied with a resin joint kit or similar

 

[VoltzElectrical]

FFS, to please everyone, just offer to rip it out and pull some singles in, at your own cost, then you'll all be able to sleep tonight!

 

[martinh287]

mmm hard one. Think somone has been too lazy to strip the armour.

Suppose you could stick a earth clamp around armour sheath and bond it to the trunking to make the sheath earthed.

Not sure if I would code it or not.

I really hope you are not suggesting to put a BS951 clamp around a SWA

I have seen a jubilee clip used for the steel wire on a three phase and neutral supply for a lift supply on a construction site. The sparky thought nothing off it. He Was actually quite proud he had managed to squeeze it all into a 32amp 5pin socket . Any one else would be embarrassed to admit it

 

[Darkwood]

Id like to see the cable calcs of an armoured enclosed in a trunking .... and my input ..... not good practice and very lazy to the extreme it wouldn't have taken long to run a stanley down and rid it of armour, but it should be noted but i wouldn't make too big a fuss as its not really at risk from damage where the armour would be required to be earthed....i think this one off situe would merit a Jobsworth award but its functional as long as the trunking is complete, bet it fails in its use elsewhere like trunking grouping or spacing factors

 

[Spudnik]

I must say, i am struggling to see a problem with this.

Yes, maybe the SWA should be earthed and glanded off correctly, but as pointed out, it is in trunking so could be "assumed" to be T&E.

Certainly not worth a code, and dare i say, certainly far from unsafe.

All IMO.