Containment choice for small commercial units.

[somersetsparks]

Id go with the galv trunking and conduit or galv trunking and placcy conduit if the area is not at risk of high impact.
Galv trunking is slightly cheaper then placcy and is lots better, you could jump gaps with steel and its rigid, plastic distorts over any little lump.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I prefer Galve trunking with conduit(PVC or metal) drops myself.
I find it easier to alter at a later date.

 

[Knobhead]

I would go for galvanised trunking and conduit drops*. The drops can be knocked out quickly in the W/S before hand. Just set a standard height for every outlet and switch, simple! Professional looking and robust.

*To be honest I’d really go for battleship grey GE PowerCentre trunking and black japanned conduit with no CPC in any of it, but I’m old fashioned!

 

[somersetsparks]

I would go for galvanised trunking and conduit drops*. The drops can be knocked out quickly in the W/S before hand. Just set a standard height for every outlet and switch, simple! Professional looking and robust.

*To be honest I’d really go for battleship grey GE PowerCentre trunking and black japanned conduit with no CPC in any of it, but I’m old fashioned!

Haha, If left to my own devices, I run all the trunking and conduit without any CPC, I use locknuts or scratchy washers behind any bushes, silicone grease on any joints, bonding links etc. Best readings you will ever get.
I also think it encourages people to do a better conduit job If they know it has to be relied on for earth, you treat every joint like a cable joint 'with care and make sure its tight!'

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I'd be very wary of using conduit as a CPC with the state of modern brass bushes.

 

[Knobhead]

The wife would take the p*ss out of me when we were out shopping and I’d go in the Boots to get a couple of jars of black nail polish. You would never see any nicks or scratches on my black japanned conduit.

I was told by the works storekeeper that our foreman had been to pick up some supplies for me. He’d opened a box of 20mm couplings and found they were galvanised, he chucked them away and ordered more black couplings. He was scared to bring them to me as he knew I would go wappy!

 

[mogga]

when doing trunking/conduit do you fit lockrings on couplings or not? do you fit serated washers or not? its normal practice in scotland to fit lockrings but not by english firms WHY?

 

[malcolmsanford]

When you fit a running nipple as I seem to call it or a running coupling I was taught to also fit a ring nut to lock it of, never a lock nut as they are hexagonal, a ring nut.

I only use serated or anti. vibration washers on earthing banjos and such, never to lock of a bush or ring/lock nut

 

[Knobhead]

When you fit a running nipple as I seem to call it or a running coupling I was taught to also fit a ring nut to lock it of, never a lock nut as they are hexagonal, a ring nut.

That is the way I was taught to do it, who wants an ugly locknut spoiling a smooth run! In desperation I’ve even resorted to grinding a locknut round.

PS the exposed thread would then get a dose of the nail polish

 

[malcolmsanford]

The way I was taught to do it, who wants an ugly locknut spoiling a smooth run!

PS the exposed thread would then get a dose of the nail polish

I'm begining to worry about you and your nail polish old mate.

The only reason I put the ring nut down, was years ago on a prestigious site a whole installation was fitted with lock nuts where running couplers were used, it was lovely to see the conduit pushed of the wall as in some places they could not be chewed to even make sure a flat edge was against a wall.

 

[Knobhead]

I'm begining to worry about you and your nail polish old mate.

All the conduit work I’ve done was in plants built in the 1930’s, I was taking out old Reyrolle HH switchgear and replacing it with GE MiniForm. I wasn’t having my work criticised by the old guys, it became a matter of pride. I even had to learn to do paper lead cables as some of the new gear used the old cables.

 

[somersetsparks]

when doing trunking/conduit do you fit lockrings on couplings or not? do you fit serated washers or not? its normal practice in scotland to fit lockrings but not by english firms WHY?

On our firm lockrings behind bushes has always been standard mate, as spinlondon pointed out bushes are pretty feeble and have no surface area, if you fit them without a lockring you can sometimes see light through the joint, especially on knockouts.
Well I always do it and im glad to hear others do as well!

 

[Knobhead]

It’s purely good workmanship! The more surface area the better the conductivity. Not rocket science INIT!