Dressing in 10mm cables

[dnjr]

Dear All
Have to terminate 2 x 10mm t&e cables in a back box and isolator switch ( for a shower )
Gone for a double 46mm box and cooker switch but can’t find a tidy way to dress the cables into the box
So. What do people do. Cut them shorter and pre bend etc or leave them longer and curl them around the box
Don’t have popeye hands and am struggling
Advise appreciated
Ta

 

[Octopus]

As you are using a 2G back box its just a case of getting the tails the right length ...........

Showers are best done using the Crabtree 50A pull switch.

 

[telectrix]

or fit a sensibly rated shower. 9.5kW max.

 

[westward10]

Do not cut them short, dress them around the back box to the terminal position. Screw back to box and a couple of hours later remove and retighten terminals. 46mm two gang box is by far the best way.

 

[dnjr]

Hi westward
That was my thinking but don’t have the finger strength any more to dress the properly
What are you calling Short and what length would you suggest leaving
( got 10 of these yo do !!!!)
Cheers
tort

Do not cut them short, dress them around the bacck box

 

[elsparko]

easy peasy, unless its the smokeless cable

leave a little spare above the box for you to work with, connect the cables as normal, slide the cables back into the wall above the backbox, like a glove.

 

[dnjr]

easy peasy, unless its the smokeless cable

leave a little spare above the box for you to work with, connect the cables as normal, slide the cables back into the wall above the backbox, like a glove.

No room behind the back box unfortunately

 

[westward10]

Hi westward
That was my thinking but don’t have the finger strength any more to dress the properly
What are you calling Short and what length would you suggest leaving
( got 10 of these yo do !!!!)
Cheers
tort

When I say short do not cut them so you cannot pull the front plate forward a sensible distance. I would have a bit of practice by screwing a back box to a board with a couple of bits of 10mm.

 

[robd]

Corner to corner of the box ( so it can reach the furthest point as a rule of thumb then fold it round to where it's got to go. As mentioned above a nice deep box helps

 

[telectrix]

and a lump hammer to get the faceplate on.

 

[dnjr]

thanks robd
That’s what I do for everything else it’s just these 10mm’s giving me a hard time
Need stronger/younger hands

 

[Wilko]

Perhaps short side entry, run length of box, gentle u turn, return half way and 90 bend to face plate. Length approx 2 x box and trim to fit. Do a practice one ?

 

[westward10]

Terminating 10.0mm at domestic grade accessories has never been ideal and this is why you see so many burnt out conductors at pull cord isolators, inadequate space placing undue stress on conductor connections which nine times out of ten have exposed conductors pushed through back boxes and exposed in the ceiling cavity.

 

[elsparko]

moral of the story is leave some spare to play with, connect it, then lose the spare before fixing if its on surface

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Terminating 10.0mm at domestic grade accessories has never been ideal and this is why you see so many burnt out conductors at pull cord isolators, inadequate space placing undue stress on conductor connections which nine times out of ten have exposed conductors pushed through back boxes and exposed in the ceiling cavity.

Agree. 10 can be a bugger to get in right without then later coming loose when you screw it. I sometimes warm it up a little first by giving it a good rub. Hold it with one hand and have a good cloth or glove on the other hand to rub with. Hasnt dissapointed me yet and the cold weather dont help either. A bit like conduit.
All too often i have come across 10mm with strands either purposely cut off or snapped leaving just 2 or 3 strands in the terminal. Some people are lazy