Earths twisted up outside of joint boxes.

[dtec dave]

Why do I keep finding this set up on installations over 20ish years old..was this the done thing back in the day??

 

[Darkwood]

It was common practice in the 70/80's in domestic, you have to remember these were really the only joint boxes available and you were limited to 3 terminal for a 30amp and a 4 or 6 for 20amp or lower... they were cheap and effective, we didn't have a sea of choice in adaptable boxes and glands that we do today at affordable prices, it was usually a single/double surface mount with a blanking plate and a strip of connectors otherwise.

PS I did it because I was taught to at the company I did my apprenticeship with, yes it looks rough as nails now but it was funtional and did the job althought we stuck a 30amp connector to bind the earths at the end and we did use sleeving.

 

[willy fixit]

Under the chip board floor! Had to cut a big hole to get at this one - Glad I found it though. Broken lid taped on and cpcs wrapped over a batten floating in the insulation!

 

[willy fixit]

Better pics!

 

[telectrix]

all that needs is a couple of them american wire nuts. sorted.

 

[Toneyz]

I remember Ashley/Rock catalogue in the 80's having a brass plate with terminals that the j.b screwed down onto and the earths terminating in these terminals outside j.b's.

 

[PEG]

I have seen plenty of the same type of job,in properties of the 30's and 40's,where any bare copper wires,are wrapped round a nail,next to any junction.
I also met an old spark,who was swapping his tools over,from a large cantilever box,to a later model,and i spotted a long,silver plier type tool,with a knurled rear knob.

It was an aircraft wire lock tool,which is used to lock-wire fastenings,and was a individual trade in itself.

Now i know some of the early metal clad boxes,isolators,etc,had drilled fixings,but i'm sure i glanced a copper sheen,on the jaws

 

[Timbo]

Found this one the other day in a friend's roof. The cpc's of loop in/out are under the clamp at top right, the other 4 just twisted into that scruit externally. Might connect???

 

[Pete999]

all that needs is a couple of them american wire nuts. sorted.

Reckon whoever did that mess want's shooting, crikey what a mess.

 

[telectrix]

Reckon whoever did that mess want's shooting, crikey what a mess.

it's a non-combustible joint box. what could possibly go wrong?

 

[Pete999]

Found this one the other day in a friend's roof. The cpc's of loop in/out are under the clamp at top right, the other 4 just twisted into that scruit externally. Might connect???View attachment 40226

Made for lead sheathed cables if my memory serve me well.

 

[Timbo]

Similarly, but more of a recent bodge, I was doing an unrelated job and custome said can you pop your head in the roof and tell me if those junction boxes are alright!
Turns out he'd had some work done by Polish "electricians" nice and cheap........

Redid that lot into this:

 

[telectrix]

maybe cheap but deffo not nice. how do the buggers get away with shyte like that?

 

[Timbo]

maybe cheap but deffo not nice. how do the buggers get away with shyte like that?

Search me, pal. Worst bit was after redoing it all and connecting all the cpc's, on of the landing light circuits kept tripping every other time it was used (was 2-way).
Took the switch off and found cpc had been cut off leaving a short tail just enough to touch a switch wire. All the wires into the switch were stripped back too far, leaving copious amounts of live copper exposed.

 

[willy fixit]

Deleted due to idiocy on my part!

 

[willy fixit]

Neat Timbo- Never thought of using a surface box in that way - cheaper than a wiska and tough if a PVC box is used - will defo use that idea if the need arises!