Good cable to use outside

[chris day]

hello guys

I have a lighting install at high level outside a house.
I don’t need additional mechanical protection and would like to use a good UV resistant insulated and sheathed cable.
Don’t want to use conduit as it looks ugly.

I normally used white FP 200 which the manufacturers said supports UV light exposure however I have seen a few installs where after 6 years turns to dust.

(I might be getting a phone in from client is a few years time as a result)

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Are our regs applied retrospectively?

I said recent, ie 18th edition.

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

Black FP200

 

[1Justin]

I tend to use H07RN-F. It's tougher & thicker than the normal black rubber cable H05. It's rarely on the shelf, normally have to mail order it.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

hello guys

I have a lighting install at high level outside a house.
I don’t need additional mechanical protection and would like to use a good UV resistant insulated and sheathed cable.
Don’t want to use conduit as it looks ugly.

I normally used white FP 200 which the manufacturers said supports UV light exposure however I have seen a few installs where after 6 years turns to dust.

(I might be getting a phone in from client is a few years time as a result)

I use black rubber flex. I would usually use H07RN but on occasion would use H05RR. I personally think that even black PVC flex (H05VV) would be ok outside as I put some in my own property many years ago and it is fine. However I use rubber for customers as that is the correct choice. Also, this is only if it does not need mechanical protection, otherwise SWA.

Manufacturers instructions often say to use 1mm H05RN but finding that is like gold dust, so you have to bump it up to the H07RN. You do find that because it is rated up to 700V it is quite thick which can be a bit of a pain sometimes.

This is just one of many useful threads on outdoor cable..
Outdoor Flex Cable RR-F or RN-F - https://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/threads/outdoor-flex-cable-rr-f-or-rn-f.169160/page-2#post-1463746

 

[freddo]

MICC is a superb outdoor cable.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Neat, resists everything, requires fewer fixings to keep it straight and they are inherently fire resistant. A bit slower when working it with limited access.

 

[ruston]

MICC is a superb outdoor cable.

And metal fixings aren't a problem.

 

[ipf]

Neat, resists everything, requires fewer fixings to keep it straight and they are inherently fire resistant. A bit slower when working it with limited access.

I remember a fire wrecked labour club about 40 years ago, it had been wired in pyro, as per regulations in some council areas. The pyro copper sheaths were all sorts of colours....but it was still mostly intact. We removed some from the wreckage and tested it just for the sake. Plenty turned out clear and continuous. Amazing stuff.

 

[Bobster]

I remember a fire wrecked labour club about 40 years ago, it had been wired in pyro, as per regulations in some council areas. The pyro copper sheaths were all sorts of colours....but it was still mostly intact. We removed some from the wreckage and tested it just for the sake. Plenty turned out clear and continuous. Amazing stuff.

I remember the first time I saw pyro whilst an apprentice in the training center.

Our instructor ran a blow torch over it, bashed it flat with a hammer and then tested it's IR an continuity, passed both tests. It can take some abuse!

 

[suffolkspark]

What B.S number does this cable have?

NYY-J / hi-tuff doesn't have a BS number but does have an IEC number, so its ok to use, theres a paragraph in the regs somewhere saying we can use bs and iec cables..... vde only registered ones like sy though are a no go as we all know.

 

[davesparks]

Black FP200

Why? Unless this is emergency lighting fed from a remote supply such as a static inverter it does not need a fire performance cable so why would you use one? There are more cost effective, mechanically stronger cables which would be a better choice.

 

[davesparks]

I normally used white FP 200 which the manufacturers said supports UV light exposure however I have seen a few installs where after 6 years turns to dust.

)

The manufacturers say that white is more suited out of the choice of white or red, they don't say it is UV stable.
What properties of FP make it the best choice for this kind of installation? Unless you need the fire performance I don't see why it would be the best choice?

 

[Toneyz]

I remember the first time I saw pyro whilst an apprentice in the training center.

Our instructor ran a blow torch over it, bashed it flat with a hammer and then tested it's IR an continuity, passed both tests. It can take some abuse!

Same here gave it some abuse still ok.

 

[freddo]

they don't say it is UV stable.

That is because it isn't, it goes hard and brittle when exposed to the sun for a few years, it then cracks open if moved.