Got SWA complacent again and not happy!!!!!

[Darkwood]

Just wired 85m x 4core 16mm swa on tray arkward run took all day getting it in, anyway came to terminate it and found several steel wire strands missing from within the swa -

The cable does not give 360 mechanical protection and I now have to work out if my earthing is adequate or whether I've to waste my time adding an earth, the cable is Prysmian so heads up out there check your cable isn't a bad batch or even fake.... I mean, more than one key area has cocked up in the manufacturing of this from the machine not shutting down when it ran out of wire to quality control not catching the issue.
(H6944X 16.0mm XLPE/SWA/PVC Cable)

 

[davesparks]

Have you given prysmian a call yet to politely explain that that will be coming in to replace this cable for you?

 

[Darkwood]

Have you given prysmian a call yet to politely explain that that will be coming in to replace this cable for you?

Im going through the correct channels first - wholesaler is currently talking to their suppliers who got it from Prysmian, waiting to see what comes back...irate:

 

[shanky887614]

Just wired 85m x 4core 16mm swa on tray arkward run took all day getting it in, anyway came to terminate it and found several steel wire strands missing from within the swa -

The cable does not give 360 mechanical protection and I now have to work out if my earthing is adequate or whether I've to waste my time adding an earth, the cable is Prysmian so heads up out there check your cable isn't a bad batch or even fake.... I mean, more than one key area has cocked up in the manufacturing of this from the machine not shutting down when it ran out of wire to quality control not catching the issue.
(H6944X 16.0mm XLPE/SWA/PVC Cable)

have you used pyrsman before? the ones we have installed dont have the steel all the way around

 

[DomCallear]

Pyrsman cable is terrible, had some terrible cable off them recently.

 

[davesparks]

Pyrsman cable is terrible, had some terrible cable off them recently.

In what way was it terrible?

 

[Darkwood]

have you used pyrsman before? the ones we have installed dont have the steel all the way around

No and its stamped prysmian if you have a typo there? .... by definition an armoured cable should be armoured 360 degrees not partially or nearly or its does not provide the mechanical protection it is designed to do.

 

[jonney88]

prysmain is ****e did a school rewire 2.5 twin lsf 4 drums all pulled in down to sockets cable wouldn't strip all bonded to the inners started stripping some of it thought id do an ir test cable was ****ed 400 ******* meters to rip out and reinstall,,

 

[shanky887614]

No and its stamped pyrsmian if you have a typo there? .... by definition an armoured cable should be armoured 360 degrees not partially or nearly or its does not provide the mechanical protection it is designed to do.

no typo, the swa we installed didnt have steel all the way around.

because of the small size we use we use the 4/5th core

 

[davesparks]

It doesn't matter if you use an extra core as a cpc, the armour still needs to surround the cable properly.

 

[DomCallear]

In what way was it terrible?

1. Armours not completely surrounding the cable as the OP pointed out
2. Armours twisted inside the cable

 

[shanky887614]

1. Armours not completely surrounding the cable as the OP pointed out
2. Armours twisted inside the cable

the armour is twisted around the cable rather than completely surrounded by it, takes ages to unravel it

 

[ipf]

the armour is twisted around the cable rather than completely surrounded by it, takes ages to unravel it

Baffle me, sometimes, with your comments, shanky :stuart:

 

[shanky887614]

Baffle me, sometimes, with your comments, shanky :stuart:

what i mean is, the armour spirals around the swa rather than completely surround it.

 

[amckay]

I was installing the same brand cable the other day only it was 3core + earth 1.5mm (low smoke & fume) on 100m drum. About 80m in (circuit length was about 95m) there was a "gash" in the outer sheath deep enough that it managed to remove an inch off the line conductor aswell.
My boss wasn't happy!
I rekon their quality control needs more quality control!

 

[davesparks]

what i mean is, the armour spirals around the swa rather than completely surround it.

It should spiral and completely surround the cable, with bare minimum, if any, seperation between the strands of armour

 

[telectrix]

had a 50m length of 6mm 3 core SWA the other week. 10 days after installation the L conductor was O/C. and the cable was just laid on the ground, so no way was it damaged on install.

 

[Darkwood]

Consider the Armour like an umbrella - if its missing a strip of material it no longer can offer the full shelter as to which it was designed, same with Steel Wire Armoured, its primary function is a mechanical barrier and can only be classed as one if it totally encloses the inner construct. Don't get confused by your termination points where its splayed out leaving plenty of gaps.

It also has a secondary function as a possible suitable earthing conductor if its CSA is adequate.

It is spirally wrapped on the inner construct and should give a tight neat wrap, your cable will have inner copper(usually) cores with an insulation sleeve, over this is a filler layer which is shaped to form a circle (end on)and its thickness is denoted by the number of steel wires used and how big their inner circumference is when they form a concentric twisted wrap.

No gaps should appear between wires and also all wires should have equal csa or the glanding becomes problematic if not ineffective.

If you use Armoured cabled to BS5467 and their are big gaps in the armouring or the sheath is too loose that the armour cores overlap each other then gaps can appear undue stress can be put on the inner construct when manipulating the cable or even damage it from within so I'm a little lost to some of the posts here :willy_nilly:

 

[DomCallear]

the armour is twisted around the cable rather than completely surrounded by it, takes ages to unravel it

I'm sorry you have lost me.

 

[DomCallear]

Consider the Armour like an umbrella - if its missing a strip of material it no longer can offer the full shelter as to which it was designed, same with Steel Wire Armoured, its primary function is a mechanical barrier and can only be classed as one if it totally encloses the inner construct. Don't get confused by your termination points where its splayed out leaving plenty of gaps.

It also has a secondary function as a possible suitable earthing conductor if its CSA is adequate.

It is spirally wrapped on the inner construct and should give a tight neat wrap, your cable will have inner copper(usually) cores with an insulation sleeve, over this is a filler layer which is shaped to form a circle (end on)and its thickness is denoted by the number of steel wires used and how big their inner circumference is when they form a concentric twisted wrap.

No gaps should appear between wires and also all wires should have equal csa or the glanding becomes problematic if not ineffective.

If you use Armoured cabled to BS5467 and their are big gaps in the armouring or the sheath is too loose that the armour cores overlap each other then gaps can appear undue stress can be put on the inner construct when manipulating the cable or even damage it from within so I'm a little lost to some of the posts here :willy_nilly:

Atleast someones on the same wavelength as me :willy_nilly::6: