grommets and earth Sleeving are so over rated

[Dustydazzler]

if you are going to put a 'how to' vid on youtube atleast buy a dang grommet and some G/y sleeve

 

[Colin Jenkins 01]

Good point. I, m mentally prepared for the reaction to my next sentence?, but I, m not bothered at all by the absence of grommets providing... PROVIDING the sheath of the t&e extends in to the box.I would be very unhappy about lack of earth sleeving. The hole in the box is machined and you can comfortably run your finger around it. There are no sharp edges

It was an item of religion in my apprenticeship to always fit a grommet in a cable entry to a metal box. Always, always, always - no exceptions, ever. Normally a commercial grommet (pence) or otherwise a piece of TWE sheathing, nibbled round with snips to help it go circular. "Always fit a grommet" - and it's still my religion today!

 

[Mike Johnson]

+1 if the plastering has been done to a standard that will not allow the T&E to move when fiddling about in the box.

 

[ipf]

Good point. I, m mentally prepared for the reaction to my next sentence?, but I, m not bothered at all by the absence of grommets providing... PROVIDING the sheath of the t&e extends in to the box.I would be very unhappy about lack of earth sleeving. The hole in the box is machined and you can comfortably run your finger around it. There are no sharp edges

Have to agree, in general,.....but I wouldn't fancy being dragged through one of those holes from any angle, at a rate of knots....?

On the other hand, are you saying that grommets need only be installed if the cabling is NOT done to regulation requirements? I know standards are going down but that's really taking things to extremes....carrying grommets around in case you 'make a mistake'.

 

[LastManOnline]

I can appreciate that what I stated sounds like heresy to some. But I have never, ever seen a t&e cable damaged due to lack of a grommet. I have many times encountered problems resulting from unsleeved earth's and from live and neutral cores coming in to contact with the metal box for various reasons. Add to that the number of problems resulting from accessory screws nicking a live conductor. But problems resulting from lack of a grommet? Still have to experience that.

 

[nicebutdim]

Good point. I, m mentally prepared for the reaction to my next sentence?, but I, m not bothered at all by the absence of grommets providing... PROVIDING the sheath of the t&e extends in to the box.I would be very unhappy about lack of earth sleeving. The hole in the box is machined and you can comfortably run your finger around it. There are no sharp edges

In IE are domestic cable drops run in conduit and bushed into boxes as they are in NI? Strange how an item that is essential in one part of the UK, would take half an hour to find on a van floor in another part.

 

[LastManOnline]

In IE are domestic cable drops run in conduit and bushed into boxes as they are in NI? Strange how an item that is essential in one part of the UK, would take half an hour to find on a van floor in another part.

Yes. They are. But in chased walls only. In stud walls conduit rarely used. Grommets are often used in those circumstances, but not consistently

 

[ipf]

I can appreciate that what I stated sounds like heresy to some. But I have never, ever seen a t&e cable damaged due to lack of a grommet. I have many times encountered problems resulting from unsleeved earth's and from live and neutral cores coming in to contact with the metal box for various reasons. Add to that the number of problems resulting from accessory screws nicking a live conductor. But problems resulting from lack of a grommet? Still have to experience that.

Whose to say the black cable wasn't 'nicked' whilst installing? ?

One side of wall......



........going through to the other......

 

[littlespark]

2nd and 3rd pic showing the black mark on the box where the fixing screw has nicked a live.
Countersunk screws shouldn’t be used.

 

[ipf]

2nd and 3rd pic showing the black mark on the box where the fixing screw has nicked a live.
Countersunk screws shouldn’t be used.

Well spotted....we have ourselves a detective.? ?

 

[littlespark]

Come across it all too often.

“I was just doing a bit of decorating and unscrewed the switches from the wall… when I screwed them back, there was a bang!”

I remember that one as it was metal switches and no earth flylead. Could have been nasty.

Other time someone was decorating and was trimming the wallpaper behind a loosened switch with a butter knife…. Power was still on, and she touched the top terminal screw…. No more butter knife!


Off tangent a little. Apologies. Grommets and sleeving…. Yes to both, but understand plaster holding cable in place. Safer just to say grommet always.

 

[loz2754]

I can appreciate that what I stated sounds like heresy to some. But I have never, ever seen a t&e cable damaged due to lack of a grommet. I have many times encountered problems resulting from unsleeved earth's and from live and neutral cores coming in to contact with the metal box for various reasons. Add to that the number of problems resulting from accessory screws nicking a live conductor. But problems resulting from lack of a grommet? Still have to experience that.

I have experienced it several times. The last one was a neutral core being pressed into the edge of the hole, causing the RCD to trip periodically.
Always fit grommets on my own new work.
If I come across lack of grommets on an EICR, my reaction would range from no action at all, to a C2, depending on the likelihood of cables being damaged.