Have the rules for ring mains changed over the years? | Page 8 | on ElectriciansForums

Discuss Have the rules for ring mains changed over the years? in the Electrical Engineering Chat area at ElectriciansForums.net

This is done in the USA, their Romex cable which is the equivalent of our T&E has different coloured sheaths to denote the common sizes used. I believe there is white, red, yellow and black.

I guessed this likely applied only to a specific type of cable, but difficult to ascertain when the anti- UK electrical opinions were so light on detail.
 
Experience tells most people what size of cable they're dealing with. Perhaps your opinion may change as experience is gained.
As an apprentice you probably don't know that you're not always up close with cable, enough to determine size.

The actual electricians on here probably know that.
 
A few weeks back I fitted a domestic CU.

24 outgoing circuits in a 40 module board, with 35 usable ways after isolators & SPD.

Each outgoing circuit was afforded its own SP+N RCBO.

Loads of room to work and space available for future expansion to the tune of 11 more circuits (a few of which will be put to use in the next few months).

Perhaps I'm thick, being an apprentice and all, but could someone explain what would have been improved by taking cues from French conventions?
 
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I wouldn't be adding more circuits to a re wireable Cu.
Nor would I. The word "replacement" was rather key! I must be sinking to new depths of literary regression as it's taken me three posts to convey the idea that you have a small space, and only a small new cu will fit in it, and small new CU's can't have as many circuits.
But we've moved onto important stuff now, like onions, and soup. Maybe wine, garlick, and tiramisu are forthcoming. Oops I crossed the border.
There are benefits to using a Ring final, there are also benefits using a horse and cart compared to a van.
Well onions grow better after you've used a horse and cart.
As an apprentice you probably don't know that you're not always up close with cable, enough to determine size.

The actual electricians on here probably know that.
I'm getting a bit sick of multiple attempts by multiple people to steer this back to a reasonable debate and lighten the mood being undermined by you resorting to being offensive. Have an onion and chill out.
 
As an apprentice you probably don't know that you're not always up close with cable, enough to determine size.
How often does this situation occur? And of those times how often does it occur with a sheathed cable where you can see the sheath?

The only times I really have any issue with identifying cable size is those sizes I don't often use or types of cable I don't often use.
The actual electricians on here probably know that.

Ah, that must be the problem, I'm not an actual electrician.
 
I actually had a situation this afternoon where I was trying to identify the size of an existing cable and I wasn't sure about it.
It was either 185mm or 240mm singles, but I don't work with sizes often (if I do I prefer tri-rate for obvious reasons) and also being quite old the insulation can be a bit thicker and confuse things.

I've solved it by adding both sizes of lug to the parts order so that I'm covered either way.

Maybe if someone had painted the trunking according to a universal colour code it would have been better?
 
I actually had a situation this afternoon where I was trying to identify the size of an existing cable and I wasn't sure about it.
It was either 185mm or 240mm singles, but I don't work with sizes often (if I do I prefer tri-rate for obvious reasons) and also being quite old the insulation can be a bit thicker and confuse things.

I've solved it by adding both sizes of lug to the parts order so that I'm covered either way.

Maybe if someone had painted the trunking according to a universal colour code it would have been better?
Measure distance across…. Half it, square it, multiply by pi….

Mmmmmm pie….. 🤪


Cable that size… is it not written on the insulation somewhere?
 
I actually had a situation this afternoon where I was trying to identify the size of an existing cable and I wasn't sure about it.
It was either 185mm or 240mm singles, but I don't work with sizes often (if I do I prefer tri-rate for obvious reasons) and also being quite old the insulation can be a bit thicker and confuse things.

I've solved it by adding both sizes of lug to the parts order so that I'm covered either way.

Maybe if someone had painted the trunking according to a universal colour code it would have been better?
I'm quite prepared to stand corrected, but don't believe French cable of that size would have been any easier to identify.

Those sizes of singles confuse me as I'm more familiar with them as shaped conductors in multi core cable.
 
I'm quite prepared to stand corrected, but don't believe French cable of that size would have been any easier to identify.

Those sizes of singles confuse me as I'm more familiar with them as shaped conductors in multi core cable.
Shaped conductors are known as sectoral.
 

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