UK SWA Cable termination

[mjjm986]

Hi All,

Looking some advice. Had someone install a SWA cable to exterior outhouse. In the outhouse everything.looks.great, new consumer board and three double sockets all installed and looking good. My.concern is with how the SWA cable has been terminated at the main board in the house. Surely the SWA should have been terminated into a junction box or something similar, then a feed to the new RCBO's? Should I be concerned or leave as is?

 

[telectrix]

conravenes the "good workmanship" reg..... nuff said.

 

[Vortigern]

If you gland at least the supply end properly then you protect the outer sheathing if it becomes live. If you cut through the SWA with an earthed armour there will be a protective device operating whereas without that earthing the outer armour will not necessarily operate the protective device. no?

 

[brianmoooore]

And most of those things would be against the good workmanship regulation.

Fully agree, but if you're going to challenge this work, you really need black/white violations of regulations, not something as subjective as poor workmanship.

 

[brianmoooore]

If you gland at least the supply end properly then you protect the outer sheathing if it becomes live. If you cut through the SWA with an earthed armour there will be a protective device operating whereas without that earthing the outer armour will not necessarily operate the protective device. no?

Correct, but there's no actual reg. to support this; just good sense and good practice.

 

[telectrix]

amendment 3 to 18th. "thou shalt not install a monkey's abortion" there.

 

[DPG]

Fully agree, but if you're going to challenge this work, you really need black/white violations of regulations, not something as subjective as poor workmanship.

You can't put every example of bad workmanship in as a reg. The regs would be 3 times the thickness they are now.

Reg 8264.34.344.33 'All compression glands must be tightened sufficiently'

Etc.

 

[IAmSparkytus!]

And who decides the standard of work which falls below good workmanship?

We all agree that this is poor workmanship, but there will be plenty of people who do the job correctly but their work looks rough... would that be classed as bad workmanship?

 

[mjjm986]

Even to my untrained eye workmanship is poor and I'm not.happy with it however, if we put the workmanship aside for a second, can someone please tell me what needs to be done to make it safe?

If a gland with an earth was added at the supply end to protect the outer metal in the SWA sheathing, does that make it a safe install?

Should the wires from the SWA then stay as is, connected the the earth terminal in the consumer unit in the shed?

I'm really worried about the safety aspect, I can ask for it to be tidied up and am happy.to argue that point, safety is my top priority though, as this is my mums house and I want to make sure it's safe.

 

[westward10]

You have been told several times to seek the services of an electrian they will know how to rectify it. The forum whilst happy to help DIY members draw a line whereby the advice given maybe applied incorrectly.

 

[telectrix]

the supply end of the SWA needs to be properly glanded. not really important about the other end. if cable is short, then a galv. metal box can be used for the gland, then cable extended into CU.

 

[mjjm986]

as long as the copper equivalent csa of the number of wires connected is sufficient, which I would estimate they are. Should have sleeving on them, but that's a minor point.

Can. I ask what you mean by the copper equivalent CSA of the number of wires mean?

At the house end, the only regulation breaches (from an English point of view) that I can see, are the single sheathed blue and brown, lack of strain relief, non fire resistant enclosures, and possible IP rating issues.

Also if you don't mind, could you breakdown the above for me, what can be done to fix these issues please.

 

[mjjm986]

You have been told several times to seek the services of an electrian they will know how to rectify it. The forum whilst happy to help DIY members draw a line whereby the advice given maybe applied incorrectly.

Understood. I won't be applying any measures myself. I'm finding it difficult getting another electrician to come out, so just looking for advice on what can be done to put it right, so I know I know what to look for if the electrician puts it right.

 

[DPG]

Can. I ask what you mean by the copper equivalent CSA of the number of wires mean?

Also if you don't mind, could you breakdown the above for me, what can be done to fix these issues please.

Just get a decent electrician in. They will not need you to tell them what needs doing, and may even be offended if you try to do this.

Or are you thinking of doing the work yourself?

 

[IAmSparkytus!]

Understood. I won't be applying any measures myself. I'm finding it difficult getting another electrician to come out, so just looking for advice on what can be done to put it right, so I know I know what to look for if the electrician puts it right.

There may be someone on here who can visit you. Which area are you in?

 

[mjjm986]

Just get a decent electrician in. They will not need you to tell them what needs doing, and may even be offended if you try to do this.

Or are you thinking of doing the work yourself?

Definitely not gonna touch it myself, I wouldn't touch electrics, that's a job for trained professionals.

It's just if I get the chap back, I'd like enough knowledge to know if he's putting it right. I'll keep looking for another electrician.