UK SWA Cable termination

mjjm986 · Oct 25, 2021

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?

westward10 · Oct 25, 2021

That is appalling it should be glanded and those conductors enclosed. Also what appears to be a cream coloured cable is the inner part of the cable used to supply the rcd, that "bedding" should not be exposed like that.

Rockingit · Oct 25, 2021

As above, that's not acceptable at all! I'm now curious as to what you're considering the 'good' job in the outhouse, to the layman.

brianmoooore · Oct 25, 2021

Is the offending enclosure at the house end plastic?

Dustydazzler · Oct 25, 2021

Looks fine ?

mjjm986 · Oct 25, 2021

westward10 said:
That is appalling it should be glanded and those conductors enclosed. Also what appears to be a cream coloured cable is the inner part of the cable used to supply the rcd, that "bedding" should not be exposed like that.

Thanks, when you say bedding should not be exposed, can I as what you mean by that?

mjjm986 · Oct 25, 2021

Rockingit said:
As above, that's not acceptable at all! I'm now curious as to what you're considering the 'good' job in the outhouse, to the layman.

Hey, in so far as i can tell it looks neat and tidy in the shed, no obvious signs of anything that sticks out, although I appreciate that I can't see what is underneath.

westward10 · Oct 25, 2021

That cream coloured cable is the inner part of a swa cable with the outer black sheath and armour removed, it should not be exposed like that.

mjjm986 · Oct 25, 2021

brianmoooore said:
Is the offending enclosure at the house end plastic?

The rest of the board is metal, the new RCBO's are plastic. In the shed it is a metal consumer unit supplying three double sockets, one each for freezer dryer and one washing machine leaving a spare socket in each. With a 16 amp breaker for socket supplying freezer and a 32amp breaker for two double sockets supplying dryer and washing machine.

goasis · Oct 25, 2021

That was not installed by an even vaugly competent electrician. It's not some thing done by mistake, or a technique that some use and others don't. It's just straight up terrible. I would assume the rest of his work is also well.worth having checked over. Regardless of what it may look like on the surface. Whoever did this has no standards or conscience

Can't really tell where that swa is coming from, it looks like that brown conductor is a link between the 2 enclosures. I'd bet that cream swa is coming off the main switch in the board above, hence the mk 40a mcb

mjjm986 · Oct 25, 2021

goasis said:
That was not installed by an even vaugly competent electrician. It's not some thing done by mistake, or a technique that some use and others don't. It's just straight up terrible. I would assume the rest of his work is also well.worth having checked over. Regardless of what it may look like on the surface. Whoever did this has no standards or conscience

Can't really tell where that swa 8s coming from, it looks like that brown conductor is a look between the 2 enclosures. I'd bet that cream swa is coming off the main switch in the board above, hence the mk 40a mcb

Yes, the cream cable is coming from the mains switch.

goasis · Oct 25, 2021

What does the consumer unit in the outhouse look like?

Vortigern · Oct 25, 2021

In any event SWA will always be properly glanded and terminated. Even on a plastic box. You can still put a banjo/frying pan on it and fly lead to the earth terminal at the earth bus-bar. Or you could use a pirahna nut. I have seen so many "variations" of SWA some quite inventive, but in all cases it should be properly glanded/booted etc. no sneaky black tape 'cos you forgot to put the boot on! I think the only case for not putting the fly lead on and even then the gland would go on albeit a plastic version, is when coming from TN to TT. Even then the outer armour would still need the fly lead at the point of origin in to protect the SWA against mechanical damage. As it stand there is no such protection in your picture. Hmmm my dog is licking its lips at the picture????