Swa earth nuts

[Ampo]

Hi all, has anyone used these and are they worth it? Quite expensive but if they save time. I have a 2.5 swa run 50m down a garden to feed a socket, light and roller gate. I'm think of using these where I come in and out of the plastic socket amd plastic enclosures to bridge instead of comprising ip rating with a banjo.
Also is it still acceptable to just gland into the metal board on the feed end without a bango or one of these? I cant find anything in the regs saying no but heard some people are coding it down on eicr's. Cant see the problem if the casings earthed and paint scratched? Surely no different then taking an armoured into a galv conduit box. Any advise appreciated, always looking to improve without wasting mine and the customers time
Cheers

 

[richy3333]

Use them all the time. Buy 20 and 25mm in bulk to get them cheaper.

Both ends of the SWA should be glanded. Are you meaning bonding the armour? If so you can do so at 1 end and preferably at source.

 

[telectrix]

the nuts are brill. as for the earthing into a metal box, i'd always fit a earthing nut or banjo with a fly lead. reason being, once had a high Z on a feed cable to park home. cable was glanded properly but there was no continuity between box and earth bar inside. even though the earth bare was bolted to the casing, and paint removed at the sWA gland. Z reading came down from 100 ohms to 1.0 ohms .belt and braces.

 

[richy3333]

Agree with Tel. Always a fly lead. The nuts have a locking grub screw and a screw for a fly lead to MET etc.

 

[Ampo]

Thanks all I'll grab some then. Yes I did mean earth lead, gland goes without saying but yes we've all seen them without! I'll fly lead on db end and then use them to bridge plastic boxes
Cheers for the help chaps

 

[JK-Electrical]

Earthing nuts are a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned. I've been using them for several years and will never go back to using banjos.

 

[davesparks]

. I'm think of using these where I come in and out of the plastic socket amd plastic enclosures to bridge instead of comprising ip rating with a banjo.

Using a banjo correctly at a plastic enclosure doesn't affect the IP rating.
It will only affect it if you use it the same way as you would with a metal enclosure whether the bolt passes through the enclosure wall, this is wrong in a plastic enclosure as the plastic will flex/deform over time and loosen the connection. IF using a banjo in a plastic box the banjo must be trapped between two locknuts on the insideof the enclosure and the flylead bolted to the bajo only.

 

[pc1966]

The earth nuts have at least two big advantages. First for plastic you can tighten sensibly with the "teeth" side to the plastic, not enough to not to crack it of course, and then lock using the set screw in the nut so it won't come free.

Secondly for metal boxes that are tarnished or painted you can again use the "teeth" to scrape the surface clean, then ideally remove and reverse the nut so you have a big contact area if high fault currents are possible. Again it is locked with the set screws once tight.

Using an earth lead is always a good idea (even with banjo) unless you are really sure the box-nut contact will remain in good electrical condition, and the box itself is going to be up to the fault currents possible.
[automerge]1584542238[/automerge]
Also if you need to seal stuff don't use the normal silicone that gives off acetic acid (vinegar smell) but use one that is safe against corrosion such as this one:

RS PRO White Sealant Paste 100 g Tube | RS

uk.rs-online.com

 

[davesparks]

Using an earth lead is always a good idea (even with banjo) unless you are really sure the box-nut contact will remain in good electrical condition, and the box itself is going to be up to the fault currents possible.

I'm pretty sure the instructions for earhjijg nuts state that an earth flylead must always be used

 

[davesparks]

Earthing nuts also give you a much better nut to screw the gland into than the bog-roll thin locknuts you get these days.

 

[Ampo]

Bought em, used em. Big time saver, only time I will use banjos again is if I'm onsite and dont have the earth nuts, otherwise im sold

 

[ipf]

Secondly for metal boxes that are tarnished or painted you can again use the "teeth" to scrape the surface clean, then ideally remove and reverse the nut so you have a big contact area if high fault currents are possible. Again it is locked with the set screws once tight.

I don't agree with that, at all. They are made for the teeth to 'dig' for a good earth contact, quite satisfactory for fault currents and a much better contact.

 

[pc1966]

I don't agree with that, at all. They are made for the teeth to 'dig' for a good earth contact, quite satisfactory for fault currents and a much better contact.

I have not seen it on the instructions (not looks in last month or two) but it was mentioned about 2 minutes in to this video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TRUYojHmw4