To torque or not to torque that is z question

[Dustydazzler]

so I need to add 1 mcb to a rather old existing mem consumers unit

I have managed to source the mcb via ‘cough’ eBay ‘cough’

But it doesn’t have the manufacture spec installation instructions manual for correct torque

Should I..
A , contact mem helpline for further information
B , wing it and guess the required torque
C , just use a normal Phillips screwdriver and let my wrist do the torquing

Thought ?

 

[freddo]

Modern products are so poorly designed and constructed, as well as being made of poor quality materials that torque levels are specified only so that the user doesn't over tighten the weedy, crappy little parts and cause damage.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Might be nothing to do with connection, just a faulty unit.
Might be nothing to do with the driver, wrongly positioned cable.

Sales people haven't been trying to s*** you up, have they?

No, tutor. He pointed out that if you don't torque to manufacturer's specs, then it isn't installed to manufacturer's specs, therefore the manufacturer can wash their hands if it goes tit5.

As you rightly point out, could be a faulty unit, but then you're relying on forensic examination proving that. We see poor workmanship in our own industry all the time, can you be sure the same can't be said of other professions?

 

[ipf]

No, tutor. He pointed out that if you don't torque to manufacturer's specs, then it isn't installed to manufacturer's specs, therefore the manufacturer can wash their hands if it goes tit5.

How's that going to be proved?
Don't be taken in by all the bull****.

 

[Resu]

C for me too.

Torque settings were mentioned when I went in for the 18th. NIC representative reckoned if you over-tightened the breaker you could alter it's trip characteristics.

 

[rolyberkin]

The majority of faulty connections (bordering on fires) I have discovered have been where connections have just not been tightened at all , nothing to do with torque just been forgotten! I do have two torque drivers though, one I won the other I keep breaking the blades for (but that has been covered in another thread!)

 

[Pretty Mouth]

How's that going to be proved?
Don't be taken in by all the bull****.

I don't know, we need some scrote of a lawyer to answer that. I'd assume owning a torque screwdriver would go in your favour, but wouldn't prove conclusively that you'd used it, and that not owning one would probably go against you.

It is bullspit though. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just get on a do the best job we can without all the horsesh1t3 attached to it?

 

[The Ghost]

Personally I do use a torque driver. I am not confident that it is tight enough though when done with it. I find that the terminal is relatively quite "loose" if I can put it like that. Not exactly loose but I have tried feeling how tight it is with a normal screwdriver and you can get another turn without any particular effort. MK told me their sockets should be torqued to 1 which definitely felt loose!

 

[Pete999]

You are the top of the list of 'tool tarts'; go on buy one, keep it in the cupboard.

I had two sets Mate but flogged em

 

[Charlie_]

Would be an interesting exercise to compare one of our torque screwdrivers with say a snap-on torque wrench

 

[Midwest]

That reminds me; must get my set recalibrated or should I just buy another set

 

[Pete999]

That reminds me; must get my set recalibrated or should I just buy another set

I could have sold you one of my sets. Cheap very cheap, probably going to get lots of "Old" comments, but how come when there weren't all these boil in the bag Electricians, torque screwdrivers weren't a requirement? answer far better trained and experienced electricians in those pre Boil in the Bag days, in my opinion, I know it's an old gripe but the old ones are usually the best ones.

 

[Midwest]

I could have sold you one of my sets. Cheap very cheap, probably going to get lots of "Old" comments, but how come when there weren't all these boil in the bag Electricians, torque screwdrivers weren't a requirement? answer far better trained and experienced electricians in those pre Boil in the Bag days, in my opinion, I know it's an old gripe but the old ones are usually the best ones.

Before all these boil in bag electricians were around, in my early years, we only had one ‘Megger’ between the lot of us, and didly squat other testing devices.

Which is the best approach?

 

[Charlie_]

And trying to find the fault before running out of fuse wire

 

[telectrix]

I find all this torque somewhat strange, we never had torque info' or tools pushed onto us back in the day, we just learnt what was about right and I have yet to return to any job because I under or over tightened a cable termination.
Is this just another money spinning exercise by the industry or do we really have masses of professionals Electrical Trainee's making bad terminations?

corrected that 4 U.

 

[telectrix]

grab cable with mole grips pull with all your strength, if it comes out, it's too loose. ssssimplesss.