Why can't T&E be used outdoors?

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I have noticed several posts that state that standard twin and earth is not suitable for outdoor conditions. Why is this?

Everywhere I go I see T&E running along exterior walls to outside lighting, hung from catenary wires feeding outbuildings and from CU's up into lofts feeding showers much of it installed by alleged professionals. Is it a recent requirement?

I can understand if there is a risk of mechanical damage or exposure to direct sunlight. But a carte blanche can't be used out of doors Can someone explain what's behind it please.
 
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The sheath is not external grade and will suffer (quite quickly) from element damage.

* UV makes sheath brittle
* Rain adds moisture
* Cold / ice and snow are below use temperature
* High sunlight and very warm days will also cause damage

Plain and simply the design of TE was never intended for external use.

The sheath has no impact protection and mechanical damage runs a high risk of shock.

If used in external locations, the cable must be kept dry and must be barrier protected via conduit or trunking that is suitable for the installation environment.
 
Thanks Chri5

What I was wondering was has T&E changed recently?(apart from the colours)

When I lived with my parents some 20 years ago, they had their house rewired by the East Midlands Electricity Board and they installed copious quantities of naked T&E on the outside walls to the outside lights and overhead to the garage and shed. It's still there and the sheath appears unscathed, perhaps a little faded despite all that the British weather throws at it.

So. is it only new T&E that's not suitable, or has it never been and was wrongly installed on outside walls by countless electricians for the past 40 years or so.
 
I have 25 yr old white T&E on a catenary feeding my garage. It looks OK, but it's lost its flexibility and I'm pretty sure it would crack if I were to bend it. Exposure to the elements has certainly taken its toll.

(There's a coil of HiTuf waiting to replace it when I get the time!)
 
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stem said:
I have noticed several posts that state that standard twin and earth is not suitable for outdoor conditions. Why is this?

Because this happens to it.....


UVTE.jpg



uvTE1.jpg
 
* Cold / ice and snow are below use temperature
* ...very warm days will also cause damage
Better to keep T&E out of attics then?

Attics should fall below ambient air temperature during cloudless winter nights if they are insulated to current building regulations. Radiation from roofs to space can exceed the convection from ambient air. The surface temperature than falls below ambient; that's why your car gets covered in condensation.

Attics do get hotter than ambient air during hot summer days. Radiation from sunlight is absorbed by the roof that has to increase in temperature until it can radiate or convect the excess heat to the surrounding air.
 
Interesting pictures

624Y Twin & Earth PVC Cable BS6004 A05VVH4-U
Standard: BS6004 Electric cables. PVC insulated, nonarmoured cables for voltages up to and including 450/750V, for electric power, lighting and internal wiring.

624B Twin & Earth LSZH Cable 300/500V BS7211
Standard: BS7211 Electric cables. Thermosetting insulated, unarmoured cables for voltages up to & including 450/750V, for electric power, lighting & internal wiring, and having low emission of smoke and corrosive gases when affected by fire.

Both types it says "and internal wiring" not "with internal wiring" so although I would agree that not really suitable it would be hard to show it was incorrectly selected when one reads the manufactures web site.

If we look at NYY Cable 600/1000V to VDE0271/0276
Applications: Energy cables for use in open air, underground, indoors and in cable ducts

By comparing it becomes apparent that twin and earth is not designed for use in open air or it would say so.

510.2 Every item of equipment shall be selected and erected so as to allow compliance with the regulations stated in this chapter and the relevant regulations in other parts of BS 7671 and shall take account of manufacturers' instructions.

Clearly when looking at the data when they say "and internal wiring" it means should only be used internal which raises the question what should be done about it when found external? Could one return to an electrician 10 years after doing the work and say "I want this cable replaced FOC as it should not have been used here"? I say 10 years as that is when the first "Electrical Installation Condition Report" (EICR) would be carried out.
After 10 years then I would consider one had left it too late to come back to original electrician and one should be going to guy who did EICR.

With the "house rewired by the East Midlands Electricity Board" then likely the firm still exists but many people do some time as self employed then latter move to cards in and as a result stop paying insurance and so to claim for faulty workmanship years down the line would be a problem.

Although we all offer some form of guarantee to return 10 years after the event would cause all sorts of problems including was it even done by the firm in first place. Today we all fill in the installation or minor works certificate which details our work but 10 years ago that was not the case with many electrical firms.

With the installation or minor works certificate tomorrow we may find people will be claiming for work done incorrectly using the installation or minor works certificate to show it was "Joe Blogs" who did the work and signed it off.

My son has moved home many times since he was self employed including a time in a narrow boat and with such limited storage I would not expect he has a single bit of paperwork from back in the days when self employed. I am sure if some one tried to get him to correct faulty work now they would get very little out of him.

So where twin and earth has been used outside what should the normal man in the street do about it?
 

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