Alternatives to round JBs ?

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SimonH2

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After thoughts before I "bung some round JBs in" ...

Starting upstairs, and want to allow for wall lights etc. I'm no fan of taking everything to the light switch as that means a horrible mess of wiring stuff into the back of a rather small space.
So my plan was a 6 way JB in an accessible location (as it happens, the main purlins are in a convenient place) - loop in and out, droppers to the switch, and runs out to the lights.

I've already got some 6 way round black JBs, but I find they aren't ideal - quickly "fill up" if you are in the habit of not cutting all cables down to the minimum length that'll reach a terminal. Short of going to a nice large terminal box with some DIN rail stuff, any other suggestions ? I'm also not a great fan of loose terminals (eg Wagos or "chock block") as you can have to tease everything out to do any work if not careful.
 
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It would be much more practical to route and terminate cable ends at the switch and or the light fitting, rather than have JBs in circuit.
If you do require or choose to ignore the above, then you could go down the road of using wago connectors and wago boxes, they generally offer plenty space for cables in the boxes and the wagos connectors are a quite simple application. The wago boxes do require a special fixing block to hang/secure the box!
 
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AndyPRK said:
Are you not using 1.0mm cable?
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Yes
Maybe you need to trim the wires down (but leave cable slack)
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As I say, there's probably an element of me making things hard for myself. I like to leave enough slack that an end can be redone if I cock it up - and who has never managed to (eg) nick a cable while stripping it ? I also tend to be thinking (probably far too much) about "what if I want to move that core to another terminal ?"

So instead of taking each core the shortest length to the terminal, I tend to take it to the far side of the terminal - which quickly fills the JB up.

As an aside, I do really hate people who leave no slack when there's no excuse not to. Some years ago I had to replace a bathroom light fitting in the flat*. Every core was cut exactly to length, and there was no slack cable in the ceiling which would have been easy to leave. As a result, not a single core would reach the terminals in the new fitting and they all had to be extended. Whoever was responsible for that would have had a burning sensation in his ears that day :rolleyes:

* Replacing an open pendant which was probably technically just OK according to the zones but was definitely not out of reach from the bath, with an IPsomething or other closed fitting.
 
SimonH2 said:
* Replacing an open pendant which was probably technically just OK according to the zones
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It either is or isn't.
'Technically just ok' IS ok.

but was definitely not out of reach from the bath, with an IPsomething or other closed fitting.
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That is not a consideration in the regulations.

Daft you may think it, but not a reason for changing.
 
EFLImpudence said:
It either is or isn't.
'Technically just ok' IS ok.
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Agreed, but it was so close that it needed careful measuring.
Daft you may think it, but not a reason for changing.
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I know, but I wasn't leaving it like that - regardless of regs, common sense said it wasn't "a good arrangement",
You wouldn't stick your fingers in it while stood in the bath, I wouldn't, I don't think anyone in here would - but who knows what tenants will do (and then try to blame the landlord) :rolleyes:
From the "CYA" school of risk management :confused:
 
EFLImpudence said:
SimonH2 said:
* Replacing an open pendant which was probably technically just OK according to the zones, but was definitely not out of reach from the bath, with an IPsomething or other closed fitting.
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That is not a consideration in the regulations.
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That is true.
EFLImpudence said:
Daft you may think it, but not a reason for changing.
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I don't really agree with that. If I felt that compliance with 'daft' regulations left me with a situation which I regarded as potentially dangerous, I think that would count as 'a reason for changing' (even though not necessary for regulatory compliance)!

Kind Regards, John
 
EFLImpudence said:
JohnW2 said:
[ (even though not necessary for regulatory compliance)!
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That's what I meant.
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I assumed you probably did, but you'd already made that point - and I was merely pointing out that if one personally feels that compliance with regulations leaves a hazard, then that is a perfectly good (personal), and IMO laudable, 'reason for changing'.

Kind Regards, John
 
Just been looking at this a bit more now I'm getting a bit closer - and I don't think a Wagobox will take enough terminals.
To my reckoning, I'd be putting 5xT&E and 2x3C&E into one box. It'll need 1x2way, 3x4way, ax6way, and 1x8way blocks. As I read it, the blocks will add up to 91mm total width - which is more than twice the depth available in the box.

According to http://cpc.farnell.com/wago/wagobox/box-junction/dp/CN12369?Ntt=CN12369 the external height is 44mm, so the internal height will be somewhat less.

I also think it would be quite a struggle to get all the cables lined up - as opposed to dealing with them one at a time.

Anyone used the connectors with a different (larger) box ?

Or have I missed something ?
 
SimonH2 said:
I also think it would be quite a struggle to get all the cables lined up - as opposed to dealing with them one at a time. ... Anyone used the connectors with a different (larger) box ?
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I've used both Wagos and connector blocks in any number of types of plastic enclosure. Provided it's accessible (as you said it would be), and the cables are clipped to something or otherwise 'restrained' (glands etc.), you can surely use any sort of plastic enclosure (which cannot be opened without a tool) which takes your fancy - there are obviously countless possibilities out there.

Kind Regards, John
 
A double pattress with a blanking plate top makes a handy junction box, either using Wago-type connectors or choc-blocks. If you need something bigger either use two pattresses or move up to an adapative box.

pj
 
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