In the specific situation of SWA feeding, say, an outhouse which was going to be TTd (hence SWA armour not be be touchable at the outhouse end), I would have thought that there would be quite a good argument for using a non-metallic gland, otherwise one would have to be careful to ensure that the body of the gland was, and remained, 'untouchable'.
Fair enough - but, particularly if it's indoors, why does one need a 'proper SWA gland' at all if the armour is not to be connected to anything (and needs to be insulated from everything)? - as I see it, it's just a round plastic-sheathed cable which (in it's entity) is going through a hole in an enclosure.
The Armour is still clamped onto the brass threaded portion.
I presume that John is flameport, not me!
Like you John I sometimes struggle to decipher replies that don't refer to anything when a quote is so easy. I still don't understand RFs answer or Flameports for that matter.
Indeed - particularly when someone is referred to by a name different from their forum 'username'
In this case, I think what they are both saying is that the only metal part that would be electrically connected to the SWA armour would be the threaded end, which would be inside the enclosure and therefore not touchable - hence OK for, say, a 'TN-C-S to TT' conversion at an outhouse.That's exactly what I've said, more than once. Although no-one has mentioned it, the only conceivable issue I can think of is finding a way of tidily dealing with (and 'insulating') the cut ends of the armour (which isn't being connected to) - but I don't think that's anything a bit or two of heatshrink or somesuch wouldn't solve.
In the case, say, of a 'TN-C-S conversion', if the downstream end has a metal enclosure, then NO type of 'proper SWA gland' (even flameport's) could be used, since the whole idea of such glands is that they electrically connect the armour to the metal enclosure.
in a place where one really doesn't want an irrelevant earth and a later sparks may see it unlinked and...Indeed - particularly when someone is referred to by a name different from their forum 'username'
Precisely, cut the sheath and the armour in one go and one layer of heavy duty adhesive heatshrink over the cut
Absolutely Right but I've seen all sorts of botches with lumps of paxolin, gaffa tape, plastic reducers etc to insulate a brass gland from a metal box. The nicest is probably a plastic threaded coupler between the gland and the box but all as you and I seem to agree totally unnecessary and silly.
Is that why you added the 'not' to my words you quoted ("... hence not OK for, say, a 'TN-C-S to TT' conversion at an outhouse.")? If so, then, other than for the stupid behaviour of future electricians you elude to, I suspect that most people would be happy for there to be a metal bush connected to an "irrelevant earth" (but nothing else) inside a plastic enclosure.
Indeed. I suspect there is a bit of mystique (and a bit of "I'm a professional electrician so I do things 'properly' ") involved in the use of SWA glands when they aren't necessary.
Interesting. I confess that it would not even have occurred to me to do such tests when the armour was not being 'used for anything' at the downstream end. Do you think many people actually do that?
Interesting question - a couple more "N/A" entries, perhaps? ...
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