Armored cabling.

[sparky40]

Hi all, just wondering if anyone can tell me the difference between x.p.l.e and non x.p.l.e please ???? Is it the fact that non xple has steel wired armour, and the other has a high impact plastic outer core ?
Thanks for your time and help.

 

[sparky40]

Sorry, but i forgot to mention the fact that i am looking into current carrying capacities, and this has become relevant when looking them up, maybe one is thermosetting and one thermoplastic ?
Thanks again.

 

[plugwash]

PVC is thermoplastic and has a rated safe maximum temperature of 70 celsius, XPLE is thermosetting and has a rated safe maximum core temperature of 90 celsius. So XPLE cable of a size can safely run at higher current than PVC cable of the same size but ONLY if the terminations etc are also rated for the higher temperature.

in reality with SWA except at huge sizes or very short runs you tend to find volt drop or disconnect times the dominant issue anyway so using XPLE becomes pretty pointless.

 

[sparky40]

Cheers Plugwash.

 

[Lectrician]

And XLPE is easier to strip

The wholesalers usually stock XLPE - So it's the cheapest for us to get....

It's XLPE - not XPLE! (cross-linked-polyethylene)

 

[plugwash]

XPLE is quite a hard plastic so it strips very neatly provided the wire inside is strong enough, if it isn't (as i found with 1.5mm XPLE SWA) its a nightmare to strip.

 

[Lectrician]

Well in all my time, I have never come across XPLE - And it has the same characteristics as XLPE?

 

[jeepmadmike]

i havent seen any new pvc swa for ages didn't think it was still produced! PVC is easier to strip important when you've got lots to scrap.