ATOM T&E with white sheath

[frank999]

One of my builders has a number of rolls of ATOM 1.5 and 2.5 T&E he wants to move on, all seems to BS - but made in Turkey, and with a white Sheathing.

A thread gives some info on this:

Atom Kablo brand

Good people, I have recently bought some "Atom Kablo" 2.5 t+e cable from TLC to wire up my house. :!: Do any of you have an opinion of this brand :?: I've never seen it before so I'm tempted to megger it on the drum before I spend a couple of days burying it around the house...

www.diynot.com

Would a Sparky question the use of White Sheathed T&E in an installation ?

 

[pete01]

Its Low smoke cable, yes you can use it, not generally used in domestic, but nothing wrong with using it.

Edit.. I've never heard of the brand, maybe others have?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I remember there being issues with this Turkish cable about 10 years ago due to copper content. Google ATOM KABLO PROBLEMS and have a read about some of the history.
One forum member posted "their BASEC licence was revoked for shoddy cable"

They may be perfectly fine now, I wouldn't go there myself.

EDIT: read this from 2010

11 million metres of cable recalled from the UK market Recall | Electrical Safety First

The 11 million metres of cable recalled from the UK market has been recalled. This product may have safety issues or dangerous defects.

www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

 

[ebee]

Historically, going back years ago, in my area and further then grey T & E was considered proper and white sheathed was considered DIY. However in some other areas the reverse was true. In essence it was really more of a personal choice. However yes I do remember the issue with some Turkish cable a few years back

 

[bernardgreen]

From 2017 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41391343

Atlas Kablo, a now-defunct Turkish company, had sold 11 million metres of cable that posed a potential fire risk in the UK.

If it is marked Atom Kablo ( or cable ) then it might be re-branded or re-labeled Atlas Kablo product that slipped through the recall.

 

[Risteard]

Plenty of cable is manufactured in Turkey, and plenty of it is fine. As stated this is low smoke zero halogen (LS0H) cable.

 

[flameport]

Plenty of cable is manufactured in Turkey, and plenty of it is fine.

That may be, but I won't be using any of it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Historically, going back years ago, in my area and further then grey T & E was considered proper and white sheathed was considered DIY. However in some other areas the reverse was true. In essence it was really more of a personal choice. However yes I do remember the issue with some Turkish cable a few years back

Around here, white was almost exclusively used by our local electricity board, when they did domestic installations.

 

[plugwash]

Before harmonised colours, regular PVC T&E was available in both white and grey. In some areas white was regared as "DIY" because the DIY sheds stocked white while the wholesalers stocked grey. That doesn't mean white cable was bad in and of itself though, just that if an electrican saw white cable they might have a greater expectation of seeing DIY bodges.

When harmonised colours came along someone decided that PVC T&E would be grey, and white would be reserved for LSF T&E. I don't know if that was actually written into standards though, or if it was just something cable manufacturers agreed on.

 

[flameport]

One of my builders has a number of rolls of ATOM 1.5 and 2.5 T&E he wants to move on,

Weight it in for scrap.

Using cable that has even a suggestion of being dubious simply isn't worth it.

 

[securespark]

In the 80s and 90s in Manchester (at least), white cable was sold to DIY and only grey in wholesalers. None of this early white cable was LS0H.

Someone I knew in East Anglia had the opposite: white in wholesalers and grey for retail, DIY.

There also seemed to be a North/ South divide in the world of plaster: up here it was pink and down South it was grey.
It still is pink up here but don't know if pink is used elsewhere now?

I once saw grey being used in a house in Stockport: the plasterers were from down South.

 

[crystal ball]

In the 80s and 90s in Manchester (at least), white cable was sold to DIY and only grey in wholesalers. None of this early white cable was LS0H.

Someone I knew in East Anglia had the opposite: white in wholesalers and grey for retail, DIY.

There also seemed to be a North/ South divide in the world of plaster: up here it was pink and down South it was grey.
It still is pink up here but don't know if pink is used elsewhere now?

I once saw grey being used in a house in Stockport: the plasterers were from down South.

Further North back in the 80s plaster was grey, finish, bonding, etc now it is pink

 

[ebee]

one coat plaster is often white (ish) too

 

[Taylortwocities]

Further North back in the 80s plaster was grey, finish, bonding, etc now it is pink

Everything is grey, Further north!

 

[crystal ball]

It is today