Earthing SWA Armour at Point A or B?

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Spark123]

Couldn't code it, you chaps got any ideas? (not 134.1.1)

I wouldn't class metal against plastic a sound electrical connection.

 

[VanSolo]

If I remember correctly this was a join made to relocate a socket or fcu and not installed deliberately like this. It ran horizontally about 8ft up and had originally dropped down to a socket. The cable had been pulled up, joined, then the socket had been relocated further along the wall.(I could see where the wallplugs had been). The job was actually very neat to look at, well cleated to the wall and did not look like a lash up. Conductors marked correctly and terminations good, but for some minor issues I thought it was a reasonable job.
Holmslaw, could you explain some of these plastic/metal issues on an indoor installation or did you assume it was outdoor because of the brickwork?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I assumed that.

But my assumption came before your information that it was indoors.

 

[Spark123]

I still don't like it, for the amount of extra work it would have taken to put an extra locknut in it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As it was indoors there was no excuse not to put the banjos on the outside nice and flat, and drill through the box...

 

[Spark123]

I don't like that idea either as it is still metal against plastic, it would have been easier to use a metal adaptable box.

 

[VanSolo]

Probably because of the size and design of the box.
Spark 123, I agree on that, and it would have been better in a bigger metal box but it's still ok.
God knows why I'm defending it.
It's not my work and I wouldn't have done it like that.
But I did drag the photo up

 

[Spark123]

I won't defend it - I am 100% against relying on a soft material like plastic to secure a protective conductor against.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The armour is not a protective conductor here...

 

[Spark123]

The armour should still be properly earthed.

 

[333rocky333]

I won't defend it - I am 100% against relying on a soft material like plastic to secure a protective conductor against.

I agree too, also the reason for the grubscrew on Earthing nuts, so they can be used on plastic boxes.
Washers on the brass bolt would be nice too.

 

[1john]

i have never come across a galv box that hasn't rusted or is starting to rust, especially where the locknut and gland have been tightened and where the lid screws have been tightened. At least with a plastic box you can get a good squeeze on the connection and the locknuts tend to have a slight point toward one side on the ends of the hex points which can bite into the PVC. All entitled to our own opinions though i suppose. That box however could have been installed better, but i couldnt mention it on a PIR.

 

[Darkness]

The reason I didn't want to use a galv box was because of no room to put it as various conduit lengths are in the way. I have room to run the 16mm 3-core swa to the cu though but none for the galv box. (top access entry btw)

Is it ok to use a piranha locknut like Spark123 mentioned in my case to replace the galv box even though it seems some folk are not happy with mixing brass with plastic?

Cheers.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You're going to gland 16mm² SWA into a plastic CU?

Good luck with that!