External Socket

[Steve]

"Female adaptor with bush". I like the sound of that.

i'd rather have one without, if its all the same . . .

i think thats the right part to use anyway, i've never done conduit work TBH.

 

[Monkeysoon]

I hear you crafty. About the conduit boxes though - surely they aren't going to be waterproof for the same reason! Cable coming into the back. You might as well do it straight into the socket.

 

[Steve]

AFAIK, plastic conduit outside doesn't HAVE to be waterproof - its main function outdoors is to protect the cable from the elements (UV light mostly). If you enter the socket from below, it needn't be waterproof, but you should try your best to make it so, and drill a tiny weeping hole in the bottom of the conduit box.

If you enter from above, it must be waterproof, and you should also drill a small weeping hole in the bottom of the socket.

 

[sparkybird]

Hi Monkey

Not sure if you've fitted the socket yet, but the way you described it half way into the post is exactly how I did mine - ie using short bit of conduit with 90 bend. I pushed the conduit as far back into the hole through the wall as I could and used a pile of sealant around it.
so far, so good..

SB

 

[JohnD]

I've just purchased a Masterseal and I cannot believe these geniuses at MK or wherever haven't considered a scenario where someone might, just might, want to spur from an internal socket straight into the back of an external socket - ie the shortest most efficient route! After all there is no blanking plate in the back of the mounting box. ...

I just had a look at the Crabtree equivalent. It has 2 x 20mm screw-in holes at the top, and 2 x 25mm at the bottom. As delivered these all have screw-in plugs fitted. On the back it has a 20mm knock-out (I presume no screw thread there)

I suppose you would use some kind of gland in the back if you don't mind making the hole in the wall a bit roomy.

It also has the drain-hole points marked on the back.

 

[Monkeysoon]

Cheers for all the advice guys and gals (assuming sparkybird is a gal). All options considered t I think the best method must be to find an IP56 socket that does have knockout plates (Crabtree?) at the back, use a compression gland and just make the outside of the hole a bit bigger for the gland to tuck back into. This will enable the socket to be screwed flush to the wall and I can always put some sealant along the top to make doubly sure.

Cheers for all your help - this forum's awesome.

One more thing!! I thought compression glands only work if the knockout hole has a thread? Can you get glands without threads? Assuming the socket knockout I buy doesn't have a thread.

 

[Spark123]

Use a locknut

 

[plugwash]

most compression glands i've seen come with a nut intended for the back of the hole (usually the entire gland including the nut is plastic)

 

[Monkeysoon]

In which case whats the point in having the knockout hole threaded in the first place?

 

[plugwash]

hmm, i don't think i've ever seen a threaded knockout hole (conduit box holes are threaded but then there isn't really anywhere to put a nut on those).

 

[RF Lighting]

hmm, i don't think i've ever seen a threaded knockout hole (conduit box holes are threaded but then there isn't really anywhere to put a nut on those).

IIRC the old MK external switches used to have a threaded knockout in the top.

Commando sockets have threaded 'knockouts'