Torque Screwdrivers

[revor]

Read an interesting article on using torque screwdrivers to tighten electrical connections. As someone who is very much into doing stuff right I was very much in agreement with what was being said. One snag though  I do not remember ever seeing any recommended torque settings for any electrical equipment whether a plug socket or CB etc. Do they actually exist and if so where are they to be found?

 

[Andy™]

MCB torque is in the MI of the CU. sockets, never really read the instructions tbh

as for tightening them to correct torque... ive often gone a little bit more because it didnt feel tight enough

 

[kerching]

This is, in my opinion, another moot point.

Get some 25 tails

Torque them to the correct setting

Give it a couple of minutes, go for a pee, have a brew, whatever

Come back, give the tails a bit of a tug

They will most likely fall out

Not as bad on MCBs

Jus torquing

 

[kerching]

Always amuses me to see people using torque settings on cordless drills to "torque things up"

 

[steptoe]

I have my little cordless on minimum setting to wind the screrws up to contact,

then I use the armstrong torque-master on them,  jobs a goodun, 

 

[Manator]

In Hospitals we always had to lug all connections and then torque them to the required setting. You were never allowed to just put stranded cable in a connection and (think)assume it was right.

The authorities that exist has left a void, they now go for outside contractors who can do the job but cut corners or are not that worried.

 

[steptoe]

I have seen some electrical installs in hospitals over the last 5 years or so, just HVAC stuff, only one was any good, all the rest were dogs dinners done by muppets

Ive just done a proof test on a cooler room at a new hospital, before it could be commisioned,

had to re-make almost all of the connections again,,,,,   :shakehead

 

[revor]

Interestingly as this thread been running have read a missive from Hager about the new regulation coming (Amendment 3) soon that CU should be of non flammable material or enclosed in a non flammable enclosure. The reason stated is that the London fire service had analysed electrical fires and concluded that those that occurred within CU's was due to the electricians not tightening the connections sufficiently.(Would be interesting to see the stats on this). This for brevity on their part may distort the facts but if what is stated is correct then surely the proper prevention is to ensure that the terminals are designed such that a sound connection is made every time.

 

[Lurch]

Interestingly as this thread been running have read a missive from Hager about the new regulation coming (Amendment 3) soon that CU should be of non flammable material or enclosed in a non flammable enclosure. The reason stated is that the London fire service had analysed electrical fires and concluded that those that occurred within CU's was due to the electricians not tightening the connections sufficiently.(Would be interesting to see the stats on this). This for brevity on their part may distort the facts but if what is stated is correct then surely the proper prevention is to ensure that the terminals are designed such that a sound connection is made every time.

Also interesting to note that over the years after making off hundreds, if not thousands of 25mm² tails into main switches the only ones I have ever had any trouble with have been Hager ones. The most common board manufacturer I have seen overheated tails on is......Hager.

 

[kerching]

My opinion, for what it is worth , bring back screw terminals or bolted lugs, cage terminals are on the whole , carp.

I have seen numerous jobs where the cable is behind the cage and sparking away like a sparking thing

 

[Sharpend]

It strikes me as odd that we are always taught that you don't put a round peg in a square hole, however it would seem no one taught the manufacturers?

What a strange world we live in!!

 

[kerching]

It strikes me as odd that we are always taught that you don't put a round peg in a square hole, however it would seem no one taught the manufacturers?

What a strange world we live in!!

And i believe the most natural,shape for an object to form AND the most economic use of materials for a max area is a circle. So,we have square terminals . I also,think,these terminals are not deep,enough either

Found an old MK 100"A sw out of a consumer unit the othernday,,whilstbrootingbaround innthe garage....TWO,screws per terminal

Just torquing

 

[Lurch]

Found an old MK 100"A sw out of a consumer unit the othernday,,whilstbrootingbaround innthe garage....TWO,screws per terminal

Wouldn't be posting from a mobile device would you? Or did you fall down the stairs and happened to hit send at the bottom?

 

[kerching]

Wouldn't be posting from a mobile device would you? Or did you fall down the stairs and happened to hit send at the bottom?

So funny!

Those that know me understand that at present I have medical issues and sometimes the medication makes it hard to differentiate the space bar on the ipad. This being the least of my problems

Just explaining

 

[Lurch]

Those that know me understand that at present I have medical issues and sometimes the medication makes it hard to differentiate the space bar on the ipad.

I have this problem with mobiles, with no medication. Anything sent from a device with less than 102 full size keys on a proper keyboard from me is usually 'yes', 'no' or 'k'.

 

[Evans Electric]

Never used a torque driver TBH  and I won't be buying one either .  

It does bring to mind however , the bloody awful meter tails  sold by my wholesalers .    The copper is really hard , like solid steel bar .  Stick them in a consumer unit ...... tighten them with two men on a 6ft tommy bar welded to a driver bit ....... bend them & connect into meter ......they are now loose in the CU  .

This stuff remains in perfect shape after being clamped in cage terminals ..I noticed the other day its the Turkish Kablo stuff .

 

[kerching]

I feel i suffer from "fat digit syndrome" and hit the M before i hit the space bar.

Mr Merlot is no help either

 

[IzzyS]

This is, in my opinion, another moot point.

Get some 25 tails

Torque them to the correct setting

Give it a couple of minutes, go for a pee, have a brew, whatever

Come back, give the tails a bit of a tug

They will most likely fall out

Not as bad on MCBs

Jus torquing

:slap  The solution to that problem is "all metal consumer units".  :slap

 

[kerching]

:slap  The solution to that problem is "all metal consumer units".  :slap

Yup, NOneed to tighten connections after Jan 2016......all will be cured my non combustable enclosures!....but only in domestic apparently

 

[Blue Duck]

so every other country in the entire world does not have this problem?

why?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sXYa_qklKPc?feature=oembed