Visual cable sizing
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6mm twin has solid earth
10mm twin has stranded earth
failing that, its usually obvious for most sizes if you work with them often
10mm twin has stranded earth
failing that, its usually obvious for most sizes if you work with them often
PC Electrics
Well-known member
4mm t&e has a 1.5mm solid cpc, 6mm has 2.5. You should be able to tell the difference between the cpcs.
As Andy mentioned 10mm t&e has a stranded 4mm cpc.
If you want to ID imperial cables, use my guide (and your caliper):
http://www.talk.electricianforum.co.uk/downloads.php?do=file&id=63
---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 22:47 ---------- Previous post was at 22:45 ----------
Oh, and you could try looking at the cable markings along the sheath, most cables have had the size imprinted for some years now, eg 2x4+1.5 means 4mmt&e.
As Andy mentioned 10mm t&e has a stranded 4mm cpc.
If you want to ID imperial cables, use my guide (and your caliper):
http://www.talk.electricianforum.co.uk/downloads.php?do=file&id=63
---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 22:47 ---------- Previous post was at 22:45 ----------
Oh, and you could try looking at the cable markings along the sheath, most cables have had the size imprinted for some years now, eg 2x4+1.5 means 4mmt&e.
As the others have said , if you can't always gauge the cable size by looking , tywrap a bunch of off-cuts with the sizes labled and use as comparison . Another rule of thumb is to try a crimp lug ( the proper marked up ones I mean)
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Alternatively, buy a cheap pair of wire strippers that do 0.75-6mm csa and use them as a guide - you could even use them for stripping the cable !
will come with experience. sparks would normally have a good eye for such a thing. 1mm and 1.5mm where perhaps the hardest ever to gauge as only .5mm in it. never had a prob with any other and 1.0mm isn't used anymore anyway but should be making its way back soon.
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[quote name='Lee
[quote name='Lee
[quote name='Lee
[quote name='Lee
The technical 'improvements' with the insulation recently makes it tricky to gauge the diameter as they all look smaller.
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Armoured is not so easy was doing a job yesterday thought I had put in three core core 4mm but was actually 3 core 2.5 but was only to power some cctv gear so not likely to be overloaded. Not always easy to spot size on cable either.
most SWA has it stamped on the side
The insulation hasnt improved it is the method of application which has improved dramaticaly, extruder machines are now fine tuned to apply just enough insulate to just meet specification and i mean just.
A good example of this is Prysmian twin and earth, where the outer sheath has been thinned down so much the cable shape when viewed end on resembles the figuire eight as opposed to a smooth oval. Also the outer sheath is now skin coloured ie.the colour is only applied to the outer of the sheath the inner being virgin pvc.
These so called improvements were made to save money as you would expect, and cables have, as all experianced sparks will tell you, they have all become skinnier!
On smaller sized cables i would check the conductor to determine size rather than core or outer sheath.
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How the hell do you "snap" 1mm twin and earth?
I've been using it for 30 years and never managed it yet .........
I've been using it for 30 years and never managed it yet .........
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I have been using Prysmian in the cold weather it seems to work better than PX cables probably because the insulation is thinner then.
in all honesty same as me, used 1mm a heck of a lot, and always find it strong enough, although i do support the cables and tape together if more than one cable entering a connection, in pairs of cables.
