Questions Regarding Cable Termination

[disinfo]

Yesterday, I was labouring for an electrician on an install at my place of work.

I have a few doubts about the job.

The install was to provide a supply into a server room for two 5000W UPS's and also a supply for a 20A single phase air-con unit.

The electrician used 16mm 3core SWA for the servers and 6mm 3core SWA for the aircon.

Firstly , The SWA was glanded in at the server room side, however not glanded at the supplying DB side, reason given was because it was too difficult to drill into the underside of the board (Metal Memera Unit) due to its distance from a fixed cupboard below.

Secondly, Ceeform sockets were provided in the server room and leads were made up from 6mm SY cable to connect to the UPS. No gland has been used at the UPS side to connect to the terminal block (25mm knockout provided) and the SY braid has been cut back at both sides.

I've not seen the bill for the install, but i'm guessing it wasnt cheap.

I'm starting my 2330 this September so am eager to gain experience, however some of this didnt seem right to me but if i'm told otherwise fair enough!.

 

[flameport]

too difficult to drill into the underside of the board (Metal Memera Unit) due to its distance from a fixed cupboard below.

If there is enough space below the board to get a 16mm SWA in, there is plenty of room to get a drill in there. Possibly an angle drill might be needed, but that's no excuse for not fitting the correct gland.
Regardless, the SWA needs to be glanded properly.

the SY braid has been cut back at both sides.

As with the SWA, SY cable needs to be terminated with the correct glands. What was the reason for using SY cable anyway?

 

[disinfo]

If there is enough space below the board to get a 16mm SWA in, there is plenty of room to get a drill in there. Possibly an angle drill might be needed, but that's no excuse for not fitting the correct gland.
Regardless, the SWA needs to be glanded properly.

Thanks, I thought so too. Even if he was struggling to get a drill in, he could have easily used something like a hole punch.

As with the SWA, SY cable needs to be terminated with the correct glands. What was the reason for using SY cable anyway?

What would you do at the ceeform plug side though, i'm presuming you can't gland into those. I've seen another post on this forum which suggests undoing the braid and putting it into some earth sleeving then connecting to the earth terminal in the plug.

Matt

 

[disinfo]

Oh, and I have no idea why he used SY.

 

[GaryMo]

What would you do at the ceeform plug side though, i'm presuming you can't gland into those. I've seen another post on this forum which suggests undoing the braid and putting it into some earth sleeving then connecting to the earth terminal in the plug.

Some ceeform plugs have stuffing glands where the cable enters, some just have a cord grip internally.
There's nothing wrong with undoing the braid, sleeving and terminating with the CPC.

 

[ericmark]

On most but not all SY cable you can push the brade which then opens slightly and enlarge a hole with screwdriver and hook the main cable through hole made once done the brade can be pulled to form a plated cable. This is then easy to sleeve and connect.

The correct gland for SY cable are real pain in the neck to use but the Hawk range of glands have reversible rings and work very well with SY cable.

It is common with items which RF may affect to only earth the supply side of the armour. But with AC any core or armour not used to carry current should be earthed to stop capacitance and inductance from inducing a voltage into them.