When can you use connector blocks

[kendor]

Ken, I really think you should go back to college and do some serious education, you obviously know nothing about what your trying to talk about if you feel you know more than the entire Engineering and Scientific communities of the entire planet.

As long as it's not the college you went to! as they did a terrible job with you,
as for knowing more than everyone else I think that comment applies to you,To come out with that comment about everyone on the planet is a very poor way of trying to divert attention from the fact that it is you that tries to baffle everyone with hogwash, you waffle on with your replies and most of the time it's completely irrelevent to the subject in hand, only proving that you have read something somewhere and try to make out to all and sundry that you have the slightest clue as to what you are talking about.

 

[broadway]

Back to the original topic of connectors, I have only seen illustrations where connector blocks have been used to connect a light fitting or in a box.

Are there other places they can be used?
e.g. to connect cable in a loft or ceiling.

Should they be used as a mini junction box?

 

[securespark]

Can be, but have to be enclosed

Somebody makes a plastic "chocbox" to enclose these terminal blocks and they have cord grips too.

 

[broadway]

Thanks secure,

I suspected as much, most guides only cover how to install a straightforward installation. Once things start getting compicated it is difficult to know what is the best way.

For information the wiring I was looking at was in a suspended ceiling and this is the junction box. Live and switch feeds at the top, 3 pvc feeds extending out to the lights and 1 lamphholder feed direct to the junction vox.

I know it could be improved, but lack the experience to know all the faults or the easiest way to improve and rationaise the wiring.

I assume it acceptable to run PVC cable for a metre or tow along the joists from the junction box.

 

[securespark]

There's nothing to stop you using brown junction boxes all round. I can't remember your initial post (were you putting in selv lighting?) If so, you can get brown 4T JB's that are just 59mm dia. Or you can use terminal blocks as long as they are enclosed in choc boxes. Also note that selv connections should also be enclosed, even if they are hidden in voids.

Your earth connections in the jb in the piccy need to be correctly sleeved (green/yellow) and terminated in a screw terminal, not just twisted together.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Your earth connections in the jb in the piccy need to be correctly sleeved (green/yellow) and terminated in a screw terminal, not just twisted together.

Or even connected at the unused terminal in the JB.

Ideally that switched live should be sleeved in red, or marked with red tape.

Shouldn't be difficult to do both those things when you tidy up that rats nest.

 

[Big_Spark]

I assume it acceptable to run PVC cable for a metre or tow along the joists from the junction box.

Only if :

1) The cable is rated sufficiently for the task at hand,

2) You connect the Earth cores to the Earth's of the supply cables. The others have pointed out you need to put the Earth's into a terminal and Sleeved, but have not noticed ther Earth's in the Flexible cables has been cut off. I hope you didn't do that!!

 

[securespark]

Sorry everybody, I meant screw terminal within the jb (thought that went without saying, but have to be clear I suppose!)

 

[broadway]

Thanks for the replies.

Six lovely big holes in the ceiling to get access so fitting junction boxes is no problem! I didn't know about choc block connectors, I looked in a set of Ring selv lights and they had connectors for the transformer wires. I was a bit surprised at the time and this was partly the reason for the original post.

I didn't do the wiring or cut off the earths I assume that the lights and ceiling were done professionally for the previous owners as the kitchen units are not a diy make.

One final thing, when connecting to a fitting that requires no earth how do you deal with the wire? After the earth is cut back, does it need insulating and with what?

 

[AdamW]

I think it would be a bad idea to cut the earth back in case someone needs it in the future. Personally I would sleeve it with earth sleeving, then put a single width of chock block on the end and tuck it out of the way.

For future purposes that means if someone comes along with a fitting that does require earth then it is there already.

 

[securespark]

You could also wrap a bit of insulating tape round it so there's no chance of it touching something it shouldn't.

 

[plugwash]

where there is no earth at all on the fitting is it compiant to put on a long bit of sleeving and then put a hard bend in the earh to the sleeving cannot come off