Wires inside a cable - questioning

[Gaogier]

First thing, I have taken heavy painkillers, I am tired, and I am autistic, I may and often do blabber on. I will try hard not to.

Okay.

I have watched many YouTube videos about all aspects of the trades, I have even used, or seen people do in real life, but I have always wanted to know, when someone lays wire, first fixing? They often lay down a grey cable with 3 sets of copper wire, 2 are sleeved one brown and one blue, they then cut off sleeves for the bare copper wire and put the wire in the sleeve. I also know you can get the same cables but all are sleeved. I think they are called something like 2 core and earth and 3 core cables.

Questions being is this just a money saving thing, does it make it easier to install if the earth has no sleeves?

Why do we have these cables? What are the pro and cons?

thank you.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I have watched many YouTube videos about all aspects of the trades, I have even used, or seen people do in real life, but I have always wanted to know, when someone lays wire, first fixing? They often lay down a grey cable with 3 sets of copper wire, 2 are sleeved one brown and one blue, they then cut off sleeves for the bare copper wire and put the wire in the sleeve. I also know you can get the same cables but all are sleeved. I think they are called something like 2 core and earth and 3 core cables.

All correct.

Questions being is this just a money saving thing, does it make it easier to install if the earth has no sleeves?

Why do we have these cables? What are the pro and cons?

It's a British thing. I don't think anyone really knows.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

To comment on your questions below the post I have a wolfcraft drill press that takes my normal bosch corded drill and was bought at a car boot for only £2 so if you go to car boots keep on the lookout
this is the sort of thing I mean(and is in fact the one I have)

local gumtree and facebook marketplace are sources to be checked as well. I have a lidl air compresser that lives in side on of my kitchen cupboards that I repurposed for use in my shed/worlshop so 3ft by 2ft is generous!

and this dowel jig I found on my local FB marketplace

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if you look at the pic of the box it has the original price on it and machine mart stock clarke

 

[flameport]

Why do we have these cables?

T&E cables are made down to a price, designed to be cheap crap used in bulk everywhere.

Other much better wiring systems already exist, and can be used if people are prepared to pay for them - which they often are not.

 

[SUNRAY]

All correct.


It's a British thing. I don't think anyone really knows.

The French too.

 

[ericmark]

The original lead cable the shelve was used as the earth when the grey lead was replaced with PVC they are made it grey, but the rubber they had little option it was black.

I suppose the Ali-tube cable did the same, but it only seems to be used for fire alarms. Mineral is very good, but it needs skill to install.

 

[securespark]

T&E cables are made down to a price, designed to be cheap crap used in bulk everywhere.

Not all T&E is cheap crap and it isn't used everywhere.

Other much better wiring systems already exist, and can be used if people are prepared to pay for them - which they often are not.

Apart from MICC, which are they? And are they suited to domestic installation?

 

[SUNRAY]

T&E cables are made down to a price, designed to be cheap crap used in bulk everywhere.

I assume you are referring to the cheap crap that has been in use very successfully and safely for a mere 8 decades or more

 

[FrodoOne]

I have watched many YouTube videos about all aspects of the trades, I have even used, or seen people do in real life, but I have always wanted to know, when someone lays wire, first fixing? They often lay down a grey cable with 3 sets of copper wire, 2 are sleeved one brown and one blue, they then cut off sleeves for the bare copper wire and put the wire in the sleeve. I also know you can get the same cables but all are sleeved. I think they are called something like 2 core and earth and 3 core cables.

Questions being is this just a money saving thing, does it make it easier to install if the earth has no sleeves?

Why do we have these cables? What are the pro and cons?

If you look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring
you will see the "Colours" of the insulation on the cable conductors used in most countries of the world
and
the countries where Bare Copper "Earth" conductors are still used/allowed.

These countries include the UK
(although it included with the EU in this list [where Bare Copper is no longer allowed] )
South Africa,
Canada,
The United States,
Mexico,
Central America
and much of South America.

In my opinion, the need for sleeving "exposed" Bare Copper outweighs any small extra "cable costs" involved in cable manufacture
where the "Earth" is also insulated to the same standard as the Current Carrying conductors.
(Sleeving of the exposed "Bare Copper" is NOT done in the United States, Canada etc.)

In addition, the use of "Solid" copper conductors (above 1.0² mm [CSA]) up to 2.5² mm (CSA)
instead of slightly dearer "stranded" conductors of the same size
makes installing such cables more difficult and time consuming.

While they are available (usually, on "special order")
no cables with "solid" conductors larger than 1.0² mm [CSA] are generally available for sale in Australia/New Zealand,
because the "users" realize that the "flexibility" of "stranded" conductor cables makes them much easier to install.
This saves time (and effort), which outweighs the small additional cost of such "Stranded" conductor cables.

 

[robinbanks]

What would be the point in sleeving the earth wire all the way through the cable? What benefit would it confer?

 

[JohnD]

The G&Y cover in T&E is an identifier.

 

[bernardgreen]

A bare Earth conductor does cater for damage to the insulation of the Live and / or Neutral conductors in the cable by providing a path to Earth without the need for any insulation on the Earth conductor to be damaged as well.

 

[SUNRAY]

no cables with "solid" conductors larger than 1.0² mm [CSA] are generally available for sale in Australia/New Zealand,
because the "users" realize that the "flexibility" of "stranded" conductor cables makes them much easier to install.
This saves time (and effort), which outweighs the small additional cost of such "Stranded" conductor cables.

WHAT?