Thinking a bit...

[Dylboy]

Changing the subject slightly.
Sitting with a situation.
Have a FTE cable entering the back of a db and going out the side of same db, but not supplied from this same db. No connections, just in the back and out the side.

So now when the db is isolated, that FTE cable going through the db is live.

Acceptable or not ?

That is interesting as never thought of that it would be live when the board is isolated.

It is used as a through way so perhaps make a sticker to say watch out and then mark the cable ?

I'll try peruse the regs as well.

Something of more than one supply in an enclosure comes to mind


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[Dylboy]

Back in the day when I worked on commercial buildings, we used the pliers to mark the wires, like you do with the marker.

We use make these pretty looking looms with 20/30 maybe even 40 circuit all cable tied together, I wish I could go back and scan those panels to see if there is any problems with heating.

Back then we didn't need labels, the circuit were wired in order from left to right. The circuit one went into the first breaker and the neutral was the first wire on the neutral bar.

Brings back some memories, working with a scaffold behind me to hold all the circuit up in the air, a low impedance buzzer to verify the light and plug circuits when the label came off.

To think back in those days I was only earning R10 per hour, but was still the highest paid person in the company due to the long hours. I have doing this shyt for too long.

Hahaha pliers, guess it worked

I would love to see those scans as well, always curious of the grouping heat factor.

For the low ohm bell test for the labeling would you short the other end to then test your end up make sure it is the circuit ? Trying to picture what you did

R10 an hour now that was a long long time ago haha. Amaizng this inflation stuff... Soon my little one will be in a world where we tip the car guard a R100...



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[GCE]

Changing the subject slightly.
Sitting with a situation.
Have a FTE cable entering the back of a db and going out the side of same db, but not supplied from this same db. No connections, just in the back and out the side.

So now when the db is isolated, that FTE cable going through the db is live.

Acceptable or not ?

There used to be a reg that stated that a DB cannot be used as a drawbox - That was dropped

I would say not allowed as the main switch will not isolate the DB as per 6.6.1.1

6.6.1.1 Each distribution board shall be controlled by a switch-disconnector
(see 6.9.4). The switch-disconnector shall:
a) be mounted in the distribution board or adjacent to the distribution board in
the same room,
b) in the case of the main or first distribution board of an installation, be
labelled as "main switch",
c) in the case of a sub-distribution board, be labelled as "sub-main switch" "or
main switch" if the board is labelled "sub-board…",

[Isetech]

Its called a piezo buzzer, I had it connected to a 9 VDC battery. It was a quick way to identify a light from a plug circuit (back when light had a ballast) from a short circuit (if the wires were twisted together) , by the sound it made. It was a long time ago (around 1988/9). People would walk past and see all the wires over the scaffold and ask how I knew where all the cables had to be connected. It is actually really easy. Working on old machines that dont have labels or wiring diagrams, thats are challenge.


https://za.rs-online.com/web/p/piezo...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Isetech]

Hahaha pliers, guess it worked

I would love to see those scans as well, always curious of the grouping heat factor.

For the low ohm bell test for the labeling would you short the other end to then test your end up make sure it is the circuit ? Trying to picture what you did

R10 an hour now that was a long long time ago haha. Amaizng this inflation stuff... Soon my little one will be in a world where we tip the car guard a R100...



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Back in those days, if you had a pair of Cresent (yellow handle) pliers and a fluke 77, you were the man.

We used the cutter part of the pliers to squeeze a dent into the wire, wire no. 4 would have 4 indents. It was easier than putting the pliers in your pocket, take out a marker.

Wait till you get a job to relocate a factory and you have to strip the machine wiring when they split the machines and then reconnect them again in the new factory. You are faced with brittle wires, no drawings, wire label and machine oil. Once you have dont a few of these you can call yourself an industrial electrician.

There are very few electricians who can do domestic/commercial and industrial. I am sure there are many who think they can. Just remember any fool can wire a DB, connect a plug and light, it doesnt make you an electrician, even if the piece of cardboard states "electrician". Or you have googled how to connect a DB.

[Isetech]

There used to be a reg that stated that a DB cannot be used as a drawbox - That was dropped

I would say not allowed as the main switch will not isolate the DB as per 6.6.1.1

6.6.1.1 Each distribution board shall be controlled by a switch-disconnector
(see 6.9.4). The switch-disconnector shall:
a) be mounted in the distribution board or adjacent to the distribution board in
the same room,
b) in the case of the main or first distribution board of an installation, be
labelled as "main switch",
c) in the case of a sub-distribution board, be labelled as "sub-main switch" "or
main switch" if the board is labelled "sub-board…",

I would assume you havent seen some of the solar essential /non essential DB's being installed, its frightening.

The last one I looked at, had skrewits in the non essential DB, the wall chased to the side, no conduit or protection for the wiring into the back of a surface mounted DB.

[Isetech]

The kind of workmanship you can expect from electrical contractors and we wonder why the industry is a joke. By the way this installation had a COC . Can you see anything wrong with it ? A good electrician will spot the problem within a minute, tell us what it is.

[Dylboy]

Its called a piezo buzzer, I had it connected to a 9 VDC battery. It was a quick way to identify a light from a plug circuit (back when light had a ballast) from a short circuit (if the wires were twisted together) , by the sound it made. It was a long time ago (around 1988/9). People would walk past and see all the wires over the scaffold and ask how I knew where all the cables had to be connected. It is actually really easy. Working on old machines that dont have labels or wiring diagrams, thats are challenge.


https://za.rs-online.com/web/p/piezo...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Man that is cool ! May just get the buzzer to play with haha. Thank you for sharing

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[Dylboy]

The kind of workmanship you can expect from electrical contractors and we wonder why the industry is a joke. By the way this installation had a COC . Can you see anything wrong with it ? A good electrician will spot the problem within a minute, tell us what it is.

This is the sort of DB we find and now they have backup... Try get to those Neutrals and the client wanting the internet on....

Immediate I see the hole on the right once the cover is on.

Second is the yellow and blue cable being used as phase but I'm a single phase DB. As far as I know that is not good. In a 3 phase board it is ok as for phase identification.

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[Isetech]

A clue... look at the main switch.