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Thread: Mixed circuits

  1. #11
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    IT seems this old method of wiring has its limitations (tube and wire) ... It has taken me years to get use to idea of not using conduit.

    I spent a couple days doing an estimate to upgrade from 400 amps to 1000 amps ... the biggest volts drop ... was ... yes you guessed it right the conduit under the road ... the rest of the installations was in open air or buried directly in the ground.

    Something else has helped accelerate the move away from conduit and house wire ... the connectors ... we use helicon connectors by the hundreds ... with house wire ... it becomes a major task to remove the connector ... so instead we just cut and dump ... however when using solid core wire ... 2 twists and its out ... at R4 -R10 a pop ... its starts adding up.

    By the end of this year I doubt you will see anymore conduit and house wire on any site I work ... the catch is to find a brand of twin and surfix that strips easily ... and a suitable light weight cable tray to install in the roof space for all the CCTV/alarm and electrical cables.

    I have been using PVC trunking but then you have to waste time drilling holes and lining it up.

    Another quick solution to tidying up rats nest ... staples a super quick ... installation method ... for now I use a staple with a small cable tie ... but need to find a better solution ... one I can just staple the wire directly with the staple gun ... like they do the roofing plastic ... you just hit it like a hammer and the staple secures the wire ... I have tried it but even with the setting on super low ... not having a protective sleeve over the staples is going to cause problems ... so for now it is a staple and cable ties.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  2. #12
    Diamond Member Justloadit's Avatar
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    What you are looking for s a Cable Stable or an insulated crown staple
    If you can not get it, then maybe find a way to insert some plastic between the cable and staple when applying. This should speed up the process.
    Victor - Knowledge is a blessing or a curse, your current circumstances make you decide!
    Solar pumping, Solar Geyser & Solar Security lighting solutions - www.microsolve.co.za

  3. #13
    Platinum Member Derlyn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Justloadit View Post
    What you are looking for s a Cable Stable or an insulated crown staple
    If you can not get it, then maybe find a way to insert some plastic between the cable and staple when applying. This should speed up the process.
    Looks interesting. Haven't yet seen one in action. Still prefer conduit and conduit clips. Quicker and easier than clipping cables neatly.
    I must admit that most of my jobs require the laying of a single cable. For me, conduit is the answer.

    Peace out .. Derek

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    Quote Originally Posted by Derlyn View Post
    Looks interesting. Haven't yet seen one in action. Still prefer conduit and conduit clips. Quicker and easier than clipping cables neatly.
    I must admit that most of my jobs require the laying of a single cable. For me, conduit is the answer.

    Peace out .. Derek
    Perfect - There is nothing worse than unprotected cables.

    Some poor sod gets electrocuted crawling around the ceiling because there are wires all over. I can just imagine stepping on a live wire, the spice pulling out and the house burning to the ground. I also don't get wires cemented directly into a wall - again - some poor sod with a drill gets electrocuted because there are wires running all over under the plaster.

  6. #15
    Diamond Member Justloadit's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianh View Post
    Perfect - There is nothing worse than unprotected cables.

    Some poor sod gets electrocuted crawling around the ceiling because there are wires all over. I can just imagine stepping on a live wire, the spice pulling out and the house burning to the ground. I also don't get wires cemented directly into a wall - again - some poor sod with a drill gets electrocuted because there are wires running all over under the plaster.
    You should have one of these -Universal Digital Wall Detector before drilling, you could also drill into a water pipe for that matter
    Victor - Knowledge is a blessing or a curse, your current circumstances make you decide!
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    I have a bosch pro unit ... I have learnt not to trust these devices ... you get use to drilling holes in walls and identify when you hit plastic ... steel or copper.

    the reality is if you still running conduit and wires ... you certainly not quoting for work.

    I have also learnt that even if you have customers who want the job done "right" ... when you do a fair size job ... eventually the bill becomes and issue ... so you have to learnt to go with the flow ... and get smart ... use a dustless chasing machine and cut the slot as deep as possible ... the beuty about owning a dustless chasing setup ... if kitchen cupboards people drill through the wire ... you just go to the back of the wall ... setup the laser and cut a nice straight line down the wall ... joint in the roof and straight into the back of the box.

    I have noticed everyone wants conduit and wiring ... until you submit the quote with a comparison ...and as one customer pointed out ... "I dont climb in my roof ... I dont really care if it looks like a rats nest"
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  8. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by ians View Post
    I have noticed everyone wants conduit and wiring ... until you submit the quote with a comparison
    Therein lies the problem - "Sir, we should replace your brake pads and your disks......or we can just sand the old pads with 36 grit sandpaper and call it a day"

    ... People are given options that they don't understand or they just don't care about the long term consequences of their choices!

  9. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Justloadit View Post
    You should have one of these -Universal Digital Wall Detector before drilling, you could also drill into a water pipe for that matter
    I agree - I do use a pipe finder - that said - I will still always put wires in conduit and not run wires horizontally across walls.... call me old fashioned :-)

  10. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Justloadit View Post
    You should have one of these -Universal Digital Wall Detector before drilling, you could also drill into a water pipe for that matter
    Reminds me of this Project Farm test comparing various Stud Finders. (Project Farm is brilliant - he proves over and over that "Expensive" isn't necessarily better)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWMJhfMPWn4

  11. #20
    Platinum Member Derlyn's Avatar
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    vertical or horizontal, I use conduit.

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