I have a piece of SWA emerging from a wooden post into the back of a plastic outdoor socket. How should I terminate the SWA? This is only a temporary setup (I'll be swapping out the socket someyear) but I need it to pass Part
P as a new circuit installation. I'm not planning on earthing the armour at this end (separate earth core), that'll be terminated at the other end, so it's just about properly dealing with the armour.
If I use a traditional SWA gland with boot it would mean drilling a large hole in the post, which I'd rather avoid as it would be unsightly once removed. I could I suppose terminate the SWA at the bottom of a box at the rear of the post and then run bare cores through the post, but I'd rather
not do that (hard to protect from water ingress). Doing that at the front would be both unsightly and have an awkward bend radius.
The plastic socket is only supposed to sit a couple of mm off the surface.
I suppose I could add a chunky wooden block behind to hide a gland in, but that would be ugly.
Presumably SWA coming through a wall and terminating inside a box must not be uncommon? How's it normally done?
I have a piece of SWA emerging from a wooden post into the back of a plastic outdoor socket. How should I terminate the SWA? This is only a temporary setup (I'll be swapping out the socket someyear) but I need it to pass Part
P as a new circuit installation. I'm not planning on earthing the armour at this end (separate earth core), that'll be terminated at the other end, so it's just about properly dealing with the armour.
If I use a traditional SWA gland with boot it would mean drilling a large hole in the post, which I'd rather avoid as it would be unsightly once removed. I could I suppose terminate the SWA at the bottom of a box at the rear of the post and then run bare cores through the post, but I'd rather
not do that (hard to protect from water ingress). Doing that at the front would be both unsightly and have an awkward bend radius.
The plastic socket is only supposed to sit a couple of mm off the surface.
I suppose I could add a chunky wooden block behind to hide a gland in, but that would be ugly.
Presumably SWA coming through a wall and terminating inside a box must not be uncommon? How's it normally done?
John Rumm <[email protected]> wrote:
On 03/04/2025 23:30, Theo wrote:
I have a piece of SWA emerging from a wooden post into the back of a plastic
outdoor socket. How should I terminate the SWA? This is only a temporary >>> setup (I'll be swapping out the socket someyear) but I need it to pass Part >>> P as a new circuit installation. I'm not planning on earthing the armour at
this end (separate earth core), that'll be terminated at the other end, so >>> it's just about properly dealing with the armour.
Ideally you will need a gland of some sort to terminate the SWA
somewhere. If you are isolating the armour at that end and not making
connection to it, then you could get away with a plastic gland.
(Normally you will need a gland to allow adequate fixing and restraint
of the heavy cable)
As this is outside you will want a waterproof termination of the cable -
even if it is "inside" the post.
What length of spare cable do you have to play with?
As much as needed :-) I haven't terminated the other end yet, so can pull some slack through. I want to leave slack anyway for future changes.
If I use a traditional SWA gland with boot it would mean drilling a large >>> hole in the post, which I'd rather avoid as it would be unsightly once
removed. I could I suppose terminate the SWA at the bottom of a box at the >>> rear of the post and then run bare cores through the post, but I'd rather >>> not do that (hard to protect from water ingress). Doing that at the front >>> would be both unsightly and have an awkward bend radius.
You could have a JB on the back of the post, and transition to something
easier to work with like hi-tuff. Clip that up the back of the post and
then take it into a hole though the post into the back of your
enclosure. (with the through hole at an angle that would encourage water
not to run into the post)
I think that's probably the best option. JB in rear of the post, then
thread the cores through (I want to avoid jointing it) perhaps in some kind of conduit for protection (I have some white plastic 20mm that may do it).
If I can find a box big enough I can coil some slack of the cores in the box for future use. Seal up both ends of the conduit with silicone. Perhaps some kind of gland or grommet to secure the conduit and waterproof the rear.
On 03/04/2025 23:30, Theo wrote:
I have a piece of SWA emerging from a wooden post into the back of a plastic
outdoor socket. How should I terminate the SWA? This is only a temporary setup (I'll be swapping out the socket someyear) but I need it to pass Part P as a new circuit installation. I'm not planning on earthing the armour at
this end (separate earth core), that'll be terminated at the other end, so it's just about properly dealing with the armour.
Ideally you will need a gland of some sort to terminate the SWA
somewhere. If you are isolating the armour at that end and not making connection to it, then you could get away with a plastic gland.
(Normally you will need a gland to allow adequate fixing and restraint
of the heavy cable)
As this is outside you will want a waterproof termination of the cable -
even if it is "inside" the post.
What length of spare cable do you have to play with?
If I use a traditional SWA gland with boot it would mean drilling a large hole in the post, which I'd rather avoid as it would be unsightly once removed. I could I suppose terminate the SWA at the bottom of a box at the rear of the post and then run bare cores through the post, but I'd rather not do that (hard to protect from water ingress). Doing that at the front would be both unsightly and have an awkward bend radius.
You could have a JB on the back of the post, and transition to something easier to work with like hi-tuff. Clip that up the back of the post and
then take it into a hole though the post into the back of your
enclosure. (with the through hole at an angle that would encourage water
not to run into the post)
Presumably SWA coming through a wall and terminating inside a box must not be
uncommon? How's it normally done?
You would normally come through a wall and then into the side of a wall mounted box with an appropriate gland.
Gland it into a galv through box and just take the inner of the SWA unsheathed out the other end of the box through a stuffing gland up to
to the socket?
On 04/04/2025 17:19, Theo wrote:
I think that's probably the best option. JB in rear of the post, then thread the cores through (I want to avoid jointing it) perhaps in some kind
Rather than taking the bare cores, take the cores still in their bedding layer as one "flex", and only strip back the bedding once into your
socket enclosure.
I have not seen a cover used like that (they are popular with the less skilled aerial / telecoms fitters since they can blast through the wall
from the inside with their SDS, spall of a massive "exit wound" and then cover with the plate.
Normally I transition using a surface mounting box of some kind - a waterproof JB[1] to terminate the SWA on the outside, with a normal
exterior gland into the box, and then drill through the back of the box through the wall and use regular T&E or whatever.
[1] I often use an exterior socket as the box - then I get an extra
garden socket into the bargain :-)
John Rumm <[email protected]> wrote:
On 03/04/2025 23:30, Theo wrote:
I have a piece of SWA emerging from a wooden post into the back of a plastic
outdoor socket. How should I terminate the SWA? This is only a temporary >>> setup (I'll be swapping out the socket someyear) but I need it to pass Part >>> P as a new circuit installation. I'm not planning on earthing the armour at
this end (separate earth core), that'll be terminated at the other end, so >>> it's just about properly dealing with the armour.
Ideally you will need a gland of some sort to terminate the SWA
somewhere. If you are isolating the armour at that end and not making
connection to it, then you could get away with a plastic gland.
(Normally you will need a gland to allow adequate fixing and restraint
of the heavy cable)
As this is outside you will want a waterproof termination of the cable -
even if it is "inside" the post.
What length of spare cable do you have to play with?
As much as needed :-) I haven't terminated the other end yet, so can pull some slack through. I want to leave slack anyway for future changes.
If I use a traditional SWA gland with boot it would mean drilling a large >>> hole in the post, which I'd rather avoid as it would be unsightly once
removed. I could I suppose terminate the SWA at the bottom of a box at the >>> rear of the post and then run bare cores through the post, but I'd rather >>> not do that (hard to protect from water ingress). Doing that at the front >>> would be both unsightly and have an awkward bend radius.
You could have a JB on the back of the post, and transition to something
easier to work with like hi-tuff. Clip that up the back of the post and
then take it into a hole though the post into the back of your
enclosure. (with the through hole at an angle that would encourage water
not to run into the post)
I think that's probably the best option. JB in rear of the post, then
thread the cores through (I want to avoid jointing it) perhaps in some kind
of conduit for protection (I have some white plastic 20mm that may do it).
If I can find a box big enough I can coil some slack of the cores in the box for future use. Seal up both ends of the conduit with silicone. Perhaps some kind of gland or grommet to secure the conduit and waterproof the rear.
Presumably SWA coming through a wall and terminating inside a box must not be
uncommon? How's it normally done?
You would normally come through a wall and then into the side of a wall
mounted box with an appropriate gland.
Would the SWA just poke through the brick or should there be some kind of cover? I've seen through-to-down right-angle covers for aerial cables and similar, but the bend radius of those would be too much for SWA.
ARW <[email protected]> wrote:
Gland it into a galv through box and just take the inner of the SWA
unsheathed out the other end of the box through a stuffing gland up to
to the socket?
Hmm, would a 20mm gland screw on to 20mm conduit boxes? https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CO20BX1BOG.html
or this (25mm inlet) with a hole drilled in the back: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/COCL1G.html
John Rumm <[email protected]> wrote:
On 04/04/2025 17:19, Theo wrote:
Rather than taking the bare cores, take the cores still in their bedding
I think that's probably the best option. JB in rear of the post, then
thread the cores through (I want to avoid jointing it) perhaps in some kind >>
layer as one "flex", and only strip back the bedding once into your
socket enclosure.
That's what I'd do, but I don't think the bedding offers any mechanical protection, it's just to make the SWA bend without buckling. Plastic
conduit gives it a bit of protection.
I have not seen a cover used like that (they are popular with the less
skilled aerial / telecoms fitters since they can blast through the wall
from the inside with their SDS, spall of a massive "exit wound" and then
cover with the plate.
Yep, I have some of those :-( Particularly galling when you don't actually need the cable any more but the exit wound remains. Both before my time,
but the trail of blame leads to Sky and Openreach...
(OR didn't even bother fitting such a cover)
Normally I transition using a surface mounting box of some kind - a
waterproof JB[1] to terminate the SWA on the outside, with a normal
exterior gland into the box, and then drill through the back of the box
through the wall and use regular T&E or whatever.
[1] I often use an exterior socket as the box - then I get an extra
garden socket into the bargain :-)
That works if sockets are allowed. If it's say a run between a main CU and
a shed CU then that's less good to have a random socket in the way. It does mean the box on the wall has a purpose though, not just a blank box.
On 04/04/2025 18:40, Theo wrote:
ARW <[email protected]> wrote:
Gland it into a galv through box and just take the inner of the SWA
unsheathed out the other end of the box through a stuffing gland up to
to the socket?
Hmm, would a 20mm gland screw on to 20mm conduit boxes?
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CO20BX1BOG.html
or this (25mm inlet) with a hole drilled in the back:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/COCL1G.html
Unless you are using SWA of a very large diameter the 20mm gland should
be fine. There are two sizes to accommodate different range of SWA
diameters. The conduit box has a M20 thread to match the gland.
ARW's suggestion, close to mine, is to use:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CO20BX2G.html [1]
where you carry on the inner sheath containing the conductors through a standard gland:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/EK252R.html
That will be far more flexible than the original SWA cable. The sheath
can be removed when entering your socket to provide the separated cores.
[1] It is useful to note that these conduit boxes have a M4 tapped hold
to make an electrical earth connection to the armour.
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