Reviewed: 19 strand BASEC flexible meter tails - Consumer unit wiring
Are flexible or Flexi meter tails the best-kept secret in the electrical industry? We found some on a recent visit to Doncaster Cables so thought we should test them out. Ideal for consumer unit wiring.
www.efixx.co.uk/Articles/revi...
For years you've wrestled 25mm sq meter tails into the consumer unit main switch, loosing skin from the back of your hands in the process. Hidden away on the Doncaster Cables meter tails datasheet is a variant that could make your life much more comfortable.
Standard 25mm sq meter tail cable uses seven strands of copper wire. The version we are looking at here has nineteen: the result, a meter tail which is much more flexible. Extra flexibility makes them much easier to route through consumer units and fix to surfaces during electrical installation.
In this video we compare started 7 strand meter tails with 19 strand BASEC approved 25mm meter tails. We also discuss a few important issues around the correct torque settings when connecting to the main switch in a consumer unit.
We also believe Prysmian group manufacture a similar version.
Features a Lewden Consumer Unit
#eFIXX
Love these guys' passion for the trade, makes all their videos a pleasure to watch.
I had the pleasure of seeing this cable and handling it at the efixx live event in Bicester. It’s a fantastic product.
It was a pleasure to meet you 👍
Those flexi cables are great I only buy those now so much easier to work with. The ones I buy have blue and brown outer sheaths as well for easy identification.
Artisan Electrics where do you purchase these from? Thanks
Kieran Randall I get them from my wholesaler BEW
Artisan Electrics thanks for the reply! Good content on your page also I’m a subscriber, keep up the good work! Thanks
Doing a board change at the weekend... I'll definitely be using 19 strand meter tails, might be a good ideal to boot ferrule the ends 👍
Saw your guys’ video a couple of days ago and went straight to my suppliers- CEF/Lewisham - to tell them about the tails. They had them, and they will be my go to tails from now on. Also, great tip on the preliminaries when removing main cut-out. GREAT WORK GUYS.
The issue with pulling the main fuse is if it goes wrong and the cutout breaks , you can short out the phase and neutral and have 2000 amps blow up in your face . There are special courses for removing fuses on street lighting columns that are DNO fed . They should do the same for domestic installs
Great point and thanks for commenting 👍
Yes the DNO's should definitely run such courses for contractors . Not free of course... but it's important to know. I wear ex firefighter gear and face shield and so forth. (only for the potentially explosive event, once the dummy carrier is back in to shield the live incomer, it's back to comfy wear). Colleague sometimes makes fun of me, but the one time it does go horribly wrong....
The worst part about changing a C/U, can't wait to try these and good tip about wiggle & torque again
Lovely.meter tails are a pain in the back side but the new flexy tails are fantastic. Another fantastic video from team eFix Thank you guy’s
Been using 19 strand cable for years. My local DNO have been using them for ages and they have always left plenty of spare after fitting isloators.
Would love if they could incorporate 19 strand cores into t&e cable 10mm sq or greater.
Another great video lads!
Excellent product guys 👍
Thanks for the support Mike 👍
I think you should "wiggle the tails" at least 3 times before accepting the required torque has been met. I have returned the next day after torquing, and found they cable has settled, and it needed re-torquing again. Makes a mockery of torque settings really lol...just tighten as hard as you can without breaking the terminals :-) crazy world.... great cable though and vid cheers fellas.
They may not have had to wiggle the tails if this advice was followed first, basically, flatten the conductors out beforehand (it's advice by Electrical safety 1st, taken from BEAMA): www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/1258/consumer-unit-connections.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjk4M-ovsDoAhXgQUEAHTh6DmUQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw1IBb823lGZhGPglY8KIu0r
Love the reality of trying to contact Tails
You've got your information incorrect on the main switch. The symbol printed on that main switch indicates its a switch disconnector which combines the properties of load switches and disconnectors. That means they are designed to switch under load.
yes came here to say that, main switches are definitely load break. Still good practice for longevity to kill the load first as best you can
I was just about to say that. Those 100A main isolators are DESIGNED to switch under load. It's even got the symbol printed on them.
Been using the finer stranded meter tails for about a year now. But 100 metre rolls at a time the price tumbles. Seems to clamp up better in the Isolators/switch gear. And we use bootlace ferrules on it, so much better.
Yes, finer stranded cables pack WAY better into cage terminals
I think it's pants that that Wiha torque screwdriver doesn't have at least a mark between 2.4 Nm and 2.6Nm. Also, it should have a spring loaded collar to change the value, rather than a separate tool that can be lost or forgotten.
I used to like blasting cables with a hot air gun. Also in some back boxes for cookers get cables nice and toasty not to a point were the pvc is smoking.
Great ! Now keep the trend going and return to a 7strand replacement for 2.5 1.5 and 1.00 cables as well. The only good thing about solid strand conductors is terminations. I think crushing back solid wires inside boxes causes more problems than the contracting industry cares to admit. Anyone who has had to fit 10mm cores inside a shower pull switch will know what I mean.
I got 2.5 stranded twin and cpc when I rewired my house , cost 3 times the amount but it's lovely to work with and easy to dress into back boxes
@@dennisphoenix1 hey, have you got the link to what you used ? Also did you have to ferrule the ends ?
@@Omey731 Hi I can't remember what manufacturer it was , it got it from CEF but I imagine any wholesale suppliers would get it in . You don't need ferrules it's just like using 2.5 mm singles in conduit installs .
@@Omey731 just checked, CEF still sell it £104 for 100m. Normal twin is about £80 . Has come down in price. If you didn't need much it's worth paying the extra . I doubt you would use 1000's of metres of it at that cost difference
@@dennisphoenix1 many thanks for your reply, I will be using it when i rewire my house
Great video, thanks. With the Wiska gland, there are usually fours holes - two for the 25 sqmm tails and two for 10 sqmm earth cable. Where only one of the 10 sqmm holes is used, is it good practice to put some sort of blank piece in the other 10 sqmm hole? Can these blanks be purchased?
There is a red blank supplied with the wiska meter tail glands.
@@alexgreenman2289 Thanks for the info.
The tail glands are for 25mm phase and neutral and 16mm earth. Or 16mm phase and neutral and 10mm earth with the ones I have used , not seen one with 4 holes
They havnt done it to make electricians life easier,they have done it through COST. brilliant video guys as always👍
Why cost ?? If it was cost they could have used 1.5 mm x 17 strands . Tails are an odd size core either way
Of I can not pull fuse and have to work live I remove all cables I can out the way of the tails and put a plastic tube over the live phase. And remove it and then install a switch next to the meter and shorten the meter tails. Cutting in to and terminating a live wire is not the best way. But when I was 1st training this is how I had to.
I've had to do that on bit's of equipment that can't be turned off. After a while, you sorta get used to working on everything live from small stuff like lighting to big stuff. I quite like working live as it makes sure your on the ball and paying attention.
Why do they make meter tails with grey outer sheath over blue or brown inner sheath? When installed, the blue or brown is never visible.
Great product, love it.... BUT down here in the south UK power networks will not accept it. Apparently something got too hot where it wasn't tight enough. 7 strand only. Shame as i always found if torqued properly it better filled the terminal and as such was a better connection less prone to working loose.
John Church interesting - would be good to explore this with the other DNO’s - we will ask around.
I work as a meter installer and we are not allowed to use the 19 only 7. If its already fitted in consumer unit we have to fit an isolator switch.
Wow you got to 42 seconds before mentioning your sponsor!
Main switch cables should be pre installed in the CU with a termonal block that would enable tails to be fitted straight in
How dare you speak sense! Next you'll be wanting DNO's to fit isolators and stuff [kidding]
I was advised by my local electrical wholesalers that we had to lug/crimp these flexible tails is this something that you believe is false ?
As ever it’s a grey area ! We hear different suggestions - needs another look 👀
Do they need ferrules being 19 core?
Probably not as they don't seem to be classed as flexible cables. See communities.theiet.org/discussions/viewtopic/1037/25901
Dont need to pull the main fuse if you have an electricians switch in the meter as i was told only in emergencies are you to cut the seal.... this is what i was taught
So has REC replaced DNO?
Norman Hartill yeah I hadn’t heard of that acronym before either. We say DNO here.
I think actually the lads are showing their age here, REC is an older term :)
Always strip all the grey off when installing tails in board , and never pull a main fuse , we have an isolator switch fitted
See here for a discussion on the IET wiring and regulations forum re whether 19 strand can be used: communities.theiet.org/discussions/viewtopic/1037/25901 In short, contact the DNO for whichever area you're in, and the manufacturer of the CU you're installing to determine whether their switchgear will accept 19 strand - they may not!
Thanks for the heads up John - we will ask Doncaster Cables for feedback also.
You may also be interested in this test report www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/1235/meter-tail-investigation-report.pdf
@@efixx thanks chaps, I'll have a read. Regards.
Your remarks about the main switch being an isolator, not a switch, don't look right to me. It is clearly marked as a switch to BSEN60947-3, If you have a device to BS EN 60947-3 (i.e. a typical domestic consumer unit main switch), then it will be a switch disconnector - i.e. a device that is both load making and load breaking and suitable for isolation.
Ever tried terminating 19 strand tails into a poorly located existing henley box ? Not fun and definitely not time or effort saving
As well as being illegal (other than in a dangerous situation), If it's an old main fuseholder there's a chance it will break when being removed. For that reason I never pull a main fuse, but rather get the customer to arrange to have their supplier fit a double pole isolator. That way I can isolate the system without going near the fuse or the meter.
Oh no...looks like fragile strands are going to be prone to damage, shortening the tails. Large batch of ferrules on the christmas list.
Leckys are getting weaker, man up and do some weights. Or just warm the tails first and save some money.