How safe are these...

csg wrote: Its not something that can pass any inspection ( the 63A connector gland is designed for one cable only, clamp likewise, no IP protection etc off course you have no current protection on either leg ( having protection in the drain is the wrong way round that said, these, particularly the 32 - 2 x 16A variant are quite common and provided that the loads are kept under control and the larger connector is wired carefully ( bootlace ferrules to gather the 2 conductors etc), in essence you may get away with it. Its not right though, and a properly protected distro is by far preferable - and naturally using something like this would invalidate any insurance cover you may have if something went wrong...

hey

yeah its not like a widdowmaker that some people would initially compare it too, you're not gonna get an imediate shock from touching anything so it's relitivly safe from that point of view.

However you've a 63a then leading to two 32s, but with no breakers there's nothing to stop all say 60a going down one leg and only 3a down the other, leading to a melted connector and definite fire risk.  So you'd need to balance your loads and make sure any one leg of the cable definitely couldn't draw more than 32.

But as CSG says it wouldn't pass any official regulations or inspection, so a pernickity venue owner or safety officer may stop you from using it, and if there was to be a problem (even if it was nothing to do with this connection in the system) and someone found out you were using it, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on in terms of insurance claims etc.

k


Edited by kevinmcdonough - 02 September 2014 at 11:01pm

kevinmcdonough wrote: Grubbah wrote: So I guess I need something like this? Which is essentially;  63 connector > 63a MCB > 2x 32a MCB > 2x 32a connectors  ? Yeah that would be the official, proper way to do it. Essentially the same connectors, but with breakers in the path to protect either 32 from drawing the full 63a. k

djeddie wrote: It's either Toolstation or Screwfix that do an enclosure that's safe for use in garages, sheds etc. and such is sufficiently IP rated. It's only about a tenner and comes with the rubber glands and all! As you've already got the connectors and cable, all that's needed is 2 X 32A MCB's, and 1 X 63A MCB (or even RCBO) and they're not much more than a fiver a pop.

Grubbah wrote: djeddie wrote: It's either Toolstation or Screwfix that do an enclosure that's safe for use in garages, sheds etc. and such is sufficiently IP rated. It's only about a tenner and comes with the rubber glands and all! As you've already got the connectors and cable, all that's needed is 2 X 32A MCB's, and 1 X 63A MCB (or even RCBO) and they're not much more than a fiver a pop. Bang on!! The other idea I had, I have a 32in, 5 x 16out box style distro with individual breakers on all ins and out... If I change the breakers I could change that into a 63in 2 x 32 / 3 x 16 out...? or something along those lines...?

That would be harder to do because it's not just the breakers, or the connectors that would obviously need swapped. You'd also need to ensure all of the internal wiring inside the box is also suitably thick enough to handle those currents.

k