junction box

[murdock]

i was called today to attend to a light circuit tripping when it rains...
they suspect that it could be the new light which was installed recently.

the cable on the left is an armoured cable.

there are other lights further down the fence...my concern is that the lights are all pvc light fittings with pvc lampholders...but the armoured cable earth wires are cut off at the first light which means that there is no earth further down...

what do you think should there be some sort of earth continuity thru out the length of the cable even though the fittings are pvc?

what do you think about the pvc pushin gland holding the armoured cable in the box?

what do you think about the standard junction box out in the weather (daves inspectors know the answer to this one from the job in westville) do you think i am being unreasonable requesting a weather proof box?

no rain drip on the cables?

not even silicon around the lid?

loose glands holding the cable?

cabtryre from the box to the lamp holder?

glands are not glued into te box as you can see it is pulling out on the left hand side because the cable is short.

i think i should request the coc for the light installation...or do you think its not neccessary to issue a coc for one light?

a list this long for such a small item?

i would hate to see any other work done by this person...i would jam up daves band width.

[Dave A]

i was called today to attend to a light circuit tripping when it rains...

So did you find the fault?

[murdock]

not yet because i dont feel this is the only issue...i believe the next thread i wrote about the db is half the problem...connecting an electric fence to an e/l unit...

other light fittings which are filling up with water...

what i am puzzled about is that there is no earth continuity on the light circuit as i mentioned so why is the e/l unit tripping and not the circuit breaker tripping because of a dead short from the water between live ad neutral?

[AndyD]

.my concern is that the lights are all pvc light fittings with pvc lampholders...but the armoured cable earth wires are cut off at the first light which means that there is no earth further down...

what do you think should there be some sort of earth continuity thru out the length of the cable even though the fittings are pvc?

The SWA cable must terminate at both ends on an SWA gland andshould be earth bonded at source. If the fittings are of such a class that earthing is unnecessary then the gland on both the incoming and outgoing cable should have an earth ring and a lugged earth wire connecting them to give earth continuity. If all the fittings are PVC then you could probably omit the separate earth wire that should run with the SWA cables.

what do you think about the standard junction box out in the weather (daves inspectors know the answer to this one from the job in westville) do you think i am being unreasonable requesting a weather proof box?

Apart from inadequate IP rating conduit boxes aren't UV stabilised and can't be mounted in view of the sun.

no rain drip on the cables?

not even silicon around the lid?

loose glands holding the cable?

cabtryre from the box to the lamp holder?

glands are not glued into te box as you can see it is pulling out on the left hand side because the cable is short.

This was probably installed DIY or by a handyman (I hope). Any certification will be out of the question. I would just reinstall it using as much of the existing materials as possible then give a COC just for the work done; it probably won't take any longer than trying to localise an intermittent tripping fault on the circuit as it is.