20/9/'99



Wow,
This has been a long topic with many an answer. I find that the screwcaps
and nuts and that sort of stuff interseting indeed. In Australia, the
wiring rules (AS3260 in part) are complex, but the implementation at
electrician level is quite simple (Must be a registered electrician in Aust
with a 4 year apprenticship, losts of work to learn how to tighten a screw!).
Anyway, all joints for fixed wiring must be mechanicaly stable. All
connections are via utilux screw down terminals. The wires to be joined
must be twisted together first (1.5" of insulation to be removed) and then
placed into the terminal and then screwed down. All wire used is single
core solid double insulated, power is nominaly supplied with 2.5mm square
and light with 1mm square. The earth wire (Yes we have this on all wiring
to outlet points i.e. To anywhere where an item can be connected, be that a
plug or a light bulb!) if it is to be joined is in the same method, but
with 2 screws in the terminal.
This method has been in place for some 25 years(?) now longer if you take
the first implementations (92 odd years) yes we have had some changes in
basic wiring (We had dangerous metal conduct with cotton coated impregnate
wire, then that horrible rubber coated stuff that had to be afixed to the
studds, then the first pas P.V.C wire with the bare earth in the centre,
and now Stablised P.V.C with the earth as a separte conductor). Then there
was all the changes with bringing down the full active and netual to light
switches and only earthing metal light fittings to now where we only bring
down the active and the switched active for a light
In all the manufactures have to make the fittings copper based to remove
dissimilar metal problems, this was rejected, and the ateration was changed
to brass with copper coating, however srew termianls for jointing purposes
are brass.
Now here is where things do get a bit strainge in that jointing outside of
that that can be perfomed on connections points e.g. Light fittings and
power points is nominaly not performed, as we can stick 5 wires into a
single terminal on a power point (Not easy at all). We are also allowed to
have 10 power points on a single circuit, so a house in general doesn't
have any other joints than thoses provided at the connection points.
As for the fuse box...
Now with the DIN rail distrobution boxes there is an active bar and a
neutral bar, in the past all the active wires where twisted togther
(Between the meter and the fuses) and terminated, a netral bar was used to
distribute the neutral and to bond to the earth point etc.

I can go on, but I am proberably boring you all


Dennis