There’s a storm coming as Steve Hewish, Approved Electrician at Turrell (Electrical Contractors), tries out the Storm Glands from SWA.
One job I’ve always hated doing throughout my career is making off armoured cable glands, especially in colder weather. My usual tactic is to try and warm the shrouds in my pocket so I’m able to cut them without them splitting, but this has had varying degrees of success.
Thankfully, the folk at Specialised Wiring Accessories (SWA) have come to the rescue by producing the Storm Gland. In a nutshell, it’s basically an SWA gland but the shroud is built on to the gland, minimising installation time. Indeed, if you’re undertaking multiple SWA glands and cutting/fitting cable shrouds as part of the process, you’ll understand how much of a life-saver this product really is.
This plastic coated gland also has another added bonus. When used on TT installations, where a difference in potential between the incoming cable and the consumer unit could arise, you cannot touch the incoming sheath as it is covered by the gland. This is a major improvement on the design of older style glands where you can remove the shroud without a tool, giving rise to potential danger.
Worth its weight
If you’re price-conscious, it should be noted that these glands are at the premium end of the pricing spectrum. That said, the cost is negligible when you weigh it up against the time saving and safety aspects.
Another big positive is the IP68 rating which is perfect for outside use and for harsh environments (such as salt air) as the brass components of the gland are enclosed within the unit, unlike standard glands which can be easily weathered in these tough conditions.
They’re also UV stabilised, which means that they won’t become brittle or discoloured over time when installing them in direct sunlight. That’s certainly not the case for installations of normal shrouded armoured glands.
The glands can be used with non-armoured cable, as well as SY and CY cables, and the cable grip built within the gland tightens around most cables securely, making it a good fit for most installations. They boast a wide temperature rating (-20°C to +80°C), so if you’re ever in a position where you need a low or high temperature installation you can use the gland to fit your needs.
This is a really innovative product that solves a very common issue that we electricians face regularly. Needless to say, it’s gone down a ‘storm’!
To find out more about the SWA Storm Gland range, click here
