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CHARLOTTE ROBINSON: THIS WAS THE GLAND FOR THE PV SUPPLY IN AN INDUSTRIAL UNIT. NOT ONLY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THE GLAND WAS MADE OFF WITH THE INSTALLER’S TEETH, BUT THE BEDDING DOESN’T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE GLAND. AND WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE LOCK NUT?
With the advent of high fossil fuel prices and the demand for zero-emission electric vehicles, solar PV in conjunction with battery storage will most likely start to grow exponentially. The problem with that, as with EV and any other installation, it has to be done properly to be safe. As we can’t see what else is going on here, I’ll just confine the Coding to the SWA gland.
First off, the armouring isn’t anchored adequately by the gland nut. Some of the strands are actually inside, contacting the single insulated conductors, and some are on the outside. It’s likely that the armour isn’t adequately held and lacks mechanical strength.
I can’t confirm if the armour is connected to the cpc, at the other end, by a banjo hidden from view or by contact with the metal enclosure, so I won’t comment on it and assume it’s taken care of. What we can assume, though, is that there is an issue with the mechanical strength of the joint – the joint in this case being the SWA strands, meeting the SWA gland.
Single insulation must be taken inside an adequate enclosure; the surrounding armour strands are not considered to be an adequate enclosure. Cutting the filler, or bedding material, too short shows a lack of experience or poor skills, which has now led to a potentially dangerous install. Although an excessive amount of the black PVC casing is stripped back, I’d hardly see that as a big problem.
As for the lock nut, without seeing the install first hand, I’m confident the wrong size hole saw, or knock out, has been used, and the gland didn’t sit properly. It’s likely the lock nut is being used to bridge the gap made by the oversize hole saw. It’s not ideal, but I think it would be unfair to Code it unless there were signs it compromised the installation safety in some way.
A generally poor excuse of an installation technique, making off SWA glands are bread and butter stuff. Hopefully, an easy fix for someone carrying out the remedial work.
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