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what to do between Consumer unit and trunkin
Former Community Member
Hello what to use between mains board and trunking when you've made a slot to bring the cables through rather than using bushes. would it be acceptable to leave a slight gap to get the trunking lid on .
The usual way is to insert a piece of paxolin with a slight small aperture than the board and trunking slot. This provides a gap to get the trunking lid on and also protects the conductor insulation against damage from the metal edges.
Assuming the environmental requirements are compatible with a gap, it's fine.
Edit
Agree on the need to hold the wires off the sharp edges. Depending on the way it has been cut, sometimes a thin cut edge can be folded back double to make a seam. There are also plastic or rubber edging strips that can be used in some situations to make odd shaped 'grommets' ranging from the really delicate up to stuff that would not be out of place on the door seal of a lorry, though superglue or similar may be needed to keep the more wilful types in place.
Hello what to use between mains board and trunking when you've made a slot to bring the cables through rather than using bushes. would it be acceptable to leave a slight gap to get the trunking lid on .
Grommet strip can be used on "sharp" edges. 416.2.2 can be applied to horizontal top surfaces of enclosures which are readily accessible. IPXXD or IP4X applies. Obviously room has to be left for any trunking lid overhang other wise it can't go onto the trunking. This covers basic protection of say singles run in trunking. Barriers and enclosures are intended to prevent contact with live parts. 416.2.1 requires live parts inside barriers or enclosures to be inaccessible and needs IPXXB or IP2X as a minimum.
Oddly enough, while domestic CUs have to be non-combustible (or enclosed), there's no requirement that they be sealed against fire propagation. So you can have a big hole at the top of a CU with a vertical column of PVC trunking directly above it.
