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Wire placement in socket terminals

Baldyhugh

Hi

In past years, the design of socket outlet terminals were in my opinion quite good, being round tunnel type. This allowed, for example, two straight ends of a 2.5 t&e ring to lie side by side in the terminal and as the screw tightened, it pushed them together into the bottom of the terminal and both conductors were gripped equally. This created a good connection if you ask me. Any sockets I have used in Recent years have sort of a square terminal with slightly rounded sides. With two straight 2.5 conductors, I find that keeping one to each side of the terminal with the screw separating them down the middle gives the best connection as they are pushed into the corner of the terminal and cannot move. I’ve tried to keep them both in the centre but due to the flat bottom of the terminal one inadvertently slips to one side as it is tightened and doesn’t make a good connection. I’ve been viewing various online videos today due to having some spare time and it astounds me how many people just stuff the conductors in without even inspecting them afterwards to see if both conductors are equally connected. Some opt to double over  both 2.5’s thus creating 4 conductors in the terminal, to fill the terminal with copper, but my feeling is that it only creates a worse connection as you now have 4 conductors to adequately trap. Id be interested to hear others views on socket termination techniques and their opinions on accessory terminal design of late.

 

thanks in advance

 

  • 0

    I think that it all depends upon the quality (and price).

    I haven't noticed much of a problem with 2.5 sqmm (or even a 4 sqmm radial) but I have with the 1.5 sqmm CPCs. With cheap sockets (or not so cheap, but expensive ones with cheap innards) the conductor can slip between the side of the screw and the tunnel. I have to admit to having had to twist the conductors together. ?

  • 0

    Some modern M.K. accessories are terrible at reliably gripping copper conductors.

    I try to “fill” terminals fully. Also I look to see that the terminal screw is not just gripping the P.V.C. insulation but is fully in contact with the copper wire.

    I normally use the “tug test” to ensure that wires are not insufficiently gripped.

    Z.

  • 0
    I mostly use click accessories as my wholesaler only stocks two brands and the other ones aren’t great. The 2.5 live and neutral of a t&e usually aren’t much of a problem as they are fat enough when both pushed to the opposite ‘corners’ of the terminal to be trapped by the screw and are too big to slip up the side. I have also found that the cpc is more of a problem in 2.5 t&e due to its smaller csa. I experimented the other night as there wasn’t much on tv with doubling over both 1.5mm cpc’s and laying them flat side by side in the terminal so that there were essentially four conductors beside each other and they did lie quite neatly and stayed in place when the screw was tightened. I previously just both in straight (undoubled) and the screw pushed one to each side which was ok. They were still big enough that they didn’t slip up the side of the screw either. I’m not so keen on the ‘four in a row’ method as the screw is essentially being asked to grip four things equally instead of two but it was just an experiment. Why manufacturers changed from round terminals I’ll never know but I wish that they would go back!
  • 0

    I used Crabtree fittings until they swapped the brass tunnel terminals for the steel cages, howe gradually over the years the cages have become the most common design and so I have ended up using them anyway.

  • 0
    Sparkingchip


    yes I was the same, the tunnel terminals were the best design, I think contactum also used it. However most manufacturers now opt for the square-ish cage design which is a backward step in my opinion. Probably cheaper to make.
  • 0

    Yes tunnel terminals and a slightly spherical point on the screw to cause a little dimple as an anchor is my favourite. I hate these cage clamps?

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