Peter, now I am confused: I imagined a chap called Hugh who is thin on top. (By contrast, like Esau, I am a hairy man.)

I think a pull test and a resistance test, i.e. ring continuity are about the best that you can do. I can recall doing a ring test (by then you have screwed the sockets on to the wall) which was open circuit. The posh (and expensive) wooden sockets had poor quality innards and one of the 2.5 mm² (or was it the smaller CPC?) had not been gripped properly. Perhaps this is why some folk double up their terminations?

At the other end of the scale, BS 1363's requirement is for the terminal to accept 8 mm², which is fine for a ring and a spur, but not adequate for a radial and a branch in 4 mm². Happily, the better manufacturers such as Hager and MK make terminals which will accept 12 mm².

Chris

I particularly dislike the square type terminal that comes on most sockets and spurs nowadays. If you try to put your wires in the middle, once tightened they invariably slip to one side with one being gripped more than the other. The round ones were the best where the wires were forced together in the centre and gripped equally. I find that trying to place each wire in opposite corners of the ‘square’ then the screw pushes between them and forces them into the corner rather than having the wire directly under the screw. I also think that manufacturers should state the minimum cable sizes as they are just as important as the maximum.

Chris

I particularly dislike the square type terminal that comes on most sockets and spurs nowadays. If you try to put your wires in the middle, once tightened they invariably slip to one side with one being gripped more than the other. The round ones were the best where the wires were forced together in the centre and gripped equally. I find that trying to place each wire in opposite corners of the ‘square’ then the screw pushes between them and forces them into the corner rather than having the wire directly under the screw. I also think that manufacturers should state the minimum cable sizes as they are just as important as the maximum.