New central - is this installation okay?

[hempularen]

I have removed some personal attacks from the thread

/moderator

 

[HenrikHuslöse]

Fundamental to the electrical safety rules is that there are two levels of protection against coming into contact with high voltage. (High voltage poles and trains are exceptions.)

This means that conductors with one layer of insulation must either run in pipes or enclosures. Alternatively, you can use a cable with multiple conductors and a common sheath or single conductors with double insulation.

In this case, the electrician had several possible alternatives to achieve this for the conductors coming in from above:

1. Place the panel higher so that existing electrical pipes reach the enclosure

2. Acquire a taller panel, for example with an additional row or with a connection space at the top.

3. Extend the electrical pipes with joints so that they reach the panel (spatially challenging for the rear electrical pipes)

4. Replace the single conductors in the pipes with cable from an appropriate point in the installation. A big job, but can at least be neat.

5. Replace the conductors in the pipes with double-insulated conductors. Probably not possible considering the space in the pipes, not neat, and also unconventional.

An experienced electrician would have seen even more solutions and opportunities that met the regulations. The regulations do not prescribe how the installer should perform the installation as long as it meets the safety requirements.

 

[lars80]

Splicing in the panel is no problem. I would splice on a terminal block on a DIN rail unless the panel is very tight. But there's nothing wrong with splicing in the panel with, for example, Wago either. Splicing with chocolate blocks isn't necessarily wrong, even if it has a bit of a DIY feel.

It probably depends on who you ask whether splicing in the electrical panel is okay. I would say everything is allowed as long as it can be demonstrated to meet the requirements in the regulations. Personally, I believe that the splicing in the pictures is not considered electrically safe as the cables can come loose during work in the electrical panel, but there are ways to splice in the panel that I consider acceptable from a safety standpoint. The standard probably lacks a clear interpretation, and generally, Wago is not considered a fully correct way to splice in the panel unless they are mounted on DIN-mounted brackets. A distribution board is not quite a "junction space" for me in the same way as an electrical box because there are multiple circuits and a risk of confusion, as well as a risk that the splice could "come loose" if you tamper with the panel. It can be difficult to inspect a Wago that a previous electrician has tucked in and hidden behind cables. Chocolate blocks are a solution I only trust for low voltage.

Compression sleeves that have been crimped with the right tool and correct torque I think are a better solution.

 

[Uffe A]

If you want to question the installer's competence, you can start your own thread. I want help with what is wrong with the installation and what I can do about it.

Hire an electrician who knows what needs to be done and does it correctly
Don't choose the cheapest one you can find

 

[Thomas_Blekinge]

Now everything has been said about the installation's technical and aesthetic value. Many more might want to say it's rubbish in one way or another.
But I wonder if TS has realized everything and then we don't need to burden data servers further with more repetitive comments.

 

[SoderD]

Hire an electrician who knows what needs to be done and does it correctly
Don't choose the cheapest one you can find

Thanks for a ridiculous post, Uffe. Couldn't you read the entire thread before commenting?

You're just another in a line of all the men here who can't handle the simple task of answering questions or reading answers. I wonder what you're even doing here? And what do you do for a living where simple communication with other people isn't needed?

 

[jakobsbygge]

Yeah, no problem with that.

Oki. Didn't think the leader was supposed to be visible; there should be insulation all the way.

 

[SueCia]

Oki. I didn't think the conductor should be visible, it should have insulation all the way.

On the contrary, a small piece of conductive material should be visible to visually confirm that it is stripped properly.

The increased distance seen in the original poster's image occurs even if one has stripped it "perfectly" as soon as the wires are bent. So I see absolutely no problem there.

 

[jakobsbygge]

On the contrary, there should be a small piece of conductor material visible so you can visually confirm it's properly stripped.

A slightly larger gap as in the original poster's picture happens even if you've stripped "perfectly" as soon as you bend the wires. So I absolutely see no problem there.

Thank you for the explanation

 

[Mikael_L]

is it okay to leave it as in the picture?

Well, it's not particularly bad.
Sure, it might have looked a bit better with slightly less visible copper.
But nothing to be too concerned about.
Personally, I would have been dissatisfied and redone it.

There are so many worse things in that job to start criticizing.

 

[Mikael_L]

On the contrary, a small piece of conductor material should be visible so that it can be visually confirmed that it is properly stripped.

A little more distance like in the OP's picture occurs even if you've stripped it “perfectly” as soon as you bend the wires. So I see absolutely no problem there.

It may be OK to see a little copper when you look from underneath, but as much as in that picture looks bad. No professional has been involved.
Or a very sloppy professional.

 

[SueCia]

It may be OK to see some copper when you look from underneath, but as much as in that picture looks bad. No professional has been involved.
Or a very sloppy professional

At least 9 out of 10 centers look like that or worse. Would not make any judgment of the electrician solely based on that small thing.

 

[Mikael_L]

At least 9 out of 10 panels look like that or worse. I wouldn't judge the electrician solely based on that small thing.

Yes, I somewhat agree to the extent that (unfortunately) it quite often looks like that. But honestly, I believe that copper should be barely visible, and that's not the case here.

But I definitely wouldn't be outraged by this, take a picture and post it in "worst wiring," because just as you said, unfortunately, it often looks like that.

 

[JohanLun]

Yes, I agree to the extent that it (unfortunately) quite often looks like that.
But honestly, I believe that copper should be barely visible, and that's not the case here.

However, I certainly would not flip out over this, take a picture and post it in "worst electrical connection," because just as you say, unfortunately, it quite often looks like that.

But those loose spliced wires outside the panel surely can't be allowed? It's unfortunate that the panel wasn't higher up, feels like that would have solved the problem that's now very difficult to solve in a good way.

I would have been extremely dissatisfied and wouldn't have been able to settle for it not being redone...

 

[Mikael_L]

But the loose spliced wires outside the central box just can't be allowed, right? It's unfortunate that the central box isn't taller or mounted higher; it feels like that would have solved the issue, which now seems very difficult to solve in a good way.

I would have been extremely dissatisfied and couldn't accept that it wouldn't be redone...

Absolutely, the central box in the picture at the beginning of the thread is criminally poorly done.
Criminal in the literal sense of the word, as it is simply not a legal execution.

File a report with the electrical safety authority, help to get the worst rotten eggs out of the industry.