LOOSE WIRES CAUSE FIRES 🔥 - A TORQUE SCREWDRIVER WON'T HELP!

A torque screwdriver doesn't replace the skill and competence of a good electrician. We explore the common mistakes some installers make which won't be detected by using an electricians torque screwdriver.

The mistakes shown in this video can lead to electrical fires, damaged consumer units and expensive repairs. All are easily avoided with care, attention and skill.

✅ More from the eFIXX Talk the Torque series:

Electrical safety first report on consumer unit meter tails
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🕐 TIME STAMPS 🕕
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00:00 Poor terminations
00:36 Give it a wiggle
01:15 Adding a new consumer unit
02:08 How do you prepare your meter tails
02:49 PVC is a poor conductor
03:11 Poor termination
03:51 To the side of the screw
04:43 Missing the bus bar
05:54 Damaged conductors
06:38 Missing conductor strands
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📹 Presented by
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Gordon Routledge CEng MIET - Technology Editor eFIXX ===================================
#efixx #electricians #consumerunits

[TheCraig]

proper visual inspection & then a good tug test of terminated ends always makes sense

[dennisphoenix]

Bring back the old brown wylex consumer unit . 2 screws for every connection, lives neutrals and tails . No flimsy caged terminals. Also put ferrules onto meter tails, this would stop the splaying of the individual strands . Hager supplied tail ferrules with their consumer units years ago . They were clearly ahead of their time

[_______DR_______]

With tails I always flatten a bit with pliers, terminate, and wiggle/re-tighten a couple of times. And another one: when doing a board is tighten as you go, but always to a full check of every terminal top left to bottom right before the lid goes on.
I will admit until recently I haven't been a big user of the torque screwdriver, and even now I find it a bit funny that the importance of torque values (which i do not doubt are important) is stressed for distribution boards/consumer units, but its fine to use your own judgment for almost everything else. I've seen just as many cooked terminals in electric shower units and their isolation switches as I have in any switchgear enclosure.
I also have to wonder, do all DNOs and suppliers insist on using torque drivers when they put their plastic cutout and meter on the bit of cheap chipboard that goes under our nice non-combustible/torqued up consumer unit? 😂

[johnmilla]

Experience is key. Efixx is a reminder. Common sense is a requirement. Nice video

[chrisardern]

Maybe if the manufacturers started to use terminal screws that dont strip before you get to the torque setting might help.

[j.f]

Use an isolator with round holes specifically for meter tails. Henley blocks also have round holes.
Most DNO'S and suppliers now use the Proteus double screw round hole iso.

[andysims]

In the old days it was rare to have problems with the old Wylex consumer units where every live and neutral terminal had 2 screws.
Lots of the old wylex had wooden backs. Guess what we were told we couldn’t use them as the wood was combustible and we had to use plastic consumer units . What a joke the plastic ones were 20 times more combustible

[PraxZimmerman]

Cross-threaded bolts. See it a lot on screw-in battery terminals. Bolt gets stuck, but you got the right torque on it, so everything must be fine right? But the cable is totally loose.

[edhunter]

As a meter engineer, I lean towards flattening out the cable strands except when its really fine multi strand as it tends to get cut by the terminal screws.
I cleat the consumer unit tails to the board after de-energising but before removing them from either the meter outlet or isolator. Always try and swap any single screw/clamp terminal isolator for double screw. I have a method of doing a final check for tightness before sealing up and everything gets a little tug test.
Had cutouts where the DNO haven’t tightened anything.

[posei]

So, why are the ferrules on cable called "bootlaces ferrules" and the ferrules on Bootlaces are called Aiglets? Just curious

[markkennard]

Focus on the terminal hole size. The conductor should be twisted (for stranded conductors)and folded so as to fill the hole with as much copper as practical. Visually examine every termination as you go and then check every terminal again when finished. If you making bad connections it might be time to give it up..

[oal]

Professionals don’t use torque because they want to, it’s because if something goes wrong they can blame the manufacturer. It’s about responsibility transfer, from the user to the manufacturer.

[andrewdale]

How much contact do wago connectors make with the cable compared to screw terminals?

[Poorlybobsdad]

When in any fuse box, I routinely go left to right, top to bottom to check terminal tightness. There’s usually some loose.

[gavkit]

Awesome guys nice to see information like this making it out to a wider arena

[joopterwijn]

Just a question, with stranded wiring should you not default use a crimp sleeve? And a remark about torque, if find it often rather difficult to find the specs specifically on older stuff.

[davidclark]

We have all come across the over tightened screw in a socket where one side of the screw slot has broken off! Or, one wire has acted a a fuse and blown off in a fault leaving an open ring! Over tightening a screw isn't doing anyone any favours. It's nearly as bad as under tightening! Good video again!

[JorgeAMG]

Absolutely schocking that you guys over there still use Screws on anything.. sockets, switches, light fitting, terminals in 2022.

[jameshorspool]

I agree with the extendable flip mirror to check ✔ ✅ 👌 😉 got myself one, I must say fantastic work, thankyou for your amazing and informative videos 📹.

[gordonshumway]

Should low voltage (12-24V) terminals also be torqued down? Is it considered good practice or overkill?