Wiska box, not much better than the Toolstation on, how should one do this?

[Chris Green]

This continues from the "How to remove knockouts....." thread. I'm
beginning to think I must be incompetant or something but I've never
had so much trouble before with a relatively simple requirement.

I now have a Wiska outdoor box and their spring earth clips.

The knockouts work! That's one improvement on the Toolstation box.
Simply screwing a gland into a hole in the box pushes the knockout
out, so that's one hurdle overcome.

However, it's all downhill from here on.

This is a replacement box, the old one got damaged, so the wires are
already in place and can't be moved much as they disappear into the
ground. So this produces problem one, you have to remove the gland
from the SWA, screw the gland into the box and then re-do the SWA
clamping into the gland. It's possible but it's not easy, I'm just
glad the weather is reasonably warm. It would be much easier to
terminate the cables first and then fix them into the box with a nut.
I think maybe I'll have to do this, but see below.

Then on to the Wiska 'Earthing Springs':-

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WKESPR20.html

It sounds a wonderful idea but it doesn't really work. With standard
M20 glands there really isn't enough thread exposed to clip the spring
on, it's also well-nigh impossible to actually do it because squeezing
the eylets doesn't open the spring enough to clip on, it opens on the
skew and just doesn't work. If there was a lot of thread exposed it
might be possible but in reality it doesn't. I'm also not at all
convinced about the long-term security of such a connection, I don't
think I want to rely on it.


So, back to square one, how to replace an outdoor connection box with
three M20 SWA glands into it? I think I need to go back to a plain
box without threaded holes as one can then secure the glands with a
nut **after** fixing the gland onto the cable. However that raises a
couple of issues:-

Can one get brass 20mm washers for the glands, and brass nuts? The
ones I took apart from the old broken box were steel and very
corroded.

How to tighten the nuts given the limited accessibility, I guess a
custom made box spanner - short box with a handle - might be the
best answer.

Any/all advice (and sympathy) welcome! :-)

[Andy Burns]

Post by Chris Green
It would be much easier to
terminate the cables first and then fix them into the box with a nut.
I think maybe I'll have to do this, but see below.
Then on to the Wiska 'Earthing Springs':-

Would a Wiska Piranha nut work?

[Chris Green]

Post by Andy Burns

Post by Chris Green
It would be much easier to
terminate the cables first and then fix them into the box with a nut.
I think maybe I'll have to do this, but see below.
Then on to the Wiska 'Earthing Springs':-

Would a Wiska Piranha nut work?

Yes, probably, but I think the 'Essentials' nuts from Screwfix would
actually be better:-

https://www.screwfix.com/p/essentials-earthing-nuts-20mm-2-pack/77809

As several comments say, they are expensive, but they solve most of
the problems connecting SWA into a box. I hope the screws aren't
steel!!

[John Rumm]

Post by Chris Green
This continues from the "How to remove knockouts....." thread. I'm
beginning to think I must be incompetant or something but I've never
had so much trouble before with a relatively simple requirement.
I now have a Wiska outdoor box and their spring earth clips.
The knockouts work! That's one improvement on the Toolstation box.
Simply screwing a gland into a hole in the box pushes the knockout
out, so that's one hurdle overcome.

ok good start...

Post by Chris Green
However, it's all downhill from here on.
This is a replacement box, the old one got damaged, so the wires are
already in place and can't be moved much as they disappear into the
ground. So this produces problem one, you have to remove the gland
from the SWA, screw the gland into the box and then re-do the SWA
clamping into the gland. It's possible but it's not easy, I'm just
glad the weather is reasonably warm. It would be much easier to
terminate the cables first and then fix them into the box with a nut.
I think maybe I'll have to do this, but see below.
Then on to the Wiska 'Earthing Springs':-
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WKESPR20.html
It sounds a wonderful idea but it doesn't really work. With standard
M20 glands there really isn't enough thread exposed to clip the spring
on, it's also well-nigh impossible to actually do it because squeezing
the eylets doesn't open the spring enough to clip on, it opens on the
skew and just doesn't work. If there was a lot of thread exposed it
might be possible but in reality it doesn't. I'm also not at all
convinced about the long-term security of such a connection, I don't
think I want to rely on it.

Not tried those so can't comment.

Post by Chris Green
So, back to square one, how to replace an outdoor connection box with
three M20 SWA glands into it? I think I need to go back to a plain
box without threaded holes as one can then secure the glands with a
nut **after** fixing the gland onto the cable. However that raises a
couple of issues:-

Yup, when all the wires are fixed length, it can be difficult trying to
do too many jobs at once. I would fit the glands to the SWA, then fit
the glads to the box, then fix the box, and lastly wire it up. That
makes it easier to work with shorter lengths of SWA, and only fight one
at a time. Fixing the box after attaching the glands allows a bit more
wiggle room if necessary.

Post by Chris Green
Can one get brass 20mm washers for the glands, and brass nuts?

The supplied banjo tags are IME normally non ferrous - although not as
shiny and bright as the brass glands themselves.

Post by Chris Green
ones I took apart from the old broken box were steel and very
corroded.

The thin backnuts are usually steel though. That matters a bit less
since they are there for clamping force rather that electrical connection.

Post by Chris Green
How to tighten the nuts given the limited accessibility, I guess a
custom made box spanner - short box with a handle - might be the
best answer.

There is a variation of the bush spanner that will fit over the backnuts:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CKT4765.html

Post by Chris Green
Any/all advice (and sympathy) welcome! :-)

Go with a plain unthreaded box, bin the backnuts and banjo tags, and use
Piranha nuts or similar:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/PRPEN20.html

Here is one I needed to put back in place with three of the 4 SWA fixed
in length (but new glands)... Turns out I had one fewer Piranha nut in
stock than I thought - hence the banjo tag used on one!

Loading Image...
--
Cheers,

John.

/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/

[Chris Green]

[snip me moaning]

Post by John Rumm

Post by Chris Green
So, back to square one, how to replace an outdoor connection box with
three M20 SWA glands into it? I think I need to go back to a plain
box without threaded holes as one can then secure the glands with a
nut **after** fixing the gland onto the cable. However that raises a
couple of issues:-

Yup, when all the wires are fixed length, it can be difficult trying to
do too many jobs at once. I would fit the glands to the SWA, then fit
the glads to the box, then fix the box, and lastly wire it up. That
makes it easier to work with shorter lengths of SWA, and only fight one
at a time. Fixing the box after attaching the glands allows a bit more
wiggle room if necessary.

Post by Chris Green
Can one get brass 20mm washers for the glands, and brass nuts?

The supplied banjo tags are IME normally non ferrous - although not as
shiny and bright as the brass glands themselves.

Post by Chris Green
ones I took apart from the old broken box were steel and very
corroded.

The thin backnuts are usually steel though. That matters a bit less
since they are there for clamping force rather that electrical connection.

Post by Chris Green
How to tighten the nuts given the limited accessibility, I guess a
custom made box spanner - short box with a handle - might be the
best answer.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CKT4765.html

Post by Chris Green
Any/all advice (and sympathy) welcome! :-)

Go with a plain unthreaded box, bin the backnuts and banjo tags, and use
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/PRPEN20.html
Here is one I needed to put back in place with three of the 4 SWA fixed
in length (but new glands)... Turns out I had one fewer Piranha nut in
stock than I thought - hence the banjo tag used on one!
https://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/File:ExteriorJBWithPiranhaNuts.jpg

Thanks John, really useful all that.