Cover Story

WORK FASTER, NOT HARDER

Quickwire and its innovative range of products are still relatively new to the market, and electricians are starting to realise that cheaper products are not always the most cost-effective ones.

There are always cheaper ways of doing a job, but when all things are considered, are they actually saving you money? Labour is often the most expensive part of any project, so if you can do two jobs in the time it would otherwise take to do one, then you must be doing something right.

16A junction boxes for lighting

First, an introduction to Quickwire. Quickwire connectors arrived on the scene in 2018, and the company has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Quickwire launched with two core products: a Splitter Junction Box, and Switch & Load junction box. Both are 16 amp rated, maintenance-free and designed for lighting circuits. The Splitter is a simple four-way splitter with a wide variety of applications, and the Switch & Load has a preconfigured internal layout allowing a three plate termination equivalent. However, the thing that really sets these products apart from existing junction boxes is the patented Quickwire connection terminals – simply put, all four connections can be wired in just seven seconds! Strip your wire, then push it into the push-fit connectors for quick and easy, screwless termination. The push fit design completely negates the need for fiddly screws, clamps, clips or covers. And because all Quickwire products are integrally cord gripped there is no need to screw them down.

Plugs and sockets

Building on the success of these two products, Quickwire released a plug and socket in 2020, bringing a whole new dimension to the Quickwire system. A Quickwire plug allows flexible cable to be terminated. This plug then fits into a Quickwire socket which has in/out Quickwire connections, accepting T&E. The Quickwire sockets can be connected in seconds at downlight points during first fix. After this it is a simple case of plugging in downlights at second fix. With a large room of downlights, the time savings are remarkable.

A Quickwire downlight – great idea!

Quickwire customers fit plugs and sockets on to all types of downlights to achieve a superior connection method. Recently, Quickwire has worked with Ricoman, a Manchester-based company, to produce a Quickwire-equipped, high quality integral downlight. These come factory fitted with a Quickwire plug, and a socket is also included in the box. These hit the market late last year and are selling like hot cakes.

One small thing…

The company likes to think it has the smallest junction boxes of their type on the market today. The compact design of all its products means they can be inserted through a 30mm hole in the ceiling. It’s easy to push a Quickwire product up into a ceiling void and pull it back down should you ever need to.

Made in Great Britain

And finally, just in case you needed any more reasons to like Quickwire, all this innovation and manufacturing comes from Great Britain. The company sources its plastics, and metal components from UK suppliers, and the machining and manufacturing is carried out solely in Quickwire’s factory in Reading. If you’ve ever picked up a Quickwire, you’ll notice the quality. Now you know why!

Quickwire, quickwire.co.uk

The company sources its plastics, and metal components from UK suppliers

Quickwire connectors arrived on the scene in 2018