News/Renewables news/Product news
Plugged in POLE PROTECTION G.H. Lucas has introduced two more mini-gel covers to its Raytech range, designed to protect electrical connections from water ingress, dust and insects, for use in outdoor environments or in conditions where exposure to moisture is likely. <Gel cover The Isaac is suitable for two or three-pole connectors and the Pascal for five-pole connectors, and work by displacing the pre-filled gel and snapping the cover shut. No tools are required and the finished product can be used for full submersion in water. The new products complement Raytech’s existing Mammut gel cover and gel cover 6 options. www.ghlucas.co.uk
SUFFOCATING SPARKS Wylex has developed a range of self-adhesive intumescent strips that fit inside the consumer unit and react when exposed to heat. Designed to help minimise the spread of electrical fires, the strips, once activated, create a ‘char’ that expands and flows around the heat source and surrounding area, smothering any fire and reducing the oxygen supply. The char also restricts the heat of any fire from reaching the surface of the enclosure, reducing the danger of it spreading to surrounding materials. The product has been developed with the help of the fire testing authority BM Trada, and follows the recent changes to BS7671 designed to prevent the spread of fires originating in consumer units. www.electrium.co.uk
<Knipex plastic pliers
ROOM WITH A VIEW
LIVE ACTION
Schneider Electric has developed two new consumer units, which it says are designed to allow customers to make a living room feature out of the humble box. The Easy9+ and Resi9+ circuit protection ranges have been designed to blend in with the style of a modern house and can even accommodate a family picture on the front of the unit. Both ranges also include labelling kits with pictograms and text and an incoming cable clamp kit option designed to minimise cable disturbance at the incoming device. The products can be either flush or surface-mounted and are designed for both newbuild and retrofit buildings. www. schneiderelectric. com/uk
The new flat nose and snipe nose pliers from KNIPEX are designed to make it easier and safer for installers to work on live parts. The pliers are made of solid plastic and reinforced with fibreglass and protect against bridging while reducing the risk of short circuits. Both sets of pliers are VDE tested, meaning installers can use them on live parts up to AC 1,000V and DC 1,500V. The robustness of the design means they can also be used in tough environments such as those where there is exposure to chemicals and in temperatures of as low as -40°C. www.knipex.com
< Easy9+ consumer unit
SPOTTING FAULTS IS NO FLUKE
< Wireless Clamp Meters
The new 370FC series clamp meters from Fluke are designed to help installers identify intermittent faults without the need to be present when equipment is not working. The clamp meters log measurements around voltage and performance, including recording data as seen by circuit protection devices. The meters feature a measurement range of up to 2 500A AC, while the 376 and 375 FC models record DC up to 500mV. Installers and building operators can view measurements using the Fluke Connect smartphone app, and results are also wirelessly transmitted to the cloud, meaning they can be shared with others working off-site. www.fluke.co.uk
TOUGH FIXTURES
< Intumescent strip fitted inside metal consumer unit cover
Partex UK has responded to the third amendment to BS 7671, which requires wiring systems to be supported by fire-resistant fasteners and fixings, by developing a new range of galvanised steel mini-trunking cable retaining clips, stainless steel cable tie mounts and spacer-bar saddles. The steel mini-trunking clips are equipped with an M6 fixing hole, with the MTCC-T2/6 version designed for T2 mini-trunking and the MTCC-T3/6 suitable for both T3 and T4 mini-trunking. The stainless steel cable tie mounts come with either M4 or M6 fixing holes, while the spacer-bar saddles can be used with 20mm or 25mm conduit. www.partex.co.uk < Fire proof fixings
Connections Winter 2015-2016
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