The Home Improvements Thread (2)

[Geoff.D]

So they probably end the conduit against the pole, make sure it's sealed and run housewire up to the light.

The electrician that did mine did not even bother with a grommet or anything. just took the twin earth through a hole in the post at the bottom.

 

[xrapidx]

While on outdoor electrical, how waterproof are these?

 

[howardb]

While on outdoor electrical, how waterproof are these?

Not at all.
Might be splash proof, but not waterproof

 

[xrapidx]

Not at all.
Might be splash proof, but not waterproof

So not great for outdoor wiring?

 

[Geoff.D]

While on outdoor electrical, how waterproof are these?

Not very. Need to seal the lid with silicon but not recommended for outdoor use. Also, check the base for weak points where a conduit hole may be allowed for. That will also require sealing. And all conduits must be glued into place.

 

[howardb]

So not great for outdoor wiring?

What Geoff said. I tried the silicone thing but it's a pita and not 100% correct.

If access is needed, rather use a waterproof box/housing.

 

[xrapidx]

What Geoff said. I tried the silicone thing but it's a pita and not 100% correct.

If access is needed, rather use a waterproof box/housing.

Asking because I have a couple around the exterior of the house, it seems they've tried waterproofing them over the years with silicone, and painted over it - the walls are a mess around the boxes.

The conduit also wasn't secured to the wall, so I just added saddles to the conduit.

Only one of them has a cable join in it going three ways, once out the center from inside, then left and right - I replaced the black cable connectors with what are meant to be "water proof" connectors (the ones you heat with a lighter after crimping) for both the live and neutral wires, but the earth was too short to join all three, so I've basically just "hook" joined them to each other.

Problem I have with replacing the junction with a water proof one, is the cables inside the box are too short to redo the wiring - I'd need to rerun all the wires. I'l open the box later today to see how it held up with the rain.

 

[SAguy]

Asking because I have a couple around the exterior of the house, it seems they've tried waterproofing them over the years with silicone, and painted over it - the walls are a mess around the boxes.

The conduit also wasn't secured to the wall, so I just added saddles to the conduit.

Only one of them has a cable join in it going three ways, once out the center from inside, then left and right - I replaced the black cable connectors with what are meant to be "water proof" connectors (the ones you heat with a lighter after crimping) for both the live and neutral wires, but the earth was too short to join all three, so I've basically just "hook" joined them to each other.

Problem I have with replacing the junction with a water proof one, is the cables inside the box are too short to redo the wiring - I'd need to rerun all the wires. I'l open the box later today to see how it held up with the rain.

I was looking at the IP55 ones on livecopper for my outside wiring. IP55 should be adequate for rain IMO, provided that there is no pooling of water on or around it. CoC doesn't seem to care whether it's got an IP rating or not strangely enough. Of the 2 houses I've had CoC'd both had normal junction boxes out in the open, unprotected.

As for to redo the wiring, are you allowed to extend a wire in a junction box? Otherwise you could add another junction box which just extends the wiring from one side?

 

[xrapidx]

As for to redo the wiring, are you allowed to extend a wire in a junction box? Otherwise you could add another junction box which just extends the wiring from one side?

The central wire comes off a plug circuit on the otherside - so it'd be easy enough to extend. Then one of them goes off to an aircon, so it should be possbile to extend fairly easily as its only a few meters,

I suppose the biggest problem is working in the small space with the 2.5mm wiring - I already struggled just to make it neater. I'll take a pic quickly.

 

[xrapidx]

This is what most of them look like, I added the saddle - I also put screws inside to secure it to the wall, it was loose, you could see the wires at the back.

Some real tidy work around it.
.

This used to be two way (one out the wall - and then a conduit out to the left) - they replaced it a year ago to a three way when they did the aircon.

Not the neatest, but tried to replace the black connector with the below ones... the live wire is a little burnt, but not exposed.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the earth wire connected from all three directions - so settled on the below.

 

[SAguy]

This is what most of them look like, I added the saddle - I also put screws inside to secure it to the wall, it was loose, you could see the wires at the back.

Some real tidy work around it.
.

This used to be two way (one out the wall - and then a conduit out to the left) - they replaced it a year ago to a three way when they did the aircon.

Not the neatest, but tried to replace the black connector with the below ones... the live wire is a little burnt, but not exposed.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the earth wire connected from all three directions - so settled on the below.

That looks like some super uncomfortable to work in that space. Perhaps try a bigger junction box? May be a bit bulkier but at least you'll be able to connect the wires a bit more comfortably.

 

[xrapidx]

Yeh. you get a little square one which has more space in - used it for connecting my irrigation solenoids. I think I'll add it to my todo list - in the meantime, I'm going to silicone the existing one.

My main concern at this moment is the earth wire - the one side I've now redirected to an outdoor plug - which will have a metal pump connected to it.

 

[chickenbeef]

I use these when I do external wiring: https://www.builders.co.za/Electric...IP55-Square-Junction-Box/p/000000000000546561

I also looked at the Major Tech one posted earlier but this seals better. The Major Tech box I looked at didn't have any rubber/seal for the lid and it just clipped on. With the Masterplug, the lid screws on and it has a rubber seal between the lid and box.

The Masterplug also has an indentation to drill a 2-3mm drainage hole in case water does get in somehow.

 

[xrapidx]

That's the one I used for my irrigation solenoid connections.

 

[martin]

This is what most of them look like, I added the saddle - I also put screws inside to secure it to the wall, it was loose, you could see the wires at the back.

Some real tidy work around it.
.

This used to be two way (one out the wall - and then a conduit out to the left) - they replaced it a year ago to a three way when they did the aircon.

Not the neatest, but tried to replace the black connector with the below ones... the live wire is a little burnt, but not exposed.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the earth wire connected from all three directions - so settled on the below.

Pardon the ignorance, are those transparent heatshrinks or some other product you're using?

 

[xrapidx]

Pardon the ignorance, are those transparent heatshrinks or some other product you're using?

Bought them by mistake from Aliexpress - but, yes - they come in different sizes (and colour - the ones in the picture are actually yellow), put a cable in each side, crimp, and then heat.

I meant to order the ones with the solder in the middle - so no crimping.

 

[martin]

Bought them by mistake from Aliexpress - but, yes - they come in different sizes (and colour - the ones in the picture are actually yellow), put a cable in each side, crimp, and then heat.

I meant to order the ones with the solder in the middle - so no crimping.

The ones with the solder in the middle is exactly what I'm after to tidy up a horrible wiring job done by the guy that installed our gate motor. Thanks for the link.

 

[xrapidx]

The ones with the solder in the middle is exactly what I'm after to tidy up a horrible wiring job done by the guy that installed our gate motor. Thanks for the link.

You can get them locally, but at quite a cost - search for heat shrink connector

 

[martin]

You can get them locally, but at quite a cost - search for heat shrink connector

I have seen them locally but as you mention, pricing was above what I was willing to pay. It was going for something like R90 per connector (on special) which just seemed insane. It was a local, mom-and-pop hardware store but that's still completely unreasonable in my mind.

 

[SAguy]

The ones with the solder in the middle is exactly what I'm after to tidy up a horrible wiring job done by the guy that installed our gate motor. Thanks for the link.

This is why I try do as much wiring as I can myself (within the limitations of my knowledge), and get an electrician to finish the job - most of us would do a better job specifically because we're being extra cautious. In my previous house that had CoC, there were twin earth cables just running in the ceiling without being tacked down - and the inspection boxes had no glands on, just gaping holes in the sides.