Containment choice for small commercial units.

[Amp David]

Just looking for others view on the way they would approach containment in small commercial units. I know cost is an important factor, but if the customer hasn't specified exactly what they would like, would you go down?

The route of tray fastened to the walls, with SWA tied to it and dropping down to the isolators plus etc or would you prefer to install galv trunking around, then drop down in conduits, using singles.

Going to look at a small commercial unit later on today, so thought i'd see what others would do. Nearly always in the past i've gone down the SWA/tray route, but that's mainly because how the previous works been done.

Would like to get other view and opinions on this

Thanks

 

[Sintra]

Personally I would go for galv trunking with conduit drops wired in singles.

 

[i=p/u]

id sub it out to professional like me .., and you chill with wife, ok id blend in w

 

[malcolmsanford]

The modern method does seem to be basket/tray and SWA/hituf. Which as a dinosaur I hate.

On the trunking front mate depends on the enviroment if it's a nice clean IT repair type place or builder then PVC can be a nice job, with some of the eubiq power management system, but pricey though.

If it's more heavy commerical say a garage or something then trunking and galv conduit.

 

[Amp David]

id sub it out to professional like me .., and you chill with wife, ok id blend in w

Don't think it'd be worth your whiles making the journey lol

 

[Amp David]

Trunking does look for more professional i suppose.

They're going to be doing plastic engineering in there, so its lathes, drill CNC machines etc.

 

[mogga]

Nice bit of galv 4x4 run at around 8ft b/e drops to equipment
other rout is trunking/conduit for lighting and central busbar for machinery as som places like the option to move machinery around

 

[Amp David]

Looking at the kind of machines they have, once they've been leveled and installed they stay put, plus once all his kit is in he won't have any spare space to move them around.

He want a price for both ways so time to get my brain in gear and do some calcs me thinks.

Cheers for the input guys:icon14:

 

[telectrix]

give them the option. IMO, you can have tray and SWA up and running in the time it takes to fit trunking and conduit containment only, then you got to wire it.

 

[Amp David]

Agree with you there, suppose thats why a lot are done that way

 

[rallyandy]

Hi Amp i,m just in the process of wiring a small commercial unit that just distributes clutches, they had a second floor built as offices and all was a blank canvas, i ve used plastic 50 x50 trunking
and drops in plastic conduit its been a good job so far with a mix of low bays , high bays , cat2 lighting in offices all on Klix plugs to enable is testing.

I used plastic due to the good environment with no machinery, or detrimental influences.

 

[mogga]

if he wants realy cheap hows about YY or SY on basket make it look like a temp job

 

[i=p/u]

dig deep lad

Don't think it'd be worth your whiles making the journey lol

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Did a similar job not long ago, they wanted it cheapish and as all machines were fed by spurs from the DB, I clipped direct SWA to a mix of single and three phase isolators and commandos.

It looked quite neat.

 

[Amp David]

if he wants realy cheap hows about YY or SY on basket make it look like a temp job

DOn't think hes that tight!

 

[somersetsparks]

Id go with the galv trunking and conduit or galv trunking and placcy conduit if the area is not at risk of high impact.
Galv trunking is slightly cheaper then placcy and is lots better, you could jump gaps with steel and its rigid, plastic distorts over any little lump.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I prefer Galve trunking with conduit(PVC or metal) drops myself.
I find it easier to alter at a later date.

 

[Knobhead]

I would go for galvanised trunking and conduit drops*. The drops can be knocked out quickly in the W/S before hand. Just set a standard height for every outlet and switch, simple! Professional looking and robust.

*To be honest I’d really go for battleship grey GE PowerCentre trunking and black japanned conduit with no CPC in any of it, but I’m old fashioned!

 

[somersetsparks]

I would go for galvanised trunking and conduit drops*. The drops can be knocked out quickly in the W/S before hand. Just set a standard height for every outlet and switch, simple! Professional looking and robust.

*To be honest I’d really go for battleship grey GE PowerCentre trunking and black japanned conduit with no CPC in any of it, but I’m old fashioned!

Haha, If left to my own devices, I run all the trunking and conduit without any CPC, I use locknuts or scratchy washers behind any bushes, silicone grease on any joints, bonding links etc. Best readings you will ever get.
I also think it encourages people to do a better conduit job If they know it has to be relied on for earth, you treat every joint like a cable joint 'with care and make sure its tight!'

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I'd be very wary of using conduit as a CPC with the state of modern brass bushes.

 

[Knobhead]

The wife would take the p*ss out of me when we were out shopping and I’d go in the Boots to get a couple of jars of black nail polish. You would never see any nicks or scratches on my black japanned conduit.

I was told by the works storekeeper that our foreman had been to pick up some supplies for me. He’d opened a box of 20mm couplings and found they were galvanised, he chucked them away and ordered more black couplings. He was scared to bring them to me as he knew I would go wappy!

 

[mogga]

when doing trunking/conduit do you fit lockrings on couplings or not? do you fit serated washers or not? its normal practice in scotland to fit lockrings but not by english firms WHY?

 

[malcolmsanford]

When you fit a running nipple as I seem to call it or a running coupling I was taught to also fit a ring nut to lock it of, never a lock nut as they are hexagonal, a ring nut.

I only use serated or anti. vibration washers on earthing banjos and such, never to lock of a bush or ring/lock nut

 

[Knobhead]

When you fit a running nipple as I seem to call it or a running coupling I was taught to also fit a ring nut to lock it of, never a lock nut as they are hexagonal, a ring nut.

That is the way I was taught to do it, who wants an ugly locknut spoiling a smooth run! In desperation I’ve even resorted to grinding a locknut round.

PS the exposed thread would then get a dose of the nail polish

 

[malcolmsanford]

The way I was taught to do it, who wants an ugly locknut spoiling a smooth run!

PS the exposed thread would then get a dose of the nail polish

I'm begining to worry about you and your nail polish old mate.

The only reason I put the ring nut down, was years ago on a prestigious site a whole installation was fitted with lock nuts where running couplers were used, it was lovely to see the conduit pushed of the wall as in some places they could not be chewed to even make sure a flat edge was against a wall.

 

[Knobhead]

I'm begining to worry about you and your nail polish old mate.

All the conduit work I’ve done was in plants built in the 1930’s, I was taking out old Reyrolle HH switchgear and replacing it with GE MiniForm. I wasn’t having my work criticised by the old guys, it became a matter of pride. I even had to learn to do paper lead cables as some of the new gear used the old cables.

 

[somersetsparks]

when doing trunking/conduit do you fit lockrings on couplings or not? do you fit serated washers or not? its normal practice in scotland to fit lockrings but not by english firms WHY?

On our firm lockrings behind bushes has always been standard mate, as spinlondon pointed out bushes are pretty feeble and have no surface area, if you fit them without a lockring you can sometimes see light through the joint, especially on knockouts.
Well I always do it and im glad to hear others do as well!

 

[Knobhead]

It’s purely good workmanship! The more surface area the better the conductivity. Not rocket science INIT!