ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Hello from the U.K.

>I think wirenuts came along ... in the early-mid '50s.
Perhaps so. But they weren't in common use until long after that based on what Nick and I have seen.

>In Sweden we have something called “Top-clamp” ... a small plastic cone in which you twist the wires together. Is that something similar to a wire-nut?
That sounds exactly like it.

Our preferred ones have a copper "spring" (closely wrapped spiral) inside the cone that screws down tight on the wires.

kent,

Welcome!
You description sounds like our "Wirenuts"
Here is a picture of some common ones. They come in different sizes.



Bill

Kent,
A friend of mine's wife is from Sweden and they moved there about a year ago. He is working as an electrician in Sweden now. When he first started he got in trouble from his boss for double wrapping tie wire to tie things off. Apparently metal is a rare and expensive commodity in Sweden! Is this true? We use tie wire over here like it grows on trees!
Also, I understand you use alot of glue or silicon to mount wiring to wall panels.
Nick

pauluk and the rest of the gang. the chocolate blocks sound very similair to the terminals used in industrial applications here, except that we use them mounted in a metal strip that is screwed to the backplane of a panel. It is interesting to here of other countries methods , especially the UK since I can trace my ancestors to there.

Before wirenuts, and after solder and tape, at least in this area, crimp on barrels were used for conductor splicing. They were taped.
Their use was continued in residential wiring long after wirenuts were around. The wirenuts became popular early on in commercial and industrial applications because they could be removed and conductors could be added or taken off without having to cut anything.

Nick

It sounds like your friend’s boss is holding the company wallet pretty tight. At my firm we have no restriction on the use of tie wire, we use it a lot in industrial installations to fasten cables on what we call “cable ladders” (I don’t now if the last is a World Wide term). About the glue business, some people use melting glue to fasten the PVC pipes which is used for “hidden wiring”. I really don’t know how common it is. In the area I work we use ordinary nails. You US guys seem to use a lot of metal pipes when wiring, even on the outside of walls. Do you use pipes and “lose wires” instead of cables or have I completely misunderstood the photos I seen?

kent,

If you've got any interesting pictures of work over there I'm sure We'd be interested in seeing them. If you send them (with breif description) to Me I'll post them here.

The same goes for any of our other visitors reading this.


Bill
Bill@Electrical-Contractor.net

Hello Kent:

Compared to the other guys on here, you're practically a next-door neighbor to me in Sweden!

I'm sure everyone will forgive your not understanding all the terminology - I doubt anyone else here knows any Swedish whatsoever!

The "pipes" you refer to for running wires are known as "conduit." We use it here in England as well, but mostly on industrial work. It's almost never used on domestic wiring in the U.K. (even for the service entrance), but it's more common in the States because they have stricter codes which specify that it must be used in certain places.

I think the "cable ladder" you mentioned sounds like what we would call "cable tray."

Bill

What type of photos would you like to see? Pic's of installations, electric material used in Sweden, code violations? Tell me and maybe I can get some.