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Hi,

My battery systems comprises Lux ACS3600 units, Pylons & Chinese stacks are currently installed in loft space. The original installation of the initial lux unit and pylons was undertaken professionally in 2019. I’ve just simply added to this over the years. Of course there’s now an awful lot of interest in batteries in roof and cellar spaces. I’ve decided to move my units from the loft space into my garage for peace of mind reasons. This will require undergrounding a run of SWA armoured cable into the garage.

Currently, each lux unit is connected into my main consumer unit via its own RCBO, then twin & earth cable into the loft & via an AC isolator into the Lux.

How should I wire it by moving it into the garage? My initial thoughts are that for each Lux I can use the same RCBO, the existing twin & cable run to a new junction box which the new length of SWA cable terminates on. Once it’s in the garage, then another junction box, onto twin & earth into the AC isolator. So essentially exactly the same as before with the addition of a length of SWA armoured cable in the middle. I’m proposing to earth each end of the cable’s armouring in the junction box to the earth of the twin & earth cable.

I have multiple Lux units, so will repeat the process for each one, and yes, multiple SWA runs.

I had thought about extending a new “ sub main” over a much thicker armoured cable out to the garage. However, the option presents a whole bunch of different issues regarding installation of consumer units, handling a much bigger cable etc. So having done some quick calculations, the cost of multiple smaller SWA cables is lower than a single large one, especially as I already gave some squirrelled away.

I’d appreciate any comments on this before I start to put the plan into effect.

Thanks - Rob

Can you not take the SWA directly to the RCBO and AC Isolators with the correct gland packs? it would eliminate a few potential terminations to go wonky?? I know SWA is nota the easiest stuff to manipulate but I personally think it worth it. Normally the gland earths the armour, but if your enclosures are plastic another connection is fine. One of the cores would also normally be the earth.

Desp

spread-tee wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2024 2:08 pm Can you not take the SWA directly to the RCBO and AC Isolators with the correct gland packs? it would eliminate a few potential terminations to go wonky?? I know SWA is nota the easiest stuff to manipulate but I personally think it worth it. Normally the gland earths the armour, but if your enclosures are plastic another connection is fine. One of the cores would also normally be the earth.

Desp

Hi, thanks for the reply. I should have said that the SWA is 3 core so there will be an earth connection via that anyway, but I assumed that the steel armouring needed to be earth as well? Good point about taking the SWA into the consumer unit and AC isolators, it might be possible with the isolators, but impossible with the RCBOs.

Rob

Yes you need to use glands, easy to do a few you tube videos will sort you, the gland earths the armour ensuring that in the event day of a spade damaging the cable the armour which is now earthed will activate the protective device

AGT wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2024 5:11 pm Yes you need to use glands, easy to do a few you tube videos will sort you, the gland earths the armour ensuring that in the event day of a spade damaging the cable the armour which is now earthed will activate the protective device

Earth it at both ends of each cable? I was going to use one of the new fangled earth nuts as opposed to the thin brass washer with the tab on.

Thanks

Yes both ends, banjo’s sometimes need a flying lead and a 6mm nut and bolt/crimp to then earth the armour to the the earth terminal say in the plastic isolator( along with the other conductor as you are using 3 core

AGT wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2024 6:14 pm Yes both ends, banjo’s sometimes need a flying lead and a 6mm nut and bolt/crimp to then earth the armour to the the earth terminal say in the plastic isolator( along with the other conductor as you are using 3 core

Thanks