Uses for 4-Core cable?

[twocvbloke]

I found a length of this 1.5mm 4-core cable out in the workshop, and I'm not too sure what this stuff's for, it's a regular 3-core with an extra wire (Black sheath), looking it up it's used for "control" applications, buuuuut, what sort of control?

 

It's this stuff:

 

 

Any suggestions?

[stagedamager]

It's used for two way switching circuits I.e landing light also being controlled from downstairs. I'm sure more qualified people will be along shortly!

Regards

Dan

[fudd]

I found a length of this 1.5mm 4-core cable out in the workshop, and I'm not too sure what this stuff's for, it's a regular 3-core with an extra wire (Black sheath), looking it up it's used for "control" applications, buuuuut, what sort of control?

 

It's this stuff:

 

 

Any suggestions?

Hello.It's used to wire items such as extractor fans when they are controlled by pir's or humidity detectors. That's one use anyway. Oh and by the way, the foto shows flex not cable. Don't mean to be pedantic. Regards Steve P.

Edited September 23, 2010 by fudd

[twocvbloke]

It's used for two way switching circuits I.e landing light also being controlled from downstairs. I'm sure more qualified people will be along shortly!

Regards

Dan

 

That would make sense, unlike the old wiring in this house (3 red wires behind a 2-way lightswitch is a tad confusing!!!)...

[twocvbloke]

Hello.It's used to wire items such as extractor fans when they are controlled by pir's or humidity detectors. That's one use anyway. Oh and by the way, the foto shows flex not cable. Don't mean to be pedantic. Regards Steve P.

 

I guess that's a good use too, thinking about it, this could be an offcut from when the boiler was replaced a few years ago, used for the thermostat at a guess...

 

And from one pedant to another, s'okay, I just refer to anything that carries electricity and has two or more wires inside as a cable, and hate hearing the americanism of "cord"...

[Semitrad]

I guess that's a good use too, thinking about it, this could be an offcut from when the boiler was replaced a few years ago, used for the thermostat at a guess...

 

More likely to be used for the programmer, to allow independent selection of heating or hot water.

[twocvbloke]

 

More likely to be used for the programmer, to allow independent selection of heating or hot water.

 

Only programmers in this house are on the boiler itself, but the thermostat does have a 4-way switch which goes between Constant <-> Timed <-> Timed (Summer) <-> Off, dunno how smart that thermostat is (not very if it can't get the temperature right in this house!!!), but the switch must send data over the 4th wire...

[ditchcrawler]

That would make sense, unlike the old wiring in this house (3 red wires behind a 2-way lightswitch is a tad confusing!!!)...

No this is flex not cable and should not be used for wiring switches. The other reply was correct, for connecting pir detectors etc that require a switch wire as well as live neutral and earth.

[alan_fincher]

You probably don't have one, but also used in things like antenna rotators, (although some types need more than 4 cores).

 

As has been said, this is a flex, not a cable, and should not be in used for any permanent wiring that's "embedded" in the house.

[twocvbloke]

No this is flex not cable and should not be used for wiring switches.

 

 

As has been said, this is a flex, not a cable, and should not be in used for any permanent wiring that's "embedded" in the house.

 

Ah, that's a shame, looks like it'd do well for lighting circuits (well, a higher-rated type at least), but still, it's not long enough for that sort of use...

[stagedamager]

You probably don't have one, but also used in things like antenna rotators, (although some types need more than 4 cores).

 

As has been said, this is a flex, not a cable, and should not be in used for any permanent wiring that's "embedded" in the house.

You are indeed correct as to the use of this. I should have written my original post better, I meant that 4 core cable could be used for multi switching circuits, not that this particular cable could be.

Sorry for any confusion

 

Regards

Dan

[RLWP]

Uses for 4-Core cable

 

Any suggestions?

 

Skipping rope

[twocvbloke]

Skipping rope

 

You'd need short legs or long arms for this length...

[NBMike]

I wired up a boiler yesterday and had to use 5 core flex (Heat resistant .75mm²)

 

Live, neutral, earth, switched live in and pump live feed out

Edited September 23, 2010 by NBMike

[mayalld]

You probably don't have one, but also used in things like antenna rotators, (although some types need more than 4 cores).

 

As has been said, this is a flex, not a cable, and should not be in used for any permanent wiring that's "embedded" in the house.

 

Well, it wouldn't typically be used for fixed wiring, because cable is cheaper than flex, but I'm not aware of anything that says it shouldn't be so used.

[nb Innisfree]

Handy if you need two or three conductor flex, just cut one or two off...no?

[Nickhlx]

As Dave says, why "should" flex not be used in a fixed application ?

 

Yes, we use solid core twin and earth in house wiring, but I thought that was because we could, without any fear of movement of it causing the cores to fracture with time.

 

The only reason I can think of that flex SHOULD not be used is because it's too high a spec for the application and would be a waste of money, not for any technical shortcoming. On a boat, where vibration is significant, I would have thought that it would be safer to use flex throughout, but then again, I don't lay down the rules and regs, and leave that to the experts...

 

Nick

Edited September 23, 2010 by Nickhlx

[alan_fincher]

Perhaps I'm wrong then - I never claim infallibility!

 

I thought they had to be wired in T&E, but I'm not an electrician, so perhaps I've imagined it.

 

Easier now, of course that the same brown/blue/green&yellow colours are used for house wiring as for the attached appliances - finding a suitable flex with black and red conductors, (which I assume used to be a requirement ?), might have been getting very difficult!

 

Those of us who have wired boats with Arctic cable though will know that typical 240 volt sockets are hardly suitable for terminating multi-strand copper. Would it be mandatory to fit a ferrule to the conductors before trying to get a good connection under the big screw ends ?

 

For boats IIRC, the recommendation is to use multi-stranded wire, not a solid conductor. If it's something like a hire boat that still comes under the remit of the 2002 BSS regulations, then I think the use of multi-strand actually becomes mandatory - one of the reasons why a boat that could pass the "normal" BSS might not be able to pass the "hire boat" one.

[DandV]

Flex has inferior heat dissipation due to the closer packing of its load carrying conductors compared to fixed wiring cable types of the same cross sectional area. Therefore it's use must be restricted to avoid high load applications where its surrounds may give inadequate heat dissipation and therefore create a fire risk. It has however far greater resistance fatigue failure due flexing and vibration therefore its applications as appliance cords and final connections to motors etc.

 

Cheers Don

[Nickhlx]

Flex has inferior heat dissipation due to the closer packing of its load carrying conductors compared to fixed wiring cable types of the same cross sectional area. Therefore it's use must be restricted to avoid high load applications where its surrounds may give inadequate heat dissipation and therefore create a fire risk. It has however far greater resistance fatigue failure due flexing and vibration therefore its applications as appliance cords and final connections to motors etc.

 

Cheers Don

 

It's specified and used for the connection from the wall to the immersion heater though - It's just a case of using adequate gauge flex for the application, as it always is.

 

Nick

[WotEver]

Any suggestions?

I used the exact same stuff (and still have some left over) to wire up a switch to two PIR floods on the side of a shed. So the floods switch automatically with the PIR, but can manually be overidden to permanently on by a switch inside the shed.

 

Tony

 

Those of us who have wired boats with Arctic cable though will know that typical 240 volt sockets are hardly suitable for terminating multi-strand copper. Would it be mandatory to fit a ferrule to the conductors before trying to get a good connection under the big screw ends ?

I don't believe it's mandatory, but it's what I do. The connection is 'orrible without one.

 

Tony

[twocvbloke]

I used the exact same stuff (and still have some left over) to wire up a switch to two PIR floods on the side of a shed. So the floods switch automatically with the PIR, but can manually be overidden to permanently on by a switch inside the shed.

 

Tony

 

Now that's an interesting use, the one reason I never bother with PIR lights out the back is cos of the issue of when you're out there, the lights flick off and on, having a light on steadily would be better...

 

That said, I've not really done much with lighting out the back, with the next door neighbours and their dogs, going out the back isn't as enjoyable as it used to be, so all I put up was a cheap bulkhead light with a 9w CFL, with plenty of silicone goop cos the supplied seal was inadequate...

 

Maybe in the next house, if there ever is one...

[Nickhlx]

Now that's an interesting use, the one reason I never bother with PIR lights out the back is cos of the issue of when you're out there, the lights flick off and on, having a light on steadily would be better...

 

That said, I've not really done much with lighting out the back, with the next door neighbours and their dogs, going out the back isn't as enjoyable as it used to be, so all I put up was a cheap bulkhead light with a 9w CFL, with plenty of silicone goop cos the supplied seal was inadequate...

 

Maybe in the next house, if there ever is one...

 

 

Most PIR controlled lights require a mains isolation switch. If you switch this switch off and back on again, "quickly", say within a second or so, it will put it in permanently on mode - check the instructions if you still have them

 

Nick

[twocvbloke]

Most PIR controlled lights require a mains isolation switch. If you switch this switch off and back on again, "quickly", say within a second or so, it will put it in permanently on mode - check the instructions if you still have them

 

Nick

 

The last PIR light I bought is still attached to my old house, the git of a landlord wouldn't let me take it back down...

[WotEver]

Most PIR controlled lights require a mains isolation switch. If you switch this switch off and back on again, "quickly", say within a second or so, it will put it in permanently on mode - check the instructions if you still have them

 

Nick

That's exactly what some friends told us about the builder-fitted PIR front and back when we moved into our house.

 

It didn't work.

 

Tony

 

It also doesn't work on the ones I fitted to the shed.