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    Home/Know your materials/Electrical materials

    Electrical materials

    Earth clamp

    Used for connecting earth cores to radiators and other plumbing apparatus. They will always have a metal safety label.

    One-piece connector

    Simple connection unit used to connect two pieces of flex.

    PVC earth sleeving

    Green-and-yellow PVC sleeving for covering bare earth cores.

    Cable ties

    Thin plastic strips with a self-locking loop at one end. When the other end is threaded through the loop it is gripped tight. Used to firmly secure foam lagging tubes around pipes and to hold together electric cables.

    Telephone joint box

    A connection unit allowing more than one extension line to run from one place.

    Single pole

    A type of switch that only breaks the live connection.

    Double pole

    The double pole-switch breaks both the live and neutral connections, isolating the appliance completely.

    Plastic terminal block

    An electrical terminal block is a simple method of connecting electric cables. They are also often fitted to cores when electric cable has been disconnected from a fitting while building work is taking place.

    Fuse wire

    Old style fuse boxes may be fitted with fuses that that can be rewired. It is important to remember to use the correct fuse wire for the circuit it is protecting.

    • 5-amp fuse wire is for lighting circuits
    • 15-amp fuse wire is for a circuit supplying an immersion heater
    • 30-amp fuse wire is for a ring main circuit or a circuit supplying an electric cooker up to 12KW

    Cartridge fuses

    Cartridge fuses protect the appliance in the event too high a current is drawn from the mains.  The cartridge fuse is fitted with a fine strip of wire which melts if the current is too large. However, different appliances are protected by fuses with different Ampere ratings.

    • 5-amp is used to protect a lighting circuit
    • 15-amp is used for protect a circuit supplying a storage or immersion heater
    • 20-amp is used with a 20 amp radial circuit
    • 30-amp is used to protect a ring main circuit or a 30 amp radial circuit
    • 45-amp is used for protecting a circuit supplying an electric cooker or shower

    Catenary wire

    A tensioned wire that supports overhead cables outside. The cable is fixed to the wire using buckles.

    Conduit

    Plastic tubing used to protect cable that is to be buried beneath the wall's surface.

    Junction box

    A unit for connecting cables on an electrical circuit: such as the supply cable and the flex on a lighting circuit.

    Baffle

    A fitting for an electric light that can reduce the glare.

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