Can an IEC 309 plug fit onto 10mm2 SWA cable?

Question

I have 20m of 10mm2 SWA already laid and buried between the garage and a yard master shed.

One end of the SWA cable is currently outside the yard master shed where it comes out of the patio at the bottom of the garden.

I had the idea of fitting a IEC 309 IP67 rated male socket onto the yardmaster shed externally and then running a 10mm2 twin and earth from this to a consumer unit within and also to fit a IEC 309 IP67 rated female plug onto the end of the 10mm2 SWA cable. The idea being that I can plug the SWA cable into the external socket fitted on the yardmaster.

The other end would connect into a 45A cooker style switch in the garage and then onward to a 32A Time delayed RCBO in the main house consumer unit.

So can a IEC 309 female plug be fitted onto the end of a 10mm2 SWA cable?

spuorgelgoog · Accepted Answer

Probably not, as there won't be a gland to properly clamp and connect the armour.Discussed with a photo at

John Rumm · Answer

Any particular reason you need this to be able to disconnect it in this way?

Not any that I have seen. You could do it with a transition box of some kind to switch to a different cable type - but it would look pretty horrid.

IME an exterior surface mount JB on the outside of the building with the SWA entering vie the proper gland on the bottom of the box, is an easy way to connect a building. In some cases I use an external socket as the JB.

The Other Mike · Answer

The terminals in the 16A and 32A versions only fit 2.5mm^2 and 6mm^2 conductors respectively, with a 63A version you can fit up to 16mm^2 and the outside diameter should fit the gland. But 63A connectors are quite expensive and circuit protection arrangements where there are pluggable and possibly variable elements could be less than effective.

Are you somehow wishing to avoid a 'permanent' installation so as to ignore the requirements of prat P?

A set of terminals, an IP rated box, a bit of DIN rail and some suitable glands are maybe 20 quid.

--

stephenten · Answer

You have given me an idea. I already have an ip67 box. I could buy a Henley block for the live and neutral and a earth MET terminal block

Put both of these into box, use a SWA cable gland, the SWA is coloured 3 phase so I have 10mm2 wire available for live, neutral and earth rather than use the armour.

Furthermore I can run a short length of 10mm2 from the MET to the yardmaster shed as it's an all galvanised steel shed for earth bonding purposes. ( I am exporting the earth from the garage which is only 14m away so shouldn't need to put in a separate earth.)

What do you all think?

Can an IEC 309 plug fit onto 10mm2 SWA cable?

Join the Discussion

Didn't find your answer?