UNIT 204

CHAPTER 4
INSTALLATIONOF

WIRING SYSTEMS AND

ENCLOSURES
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 Chapter 4: Installation of wiring systems and enclosures

Type of screwdriver Description and uses

Older screws tend to have a slotted head. Flat-blade Chapter

Flat-blade
screwdrivers are designed to fit into this type of screw head.
Available in all sizes from the small terminal driver type to 4 163
large heavy duty versions.

Most fixing screws now have Phillips-type heads. Phillips

Phillips screwdrivers tend to be available in two sizes: smaller for
terminal screws and larger for fixing screws.

Similar to Phillips, posidrive screws are often used as terminal

Posidrive
Table 4.1: Screwdriver tips
Ratchet screwdrivers
screws. The posidrive’s star shape makes for a firmer grip Unit
between the screwdriver and the screw itself.
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Safe working
Never point a ratchet screwdriver

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Ratchet screwdrivers are fitted with mechanical gearing which means that towards your own, or anyone
you can turn the screwdriver bit by either: else’s, face if the shaft is retracted
into the main body. The shaft will
• pumping the handle spring out with a lot of force and
• turning a handle which will only engage when rotated in one direction.
ro could cause a serious eye injury.

Magnetic screwdrivers
Magnetic screwdrivers and gripping screwdrivers will hold a screw steady if it
is being inserted into an awkward position where you cannot grip the screw
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with your fingers. Magnetic screwdrivers can also be used for picking up
screws that have dropped into small or difficult spaces.
Electric screwdrivers
Electric screwdrivers are being used more and more. Although they can be
purchased as a specialist power tool, most modern electric drills will accept
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screwdriver bits and are geared so that they can not only tighten fixing
screws, but also loosen them by being run in reverse.

Tool Check for: Optimum performance PPE to be worn when

using these tools

• Damage to handles • Flat-headed – blade is There is no PPE specific

General purpose
• Shaft loose in the handle sharp and undamaged to using screwdrivers.
hand-held
• Damage to insulation on handles • Phillips and posidrive – The main method of
screwdrivers • Damage to insulation on screwdriver shaft end is intact and not worn controlling risk is
careful use.
Ratchet • Weakened catch that will not hold retracted shaft Keep retractable shaft
screwdrivers lubricated

• Insulation is intact • Battery is fully charged if

• Shaft and tip is undamaged battery type
Electric
• No sign of overheating • Tips are sharp with no
screwdrivers
• On/off switch or trigger is working wear on edges
• Lead and plug are undamaged (if plug-in type)

Table 4.2: Using screwdrivers safely

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 Chapter 4: Installation of wiring systems and enclosures

Tool Check for: Optimum performance PPE and other safety advice

Jig saw • Damaged lead and plug • Do not use worn blades. • Eye protection Chapter

• Damaged insulation
• General damage
• Faulty on/off switch/trigger
• Loose blade clamping screws
4 169
• Use the right blade for the material. • Gloves
• If possible use a guide to keep the • Ear protectors
saw on the cutting line. • Secure the workpiece
• Always cut away from yourself

Circular saw • Damaged lead and plug
• Damaged insulation
• General damage
• Faulty on/off switch/trigger
• Check guard is in place and
working properly.
Table 4.7: Using saws safely
• Do not use worn blades. • Eye protection
• Use the right blade for the material. • Gloves
• Use a guide to keep the saw on the • Ear protectors
cutting line. • Secure the workpiece
• Always cut away from yourself
Unit
if using a hand-held version
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Progress check 4.2
1 Why is a retractable bladed

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Hammers knife a safe option for the
The hammer is probably the most basic item in the electrician’s toolbox and electrician?
is used for a wide variety of jobs, such as knocking in nails and driving a 2 In which direction should
chisel through masonry or wood. Hammers are generally graded according
ro the teeth of a hacksaw
to the weight of their head. blade face?
3 What type of saw is used
for cutting holes in
Type of hammer Use plasterboard walls?
Claw hammer
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The claw hammer is two tools in one. The hammer face is
used for general work and the claw is used for removing
unwanted nails and other levering tasks. To remove a nail,
the head is gripped between the two blades of the claw and
the top of the hammer used as the fulcrum of a lever action.

Ball pein hammer

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Like the claw hammer, the ball pein is a combination tool

with a standard striking face and a rounded second face.
The ball pein was originally designed for driving in rivets.

Lump hammer Lump hammers are a heavy, block-headed tool usually used
in combination with a cold chisel. This is a heavy tool so
make sure you select a weight that is comfortable. A large
! Safe working
Always remember the following
two-handed version of the lump hammer is the sledge
safety guidelines.
hammer, used for breaking up concrete and for general
demolition type work. • Never use a hammer if the
head is loose.
Scutching hammer
• Do not use if the handle is
Used by electricians for cutting chases, the scutching cracked or greasy.
hammer has replaceable blades or teeth that fit into each
end of its head. • Check the impact face of a
hammer – if the edges are
cracked or curled back, do
Mallet The mallet can be either wood or a nylon type head. Mallets not use.
are used mainly in combination with wood chisels. The • Wear gloves and eye
softer versions are also used for dressing cables, particularly protection when using a
mineral insulated, although they must be used with care
hammer – nails can break off or
when carrying out this type of job because striking the
cable too hard could damage or misshape its outer sheath. fly out if mishit.

Table 4.8: Different types of hammer

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 Level 2 Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures)

Tool Check for: Optimum performance PPE and other safety advice

Chapter Hammer • Damaged handle • Use the right hammer for the job. • Gloves

4 • Loose head
• Damaged head
• Hold the hammer near the bottom of the handle –
let the weight of the hammer head do the work.
• Eye protection
• Secure the workpiece
• If you are buying a hammer, check the different
weights and choose one that is comfortable.

Table 4.9: Using hammers safely

Chisels
Hammers are often used in combination with chisels. There are three basic
types: wood chisels, cold chisels and bolsters.

Type of chisel Use

Wood chisels
These are very sharp and used for woodworking jobs.
They should be looked after so that their blades are

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protected from damage and blunting.

Cold chisel These are used for masonry work such as knocking holes
into brick or block work. There are a number of cold chisel
types:
ro • flat chisel
• cross-cut
• half-round
• diamond point
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Bolster chisel
This has a flared blade that can be used for cutting straight
edges into masonry, for example, the edges of a wall chase.
Bolsters are also used for levering up floorboards.
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Table 4.10 Different types of chisel

Tool Check for: Optimum performance PPE and other safety advice

Cold chisels • Broken, split, ragged impact • Use the right chisel for the job. • Gloves
and bolsters point at the top of the chisel • Keep blades sharp. • Eye protection
• Damaged hand-guard

Wood chisel • Damaged handle • Use the right chisel for the job. • Gloves
• Blade is loose in the handle • Keep blades sharp. • Eye protection
• Store in a chisel roll or other protective
covering. This prevents blunting of blades
and corrosion.

Table 4.11: Using chisels safely

Progress check 4.3
1 Give two safety reasons not to use a hammer.
2 What are two uses for a claw hammer?
3 What is a bolster used for?

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 Chapter 4: Installation of wiring systems and enclosures

Files
Available in different sizes and levels of coarseness, files are generally used
by the electrician for smoothing metal after cutting or drilling. Table 4.12 Chapter

4 171
shows the main types of file.

Type of file Use

Flat file
Used for flat surfaces, tapers in thickness and width at
the front. A thinner version is known as a warding file
and is used for filing narrow slots.

Hand file
Has a safe edge with no teeth that can be used up to a
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shoulder without marking it.
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Round file
Sometimes called a rat-tail file for opening up holes or
filing internal radii.

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Square file

Used for opening up square holes.

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Three square file
Used for filing square corners, sometimes called a
triangular file.
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Knife file

Used for tapered narrow slots and for very precise work.
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Half round file

Used to file the inside of curved surfaces.

Table 4.12: Files types and their uses

Using a file
When using a file to smooth metal, remember the following points:
1 The workpiece should be secure and at a comfortable height. If it is a
small workpiece, secure it in a vice.
2 Grip the file with two hands – one on the handle, one on the tip of the file.
3 Apply pressure on the forward stroke of the file. The file teeth face
forward and only cut when the file is moved in that direction.
4 Do not apply pressure on the return stroke. This is because it will have no
effect on the workpiece and can also damage the file.
5 If the piece to be filed requires a coarse file to correct, finish off with a
fine version. Figure 4.4: Correct file use

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 Level 2 Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures)

Pillar drill
Pillar drills are fixed drilling machines used mainly in workshops and
Chapter factories. The workpiece is secured in place using a vice which can be
adjusted so that the workpiece is in the exact drilling position. The drill is
4 then lowered onto the workpiece using either a handle or wheel. Modern
pillar drills are automated or even programmable so that they can carry out
Key term repeated operations with the same degree of accuracy.
Swarf – fine chips or filings A clear, see-through guard must be fitted to the drill to prevent eye injuries
produced by machining. from flying swarf and other debris thrown out from the drill area.

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Figure 4.10: A pillar drill

Figure 4.11: A centre punch
Drilling metal
Metal should be drilled at a slow speed using a twist bit. Make sure the
workpiece is secure before attempting to drill. A centre punch should be
used first to avoid skidding and to create a more accurate drill hole. The
pointed end of the centre punch is pressed against the centre of the drill
site. Some centre punches are then struck with a hammer to make a small
dent in the metal surface. Spring-loaded centre punches are also available.
The drill bit is placed into the dent made by the punch.

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 Chapter 4: Installation of wiring systems and enclosures

A hole saw should be used for cutting large holes in metal. Hole saws, or
tank cutters as they are sometimes called, are metal cylinders with teeth cut
into the open end. The saw is then screwed onto a mandrill. The mandrill is
Chapter
also fitted with a twist bit which drills a pilot hole into the workpiece and
which anchors the saw while cutting takes place. 4 177
Drilling wood
Wood can be drilled using a metal twist bit, but there are a range of
specialist wood bits available. These are spade-shaped with a sharp pilot Figure 4.12: Metal bit and hole saw
point. Care must be taken when using these types of drill bit because they
can become jammed and cause the drill itself to twist round.
If no power is available, a brace-and-bit is used for drilling wood.
This is shaped like a crank shaft and fitted with auger bits (much like Unit
twist drills). A brace-and-bit is usually fitted with a ratchet handle so GH8
that it can be used in a confined space where the crank cannot be
rotated fully. Figure 4.13: Wood bit

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Tool Check for: Optimum performance PPE and other safety
advice

Electric drill • Damaged lead and plug ro • For battery drills, keep batteries • Eye protection
• Damaged insulation and casing on the drill fully charged and always keep a • Gloves
• Free movement of the chuck spare charged battery. • Ear protection
• Chuck grips the drill bit securely • Only use sharp drill bits. • Secure the workpiece.

Table 4.17: Using electric drills safely

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Activity 4.1 Progress check 4.6

Carry out a visual safety inspection on a selection of tools. Demonstrate this to your 1 What type of drill bit is used
tutor. Explain what you are looking for, e.g. damaged handle, blunt edges, damaged for drilling a small hole in
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leads and plugs on power tools. metal?

2 What is a pilot drill?
3 What tool can be used for
drilling wood if no power is
INSTALLING WIRING SYSTEMS available?

Select materials from drawings

The main diagram the electrician will work to is the scaled layout drawing,
often called a plan. From this the electrician can count up the amount of
accessories and items of equipment needed for the job. Cable lengths can also
be calculated using the scale and likely cable routes shown on the drawing.

Marking out
Before starting actual installation work, the job has to be marked out. The
drawing is used to show where all accessories and items of electrical equipment
are to be fitted. It is important to install all equipment in the correct position.
If a socket or switch is not placed where it should be it could end up hidden
behind a cupboard or radiator. When marking out, the position of accessories,
equipment and cable drops are drawn on to the wall with a pencil or chalk.

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 Level 2 Electrical Installations (Buildings and Structures)

Progress check 4.12 Activity 4.5

1 Why should an electrical 1 Working in teams, construct a ring final circuit consisting of three 13 A sockets. These
Chapter installation be inspected and do not have to be fixed to a board but wired together using singles cables (perhaps

4 tested?
2 What instrument is used
even scrap cable).
2 Once complete, carry out the full set of ring final circuit dead tests: end-to-end,
to test for continuity of r1 + rn and r1 + r2, and insulation resistance.
protective conductor?
3 Introduce a fault into your circuit.
3 What is the minimum
4 Retest to see how the fault is shown up on your test instrument.
acceptable reading for an
insulation resistance test? 5 Swap your circuit with another team and try to find the fault by carrying out the full
set of ring final circuit tests on their circuit.

Knowledge check
1 A slot can be cut into metal trunking 5 Which type of diagram is used for 9 What colour is a crimp lug for a
using a: counting up amounts of materials 2.5 mm conductor?

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a circular saw needed? e Yellow
b jig saw a Assembly drawing f Red
c wood saw b Layout drawing g Blue
d junior hacksaw c Blueprint
ro h Green
d Block diagram
2 The cutting wheel on a grinder is 10 The main bonding conductor should
made from: 6 Drawing the positions of equipment be connected:
a carborundum and cable runs on walls before a as far from the point of supply
b aluminium starting the work is called: as possible
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c steel a a site survey b to E terminal in a 13 A socket
d iron b marking out outlet
c a quantity survey c as close to the point of supply
3 Why must extra low voltage tools be d laying out as possible
used on construction sites? d the loop-in terminal in a
a To reduce risk of fire 7 The length of cable cores left at a ceiling rose
socket or switch box for connection
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b To reduce risk of electric shock

c To reduce risk of short circuit should be:
d To reduce risk of mechanical a 1.5 times the width of the box
damage b 2 times the width of the box
c 2.5 times the width of the box
4 Which hammer is used with a cold d 0.5 times the width of the box
chisel for cutting masonry?
a Ball pein 8 Which of these cables is normally run
b Mallet in conduit?
c Scutching a Twin-and-earth
d Lump b Mineral insulated
c Main bonding conductor
d Singles

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