Electrical Wire Connectors

The 18th Edition Wiring Regulations have brought in a whole new set of guidelines for staying safe when using electrics at home or at work, from RCD protection to fire rated cable supports. This includes an important section on fire-rated cable clips and how they may prove to be lifesavers in events of fire outbreaks if certain standards are met. We have discussed aspects of the 18th Edition previously, advising contractors to keep on top of their surge protection knowledge. We here at Sparks firmly believe in the importance of these regulations, as the building of electrical installations is always potentially dangerous. In this article, we will go in-depth on a pioneering invention from the company D-Line, which may prove to save many lives. The dangers of insubstantial support cables It is now a widely appreciated fact that electrical installations must not rely only on plastic clips or saddles, or PVC trunking and conduits, to support cables. This kind of plastic typically melts at only 150°C. When considering that a typical fire can become as hot as 525 - 1000 degrees, this is obviously not sufficient. Copper wires can survive temperatures of up to 1085 degrees. However, it is unlikely that all your electrical installations use copper wiring, and it is not safe to presume that they do. There is unfortunately a legacy of lives lost due to cable entanglement and collapse during fires. Of the twelve firefighters killed on the job in between 2005 and 2016 in the UK, two-thirds died due to cable entanglement. The unfortunate reason for these fatalities is that these cable supports were simply not designed with fire safety in mind - they are not fire-rated cable supports. This is simply unacceptable, and the 18th Edition is looking to remedy this fatal problem. Thankfully, D-Line has stepped up to help ensure that our electrical wiring and support cables are safer. Spring Clip with D-Line: the solution to cable entanglement and collapse The terrible legacy of deaths caused by cable entanglement and collapse created a solid response. The idea was that, moving forward, fixings must always be able to withstand the stresses of fires and extreme heat. D-Line was one of the first companies to offer fire-rated solutions for use in either direct-to-surface or PVC trunkings. They proved to be massively popular among contractors and installers, even well before the 18th Edition regulations came out. Since 2009, over ten million of D-Line’s U-Clips have been installed - which is an attestment to their efficiency and cost-effectiveness. D-Line’s U-Clips are extremely affordable. We here at Sparks sell them for prices as low as £8.98 for a pack of 20 - surely worth the price for a product that could save lives.Buy D-Line U-Clips at Sparks The engineering of the U-Clips The U-Clips are manufactured in the UK from specified high-temperature and pliable steel. They have a base hole for screw-fixing and comfortable sides that can be simply folded over to secure cables. If you are looking for more space, they also come in flat-form options called F-Clips. These have notches that enable forming in seconds to a variety of shapes, while larger versions have tabs that can be return-folded and are lockable. Installers now fully appreciate how supplying cables flat is very user-friendly and space-efficient. This is demonstrated perfectly with the popularity of D-Line’s F-Clips.The usefulness of D-Lines Spring Clips A key reason for the existence of this kind of clips is compliance with the 18th Edition Regulations. However, regulatory compliance is not the only benefit to be reaped from this kind of clips - as shown with the Spring Clip. The steel that they are produced from is sprung-tensioned and specified in a way that means it can withstand heat of up to 1200 degrees Celsius. The design itself is remarkable in its simplicity. It is a 50mm long arm that stems from an eyelet that can easily hold a screw-fixing. The Spring Clip is also blessed with versatility which means it can be positioned either in trunking or direct-to-surface instances at a variety of angles. This versatility means it can be swiveled in whichever way you require, to make for a more effective clamp that is able to hold down cables onto surfaces; these are fire-rated cable supports.D-Line Spring Clips at Sparks The practical design of the Spring Clips The Spring Clips come with all types of handy features that lend them many practical uses. The angle-of-fixing is adjustable, yet it is only 8mm tall, so these patent-pending Spring Clips are the perfect choice for Size 1 micro-trunkings. The aesthetics and feel of the clips are pleasing. Users admire the lack of sharp features and the heightened kink along the arm that minimizes the risk of damage to soft-skin cables. D-Line Clips are effective and safe to use in any area of your home. For instance, the D-Line Safe-D products include a D-Fixing screw that saves the need for wall-plugs. The Spring Clip has been proven to hold cables effectively for two hours in temperatures reaching up to 970 degrees Celsius. This means that if you were to experience a house fire, there would be no immediate fear of support cable collapse. So do not live in fear that your cables are not strong enough and may be susceptible to entanglement or collapse. Purchase the trusted Spring Clips and U-clips from D-Line today - or another clip from their excellent range to make sure you have fire-rated cable supports for your wiring.

Yes, we are an electrical wholesaler. We have been here in Archway (North London) at 659-661 Holloway Road, N19 5SE, London, for over 20 years. We have been so long that even the barbers know about Sparks. Even those at Sainsbury's and at those at Archway cafe know about Sparks. We are the local wholesaler in this neck of the woods. So, what is this article about? What is the Role of an Electrical Wholesaler? Why don't we just "sell online" and "close the shop"? What's the role of an electrical wholesaler? Well, this question is a loaded one, and we can at best mention some of the roles that an electrical wholesaler has in a certain areas. Here we go: An electrical wholesaler sells electrical items and everything electrical for all your electrical needs. Pretty simple and obvious, right? Well, yes and no - it is very important to have a wide range of both light fittings and switches and sockets, heating solutions, ventilation fans, and all kinds of cables, light bulbs, etc. That's what we do: we make sure that all your electrical needs are met! An electrical wholesaler offers you advice. Yes, you can look at the lights and sockets and cables and light bulbs in our showroom, but it's so much better when you explain to one of our awesome sales people what you need, and they will help you find exactly that! Many customers bring tough questions and have a long list of items they need - but our sales consultants sorts them out with the best info and the greatest products! An electrical wholesaler is here to stay. There are many other roles of an electrical wholesaler, but the most important one is - we are here to stay, serve you, bring new stuff, and give you the best advice. And if you want to, you can even become an account customer - make an account with us, have some special deals, and have your items delivered by our van to your desired location! We're not going anywhere - you will find us here!Best Electrical Wholesaler in London How does an Electrical Wholesaler Work with Electricians? Relationships among people in general and between businesses and people are very complex and have many facets, but we will try to jot down some of the ways an electrical wholesaler can relate to and help an electrician, based on our extensive experience with many electricians around and afar. An electrical wholesaler sells stuff to electricians - according to the specifications and needs of the electricians (many times written down on long lists, taken by phone as phone-orders, emailed, etc) we order, prepare, and sell the electrical items an electrician needs. An electrical wholesaler gives advice to electricians - sometimes there are new products, new technologies, replacing items, better solutions, etc. We therefore offer up-to-date advice to electricians, functioning as a liaise between the manufacturers and the customers, and doing recommendations based on the needs and specifications. An electrical wholesaler offers support - we don't just "sell the stuff" but we also offer support. Some items may not be the right ones for the job - we accept returns. Other items may become faulty - we replace them. Others need user manuals and extra training to be used - we arrange that. And so on - there are many ways we offer customer support to electricians. An electrical wholesaler gives special deals - if you're a regular, if you buy large quantities, or in other conditions, we can offer electricians special deals! Come talk to our sales people and you will be satisfied with our prices! An electrical wholesaler gets you special items according to special requirements - we have to admit that we don't keep everything in stock, and especially the ones that need to be ordered as specials, we rarely bring in. But for all electricians (and all customers in general), we at Sparks bring in special items (dimming systems, grid systems, consumer units, Ryefield boards, etc) according to your special requirements. .... a friendly face, a warm welcome, and a good chat! Let's not forget about this aspect of the business - come in, let's talk about football :) or the weather :( or about anything else. All our sales people are "human beings", approachable, lovely to chat with, and warm at heart. Remember: the above do NOT constitute a comprehensive list of everything Sparks Electrical Wholesalers Ltd does for electricians, but it is a list that's worth putting out online! If you're an electrician, what do you think? How does an electrical wholesaler relate to you? What other things can an electrical wholesaler do for an electrician - besides those mentioned above? We would appreciate your input and your opinion on this matter. Picture credit: electrician here.

While researching the PopPack twin batten fluorescent light fitting to present an accurate description on our website, we came across an unusual specification: according to the manufacturer [Thorn Lighting], the PopPack range features zero-halogen cabling. Strange, we thought. We almost never see the cabling specified. Why is a zero-halogen cable so special?Why a Zero-Halogen Cable is So Special For a basic definition: a zero-halogen cable does not contain any of the elements (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine) known collectively as "halogens." For some reasons why they are notable, we turn to Wikipedia, which offers two short bullet points: It is often lighter, so overall cable network system weights can be reduced. The environmental impact of halogen free cabling can be lower if there are fewer toxic chemicals. It also seems that zero-halogen cables (known as LSZH, or Low-Smoke Zero-Halogen) are designed with sheathing that emits low smoke and low levels of toxic material in the event of a fire. This property also means that these cables are more easily disposed of, because they do not release harmful fumes into the environment.Electrical Cables and Connectors When LSZH Cables Matter Because the purpose of LSZH cables is generally to minimise risk from the after-effects of an electrical fire like gas and smoke inhalation, they are generally used in large public spaces where there is a risk of fire. After the King's Cross fire in 1987, for example, LSZH sheathing became mandatory for all electrical wiring in London Underground stations. They may also be found in electrical fittings where a fire may cause extra complications, such as in stairlifts for the elderly. So where would we install this light fitting? Essentially in any largeish public area, where there might one day be a fire. We hope this has been helpful to you!