Hilldes

Yes, use double/triple deck terminal blocks. I use the Wago 2002 range which are the push in type (screw terminals are a pita) and are 5.2mm wide. You can mount the DIN rail to the back of the cabinet if you need to create more depth for the terminal blocks. You can get around 100 of the Wago terminal blocks on a single LXN DIN rail. Ah yes, just opened my package of Wago 2002-2201 and they are only about 5 to 6mm wide. Why 4-core? For RGBW you need 5 surely. Again, use the same double or triple height terminals, in blocks of 5 to connect all cores on a single level. For example you only need 10 triple height terminals to connect all 6 RGBW. Yep just after I wrote that I realised I should have said 5 core but the edit window had closed. So "double height" is like the Wago 2002-2201 and "tripple height" is a 3 pair of terminals? Wow, thats a lot of cat6! Do you need all 224 cores to connect into your cabinet, or just some of them? I would terminate cat6 outside the cabinet on a patch panel or a 110 block and then only bring into the cabinet the cores you actually need. Many of the pairs are not used. There are 14 Digital Inputs (just the orange/orange&white pair of CAT6) and 14 Loxone Tree (so two pairs from the CAT6 cable). Now I'm Googling "110 blocks" ?. I remember @jack describing lessons on this one, must look that up.

Thanks @TonyT, will take a look at this, but the cabinet is quite shallow.

Many thanks for the replies @joth, @Dan F, @Rob99. Next step for me is to think about how I'm going to fit everything in the (LXN4) cabinet. Here are the totals for incoming cables: 48 x 1mm2 T&E 6 x RGBW 1.5mm2 4 core Flex 28 x CAT6 Assuming the T&E terminal blocks occupy 10mm of DIN rail each, that is 480mm of DIN rail for these alone.

Sorry, next question on terminal blocks. The Loxone blog suggests using these Push in Fused Terminals for 24V circuits. Can't find it now but I think there was mention of using the fuse to protect LED strips - one for each RGBW? Anyone used these @Dan F, @Rob99 @joth? PS thanks for the response to the question on your cabinet @Dan F - that makes sense.

Looking good @Dan F. So for an incoming T&E at the top of the cabinet, you will connect L and N to the weidmuller terminal blocks, then run the earth down to the busbar at the bottom of the cabinet? What Loxone extensions have you got there (can't see the writing) is that three relay extensions and three dimmer extensions? What is that terminal block in the bottom right with the brown wires - is it a Live common block?

Thanks @Rob99 - I will have a look for tapped holes at the top of my LXN4 cabinet.

@Rob99 I just ordered a set of Wago 2002 2201 terminal blocks for 230V connections. What looks neat on the Weidmuller ones at the Loxone shop is they appear to have an earth terminal which is connected to the DIN rail. Given the Wagos don't have this and there appears no bus bar at the top of the Future Automation cabinet, how do you handle the earths for your incoming T&E?

We got a formal response to our NMA a couple of weeks back from LPA. I submitted the request about a year ago. We did however get an email from the case officer saying he was ok with the proposal in little more than the set period, so I considered that approval in writing and proceeded with the build.

Fully agree on the V200s @gcm - need to model the window frame in your external wall build up. Our larger V200s had I think had 147mm deep frame profiles which meant they basically sat within the whole 140mm timber stud wall and just overlap the outer render board layer a little. This meant the only option for fixing wast through bolting where the lugs (special brackets) would have been a neater solution. Perhaps would have been better if we had a rendered block outer skin. On the Ilbruk/ tremco tapes I can only think I had a bad batch as they just expanded far too rapidly.

Off the top of my head (but welcome advice)... 230v - brown and blue. 24v power supply - Orange (+ve) and white (-ve) as per Loxone. Loxone Tree - assume using pairs extracted from Cat6 so green and green/white. Loxone link - assume using pairs extracted from Cat6 so blue and blue/white. RGBW 24v - using this cable from cabinet to LED strips. Hmmm colours of cores in this cable are: Brown, Black, Grey, Blue and Green/Yellow. Not sure I could used these colours inside the cabinet.

There is a man hole about 2m away that sits between the junction shown and the road. Upstream there are inspection chambers on the pipe runs either side of the new house. I’ll see what the BCO says though as on the approved plans I drew a straight line into the existing man hole.

I felt like 110mm plastic pipe - as in that thickness. Not sure why there would have been a repair to the clay pipe - looked sound. Will take a look at the offcuts tomorrow.

That was the longest 4 minutes of my life ?. Job done though, new house now connected to existing clay soil pipe going into road. Used 9" grinder with a diamond blade (but one with gaps in not continuous), cutted fine, needed to make a number of letterbox cuts in order to get the grinder right through the pipe. Used a cold chisel to break out to corners of the letter box cut. There was a plastic pipe inside the clay - used a multitool to complete the cuts into the corners of that.

Just to check this is the right coupler from clay to 110mm plastic.... https://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-underground-flexible-adaptor-120-136mm/19914

Many thanks all, will look at what discs I have for my 4" angle grinder. I have a diamond blade for my 9" grinder but its not continuous. The 4" will be a bit more agile in the confined space. Like the idea of a letter box cut @TonyT - I can kind of picture what it is, but when googling it, all the results I get are all how to fit a letter box. @SteamyTea Would these be used to chip away sections to complete the cut where the grinder won't access? Hoefully not to remove stubborn solids from inside the pipe ?. I need to be quick as we'll be without toilet facilities on site until I connect up the new house pipes to this clay pipe.

I need to cut into this pipe - basically need to add a coupler from clay to 110m plastic then a 45 bend as it will follow a different route. As you can see from the pic the clay soil pipe is in close proximity to other services so no room to swing a Stihl saw around its perimeter. Any ideas please?

Thanks @TonyT for the screened cable, you mean like this?... I've not heard of Hellerman sleeves in 30 years - for the youngsters, it is these. From googling "white pin crimps", they look the same as "ferrules" above, so these?

Thanks Rob, perfect! If you do beak a wire in a terminal bloc - say on the mini server in the pic, you can replace the terminal block? (I assumed they were soldered to the PCB) Just looking at the 2002 series Rob at Farnell, which variant do you use? Most seem to be conductors unto 4mm2?

One related question please....for these push in connectors, once inserted, how to remove them?

Thanks @Dan F and @Rob99, they look perfect and a very reasonable price. Just to be sure though, all on the TLC page are multi strand as opposed to solid core - and these will be used for the 24v/tree connections too? So no solid core cables used within the cabinet? I'm assuming this is all rated appropriately for what you intend to be powering. Yes, in practice each run of 1mm2 T&E will power at most one room's worth of LED lights. You're right no overwhelming need for twisted pair, the main thing is I can locate suitable singles cables. I've done the thing with the drill chick before too in my youth as an electronics apprentice.

Wow £128 for 200m. Definitely looks like the right kind of product though for the twisted pairs. I'd seen these, much cheaper, but they don't come in the right colours: https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-power/cw1109r-w100m/jumper-wire-cw1109-2-wire-red/dp/CB15707

Thanks @Dan F, do you have a link please to the products you have ordered?

I'll shortly be configuring my home automation cabinet (Loxone based). Would appreciate advice on sources for cables to be used internally within the cabinet, such as: 230v singles - such as from a relay output to the Weidmüller terminal blocks. Do they need to be single core or multi-stand? I'm thinking around 1mm2 CSA as all the T&E from first fix is 1mm2. 24v singles in twisted pair - such as the orange/white power conductors and green/white for Loxone Tree. I extracted these from CAT6 for my test rig, but I guess these can be bought by the reel as separates or as twisted pairs? Have searched RS and CPC/Farnell but could not see anything.

The BBA certificate for the insulated beam and block floor system specified a ventilated void, but I generally thought there was no choice - but that is not really talking from much industry experience. Would be interested learn more about builds with beam and block floors with no void. I've got this vision of a pump truck turning up like a liquid screed truck, but pumps in expanding foam to fill the void ?.

A random thought here on an alternative approach. I'm guessing there will be no point trying to challenge the need to ventilate a [insulated] beam and block floor, given the building regs appear clear that ventilation will be required (see excerpt below para 4.19). IIRC JS Harris for one was not convinced on the need for subfloor ventilation. Approved Document C - Section 4: Floors.... SUSPENDED CONCRETE GROUND FLOORS (MOISTURE FROM THE GROUND) 4.19 A suspended concrete floor will meet the requirements if it incorporates: a. a damp-proof membrane (if the ground below the floor has been excavated below the lowest level of the surrounding ground and will not be effectively drained); and b. a ventilated air space. This should measure at least 150mm clear from the ground to the underside of the floor (or insulation if provided). Two opposing external walls should have ventilation openings placed so that the ventilating air will have a free path between opposite sides and to all parts of the floor void. The openings should be not less than either 1500mm2/m run of external wall or 500mm2/m2 of floor area, whichever gives the greater opening area. Any pipes needed to carry ventilating air should have a diameter of at least 100mm. Ventilation openings should incorporate suitable grilles which prevent the entry of vermin to the sub-floor but do not resist the air flow unduly.