Adaptaflex is warning electrical industry professionals that flexible conduit and fittings should not be regarded as commodity items. On face value there appears very little difference between the many different conduit brands available in the UK other than price. This, however, could not be further from the truth and they need to be judged on performance in the field and quality in manufacture rather than price.
One way for a contractor, specifier or wholesaler to assess the quality of an electrical conduit is to make sure it carries a third party approval such as the BSI Kitemark which indicates its conformance to the International conduit standards BS EN 61386 parts 1, 22 and 23. Within the current Wiring Regulations this Standard covers the performance requirements for flexible, rigid and pliable conduit.
Adaptaflex advises that using an unapproved conduit system could lead to its premature failure in the field and serious consequences in terms of safety. This could include fracturing due to vibration, corrosion, water ingress and failure through incorrect fittings becoming detached – all of which could lead to having to replace the complete system. The cost of the downtime, replacement parts and labour are then likely to far outweigh the savings that cheaper, non-approved conduit systems appear to offer.
As a manufacturer with the broadest range of flexible conduit systems, Adaptaflex has led the way in testing its conduit systems and offering approvals to guarantee that all their products fully comply with BS EN 61386. Indeed, since 1996 all products have been continuously quality assured through the BSI Kitemark scheme type approval.
Furthermore, Adaptaflex uses third party testing to comply also with many other technical and engineering requirements such as the London Underground fire regulations for rail and Lloyds Type approval for marine applications. Adaptaflex advises to always check that the relevant third-party approvals are in place to cover the conduit system for the areas of intended use.
The company’s latest catalogue provides highly informative information covering approvals, applications, IP ratings, temperature ranges, UV resistance, flexibility and fatigue life, fire performance and EMI screening capabilities. The Adaptaflex Technical Support Team can provide specific conduit advice system.
For further detailed information, visit www.adaptaflex.com or contact Adaptaflex at CMG House, Station Road, Coleshill, Birmingham, B46 1HT, Tel: 01675 468200, Email: marketing@adaptaflex.com
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