Written by: Mike Cullom, IDEAL Electrical™ Northern Europe Sales Manager
Fewer Electricians Create Need for Greater Efficiency
A well-documented skills gap is currently threatening the UK construction and trades industry, with the recently published UK Trade Skills Index 2023 report warning of “The Missing Million” – an alarming labour shortage that threatens the future stability of the industry unless more young people are recruited to plug the skills gap.
According to the report, to keep pace with demand, 937,000 new skilled trade recruits are needed over the next decade, with nearly a quarter of a million – 244,000 – being qualified apprentices.
Alongside the need for more electricians comes a need for greater efficiency on each job. In a demanding sector where reconfiguration of electrical networks is a continuous requirement, it’s important to look out for better, faster, and easier ways of carrying out the work. One of the simplest ways to improve efficiency is by swapping out wire connector products used to terminate circuits.
Four Reasons To Upgrade Your Connectors
Installing terminal strips during an electrical installation or upgrade may seem like the simplest of tasks, so switching from terminal strips might seem like taking a leap into the unfamiliar, but there are significant time, quality, cost and consistency gains when electricians switch to lever and push-in connectors.
1. Save Loads of Time and Ditch the Extra Tools: Lever or push-in connectors typically allow electricians to secure cables in place in seconds through a simple strip, push, and connect action, with no screwdriver or crimping required. This not only reduces installation time, but also delivers quality assurance for the completed installation.
2. Ensure Compliance and Maintenance-Free Installs: Utilising lever and push-in connectors ensures that installations are consistently safe and compliant with current wiring regulations. The 18th Edition requires that traditional terminal strip connections should be accessible for annual inspections in compliance with BS EN 60670-22, which makes it difficult to select a suitable location for terminal strip connections, leading to non-compliance for many projects. Lever and push-in connectors are classified as maintenance-free when used in conjunction with an approved enclosure box, leading to compliant installation anywhere within the facility.
3. Uplevel the Quality of Connection: Using connectors rather than terminal strips ensures every connection is consistent because there is no variation in the tightening of the fixing screw that fastens the cable in place. Choosing connectors with a stripping guide on the side to aid consistently accurate stripping of the cable prior to connection, along with a CPC port for relevant testing, ensures even greater accuracy and speed and ease of installation benefits.
4. Save Money: Using push-in and lever connectors ensures a fit-and-forget solution which can improve labour costs. The inconsistency associated with the tightening of terminal strip screws builds value into the cost of lever and push-in connectors by reducing the need for quality assurance checks and eliminating the risk of issues on the electrical network. Additionally, the quality/ease of installation means routine connections can be given to less experienced operatives on site, freeing-up the team’s most experienced professionals for more complex jobs and making termination a more cost-effective job.
Get Started With Better Connections
Connectors not only speed up installations, but they also reduce labour costs and free up the time of the maintenance team. Save labour hours and achieve a more consistent and compliant installation.
