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 EN61386 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.
