- Ah, the great British summer,
a glorious week of sunshine
followed by an almighty thunderstorm.
But when the sun is shining,
we can't resist the call of the great outdoors.
That means powering up our power tools,
maybe our appliances,
and perhaps even that hot tub.
Electricians rejoice,
homeowners and hospitality venues are gearing up
for some much needed outdoor socket outlets.
- More good news for electricians,
installing outdoor sockets is now a lot easier.
MK has added the award-winning Rapid Fix sockets
to the IP66 MK Masterseal Plus range,
which we feel is a great addition
and can help with some of the additional challenges
electricians face when wiring outdoor sockets.
If you've left the planet for the last few years,
you could have missed the launch
of the MK Logic Plus Rapid Fix,
the world's first British standard double socket
featuring screwless terminals.
I'll leave a link in the description to the full review
so you can catch up if you've missed out.
Now, electricians love screwless terminals
as they are much quicker,
don't damage the conductors
and allow the flexibility
to use different conductors in the same socket.
However, following the Rapid Fix launch,
a few viewers struggled with this concept
when applied to wiring accessories.
They had concerns about the cable retention strength
of the clamp in the terminals,
especially, when maneuvering the socket
during the installation into a back box.
Well, the latest version of BS 1363-2
defines the performance requirements
for screwless terminals,
and exactly how the manufacturer
should test to this standard.
The terminals must withstand a 30 Newton pullout force
in a single direction,
which is the equivalent to hanging a three kilogram weight
from the terminals.
The MK Rapid Fix socket exceeds this specification
by a considerable margin.
- For the first time in a long time,
Gordon's actually got it right today,
always, sun shines in Skipton.
And in true eFIXX fashion,
we've replicated the pullout strength test
of the conductors.
Hopefully, that settles any debate.
So returning to the new MK Masterseal Plus,
the three independent screwless terminals
make wiring much easier in installations
when you have wired,
maybe a solid, core, twin CPC cable through the wall
and then changed it to an armored cable
to loop to additional socket outlets.
A third terminal is a convenient way
of picking up the fly lead for the steel wire armored.
- Of course, when it comes
to answering the question of speed,
we need to hand the socket over to some tame electricians.
We popped along to our local wholesalers
and found some electricians who have been off the planet
for the last few years
and haven't fitted a Rapid Fix socket.
- Here's our comparison rig.
On one side we have the original MK Masterseal Plus,
and on the other side, the new MK Masterseal Plus
with Rapid Fix.
All the electricians have to do
is terminate the pre-strip wires
so we can compare screwed to screwless terminals.
- David Regan. - Craig Lancaster.
- Jack Wilson.
- Cameron Allen. - Darren Howson.
- Adam Weller. - Josh at TAC Electrical.
- [Gary] Are you ready?
- Ready.
- [Gary] Steady, go.
- Ready, steady, go.
(upbeat music)
- While they're on with the challenge,
let's have a look at some of the other specs
on the Masterseal socket.
The socket has an IP66 rating when in use,
which is similar to hosing a socket down
with a pressure washer.
Plenty of cable and conduit entries on the sides
which pop out
and there's ample room on the back
for drilling cable entries should you need to.
Mounting positions sit underneath the saline gasket,
so there's no need to drill the body for mounting.
The socket's body has an impact rating of IK07,
so more than capable of withstanding
the rigors of daily life.
(upbeat music)
- So the results are in the tame electrician wired
the MK Masterseal Plus Rapid Fix sockets on average,
wait for it, 45% quicker
than the previous screwed terminal version.
Of course, speed isn't everything.
The test perfectly demonstrates
the advantages of screwless terminals.
We had to repeatedly re-strip the wires
in the screwed version as the conductors got damaged
by electricians over tightening the screwed terminals.
This is not a problem in the screwless version.
- This socket isn't just for summer.
It performs in all weather and environments,
including challenging industry locations like plant rooms,
factory floors, and water treatment facilities.
Have you worked in tough locations before?
Share your experience and feedback
on this new addition to the MK range.
Check out the link in the description
to learn more about it if you haven't,
and if you're new to the Rapid Fix
check out the full review in this video right here.
(pressure washer hums)