10mm earth cable, outside run colour?

[several]

Need to run the 10mm earth bonding to the incoming water supply on the outside of the house for part of the run.

Does the cable have to be identifiable green/yellow on the entire run? or can I use brown/black cable and sleeve the inside part of the run in green/yellow?

 

[riveralt]

Need to run the 10mm earth bonding to the incoming water supply on the outside of the house for part of the run.

Does the cable have to be identifiable green/yellow on the entire run?

Yes

can I use brown/black cable and sleeve the inside part of the run in green/yellow?

No.

can I use brown/black cable and sleeve the inside part of the run in green/yellow?

Why?

 

[JohnW2]

Need to run the 10mm earth bonding to the incoming water supply on the outside of the house for part of the run. ... Does the cable have to be identifiable green/yellow on the entire run? or can I use brown/black cable and sleeve the inside part of the run in green/yellow?

Some people will undoubtedly frown at the practice but, as far as regulations are concerned, it would be acceptable for the cable to have G/Y over-sleeving just at the ends (inside, as well as outside).

Kind Regards, John

 

[several]

Because green/yellow cable on the outside will look crap.

 

[JohnW2]

Need to run the 10mm earth bonding to the incoming water supply on the outside of the house for part of the run.Does the cable have to be identifiable green/yellow on the entire run?

Yes

can I use brown/black cable and sleeve the inside part of the run in green/yellow?

No.

Unless I'm missing something, you appear to be reading different regulations from me - can you elucidate?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

Im with Riveralt, G/Y makes it obvious what the cable is. If you start using brown/black, somebody will likely come along at a later date and test it with a voltstick, go 'oh this isn't live' and cut it.

If you're concerned about aesthetics, just dress is nicely so it follows the pipe and you'll barely see it

 

[JohnW2]

Im with Riveralt, G/Y makes it obvious what the cable is. If you start using brown/black, somebody will likely come along at a later date and test it with a voltstick, go 'oh this isn't live' and cut it.

As I said "Some people will undoubtedly frown at the practice...", maybe because of reasons such as you suggest, but that doesn't alter the fact that it is compliant with the regs.

Some people would probably paint, or sleeve in a more desirable colour, the external run of G/Y - which would invoke the same concerns as you describe above. In any event, a black or brown cable of the sort of size we're talking about could easily be a telephone, aerial/satellite or data cable etc., so anyone who cuts it because it does not light up a voltstick is probably capable of doing anything silly

FWIW, although it's now gone, I inherited a run of a few metres of a bonding conductor on the outside of my house. Presumable for the same reason as the OP has in mind, the G/Y had been sleeved/sheathed in black (I think it was probably heatshrink) throughout the externally visible run.

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

Why not run it inside the building ? Saves spoiling the appearance and removes the risk of it being cut ( accidently or by malicious intent ) and thus leaving the water supply unbonded.

 

[several]

Can't run it inside the building without causing havoc. Long story..

 

[OwainDIYer]

You shouldn't sleeve it, but you can run it in brown or black conduit or underneath capping.

 

[JohnW2]

It looks as if I may have underestimated the extent to which the "Some people will undoubtedly frown at the practice..." would show themselves here - but, for the OP, I would repeat that what he wanted to do would, AFAIAA, be compliant with the regulations - which require only that the conductor be 'identified' (for which purpose G/Y overs-sleeving is acceptable) as a protective conductors at its ends.

AFAIAA, the only thing specifically forbidden by regulations is the use of a single G/Y-insulated conductor as anything other than a protective conductor - i.e. it cannot be over-sleeved and used as a 'live' (neutral or line/live) conductor.

Kind Regards, John

 

[westie101]

Got to ask though. How many of those in the leave it as it is group would actually, honestly accept a G/Y wire running across their house? Or more importantly who's wife would?

 

[JohnW2]

Got to ask though. How many of those in the leave it as it is group would actually, honestly accept a G/Y wire running across their house? Or more importantly who's wife would?

Quite so. It's all very well for some to be suggesting to 'move it inside' (which is the ideal solution) - but, as the OP is seems to be saying is the case for him, that can sometimes be a horrendous undertaking, particularly with solid floors or wood/laminate-covered floors. ... and hiding the G/Y in conduit or under capping is probably not much more aesthetically acceptable than the G/Y itself.

Kind Regards, John

 

[riveralt]

Unless I'm missing something, you appear to be reading different regulations from me - can you elucidate?

I was reading the whole of 514.3.2 (Green & Red Book) in response to the OP's question.
I consider it bad practice to ignore the 'preferably' element of the regulation and not one I would condone. I do not consider aesthetics to be a sound reason to
change my view.

 

[JohnW2]

Unless I'm missing something, you appear to be reading different regulations from me - can you elucidate?

I was reading the whole of 514.3.2 (Green & Red Book) in response to the OP's question. I consider it bad practice to ignore the 'preferably' element of the regulation and not one I would condone.

As you know, the 'preferably' in 514.3.2 (which, incidentally, is also the same in the Yellow book) relates to conductors in general, and says that they should be 'preferably' be identified (e.g. by appropriate colour of insulation) throughout their length, although identification (e.g. by over-sleeving) just at the terminations is acceptable.

If you "cannot condone" ignoring that 'preferably' by only over-sleeving at the terminations, does that mean that you "cannot condone" the (almost universal) practice of using cables with blue/brown (or black/red) cores, with appropriate over-sleeving just at the terminations, for, say switch drops? (i.e. do you insist on using brown/brown {or red/red} cables for that purpose?) If you do feel able to "condone" that very common practice, why do you not feel able to "condone" the corresponding practice with a protective conductor?

Kind Regards, John