Underground cable + Pick Axe = ??????

[Domski74]

Hi All,

I've begun a project laying a new drive where previously I had a lawn, while digging out 8 inches down I struck a cable with my pick axe and sparks flew!

The cable is only about half an inch across not the kind of cable I would expect to be supplying my house! Also the depth - only 8 inches, is that normal?

I wrapped the area where I had taken the insulation off with some electrical tape and put a slab over it - probably not sensible I know...

My power supply has been consistent throughout.

My question is can I just bury this thing under my drive and forget about it?

Many thanks

 

[Alastairreid]

this has probably been a cable to feed a garage or shed at some point!
i would try tracing it back to the consumer unit and disconnect it.
leaving it where it is would not be an option.
if you are unsure you should get an electrician.

 

[Domski74]

Hi that seems to make sense though there is nothing out the front for it to go to but the street?

 

[Taylortwocities]

The cable is only about half an inch across not the kind of cable I would expect to be supplying my house! Also the depth - only 8 inches, is that normal?

These days, SWA cable under a lawn should be two spades deep (approx 450mm) with a warning tape over the line of the cable.
That is if its been done properly!

Per the above, you must find out the origin of the cable and disconnect the supply. Look around the perimeter of your house, you may see the cable disappearing down the wall and into the ground.



You've obviously damaged the cable and they do not heal themselves! Water will get in and trip the supply - you dont want that as it may be the circuit that your freezer is on.

Edit:

Hi that seems to make sense though there is nothing out the front for it to go to but the street?

It may be the telephone cable, unless you have electric gates or lights at the end of the drive??

 

[Domski74]

I've just checked the size of the cable going into my electric box in the cupboard and it looks the same width....? My house was built in the 60's?

 

[radioredcat]

It's may be CATV cable they are not buried very deep and they do go across lawns which why people keep digging them up.

So assuming you don't have cable tv/phone but you can tell by look at the pavement outside your house you should see a box in the pavement with CATV on it.

andy

 

[Domski74]

I don't think a cable TV cable would go off like a firework when hit with a pick?

 

[flameport]

You won't get sparks from TV or phone cables - typically these are only 50 volts or so, or perhaps 120 if the phone is ringing. The current available from them is very small, so even a dead short would only result in a tiny little spark which was hardly visible.

It is likely this is the main supply cable for your house - supply cables are often much smaller than people expect.
If it is, you need to call your electricity supplier so they can arrange for your DNO to repair the cable.

Leaving it is not an option - over time, water will get in causing a fault, a large current will flow and the heat will probably clear the fault, but will cause more damage. Eventually the cable will fail. You will then have to dig up the drive so that the cable can be replaced.

 

[bernardgreen]

You need to inform the supply company.

And put the drive on hold until they have repaired or replaced the cable.

It may be worth negotiating with them to see if they would accept a duct laid under the driveway so they can pull in a new cable and abandon the old one. That way you may be able to finish the driveway before the cable is replaced.


Supply cables are often not as deep as they should be either because they were not laid deep in the first place or landscaping has lowered the top surface after the cable was laid.

 

[Domski74]

Thanks all for your good advice, just to let you know I've just phoned the electricity company and their sending someone out - they say I wont have to pay if the cable isn't buried deep enough - which at 8 - 9 inches I think I can safely say it isn't.

Thanks again.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Do drop a note to let us know the outcome! good luck

 

[radioredcat]

A slap on the wrist should have read the post more carefully.

When they cabled the street were i live people were digging the cables and they had to come back and bury them deeper.

Electrical cables 8-9" inches sounds a bit dangerous if it was laid that way in the first place but of course we don't know the history of the garden as mentioned above.

I know our cables are 18" underground i found that out when the junction box under the pavement failed a couple of years ago.

andy

 

[Click-Sure]

The 11kV in my village fails on a regular basis.

And, yes, it reallk irks me that they don't just be done with it and replace more than 5m of it at a time.

 

[radioredcat]

I know the feeling our's was getting so bad everytime we had a squally shower it would be lights out time.

I rang united utilities when the power went off once,I said we have had a powercut and he said how can you tell i said because when i look through the curtains i can't see anything he said can you see any streetlamps lit i said no thats why i can't anything.

I could not beleive the questions usually when iv'e rang there's a message which means they know about it.


andy

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The 11kV in my village fails on a regular basis.

And, yes, it reallk irks me that they don't just be done with it and replace more than 5m of it at a time.

Does it irk everybody else too?

Maybe if the entire village refused to pay their electricity bill that might raise the profile of your problems.