outdoor cable woes

tritonr1 · 29 Dec 2006

Hi, need some help on what cable to use to power my Garage ?? well to cut a long story short my garage was powered when we moved into our house a few years ago but over the last couple of days the RCD to the garage keeps tripping out, the cable is armoured but it only looks like 4 core 2.5mm , my garage has a 3kw heater keeping my pride and joy dry (R1) 2 double plug sockets, 2 strip light and 6 outdoor lights (60w bulbs)..cant think of anything else so if ive missed any vital info that you need to know please ask.

regrads dave

breezer · 29 Dec 2006

its unlikely to be the swa at fault.

davelx · 29 Dec 2006

Where is the RCD that is tripping out? Type and rating?

Is there a CU in the garage? What is in it? Suppling what circuits?

How is the feed connected back at the main CU?

What is providing overcurrent protection to the garage feed at the consumer unit in the house - MCB, RCBO? - what type and rating of device (picture if you are not sure).

What is the length of the cable run from Cu to Garage?

What is the earthing system?

breezer · 29 Dec 2006

true, but its still unlikely to be the cable, also there is no rcd in the garage, since the op said..........."RCD to the garage

davelx · 29 Dec 2006

breezer said:
true, but its still unlikely to be the cable, also there is no rcd in the garage, since the op said..........."RCD to the garage

Maybe - I always like to have the full picture. Not everyone uses language in the same way and I've seen people say "to" when they mean "in" more than once.

tritonr1 · 29 Dec 2006

davelx i will answer the question in order of being asked to stop any confusion

the rcd thats tripping is in the house (see pic below)

yes there is a cu in the garage main switch 63a, sockets 20a, lights 6a plus a 6a not used

cable run is approx 10m

only earth that i can see is into the cu in the house

JohnD · 29 Dec 2006

It is more likely to be something damp in the garage. Try unplugging everything and see if that fixes it. Then plug them back in one at a time.

If not, turn off the main switch of the garage CU. If it still trips it is something between the house CU and the garage CU (and there's not much there except the cable.)

If you have any external junction boxes,sockets, switches or lamps, examine them for water ingress. Water can also run down the cable where it enters the building unless it has a drip loop.

Edited: In your pic it is the MCB that looks tripped, not the RCD. Please elucidate.

breezer · 29 Dec 2006

i still say its not the swa cable. they not bullet proof but they are designed to take stick, burried

leave the garage cu off, everything unplugged, lamps removed and see does the house rcd trip

tritonr1 · 29 Dec 2006

cheers for the replys guys, i have done as instructed turned the main cu off in the garage but the rcd still trips in the house....i know you say its not the swa cable but i have had the whole area where the cable is block paved in november....personally i was putting it down to the cable only being 2.5 and thought it would me more suited to 4mm...but then again im no expert (thats why im here asking)

JohnD · 29 Dec 2006

Does the SWA run straight into the CU at each end, or is there a metal adaptable box? If so, where is it?

Can we have a pic of the SWA coming through the walls at each end please?

momo32 · 29 Dec 2006

Just to clarify: it is the RCD in the house CU tripping? Not the MCB beside it in your picture labelled 'garage'?

Sorry, I see that's been asked earlier

tritonr1 · 29 Dec 2006

Edited: In your pic it is the MCB that looks tripped, not the RCD. Please elucidate

ahh yes well the rcd is also used for the shower.... hence the mcb being switched off

yes the swa runs straight into each cu...cant take photos of the cables without causing damage to either the house or garage

momo32 · 29 Dec 2006

So is it at all possible that it's actually the shower at fault??

JohnD · 29 Dec 2006

And I was interested in seeing if the SWA ran into the CUs in such a way that water could run down the cable and into the casing.

tritonr1 · 29 Dec 2006

So is it at all possible that it's actually the shower at fault??

its not the shower as that doesnt trip the rcd....if i switch the mcb on to the garage the rcd will trip

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outdoor cable woes

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