Storage of cable off-cuts

[Jupiter01]

I’ve amassed quite a few cable off cuts ( still a few metres long) that are no longer on their reels. How do you guys store these in a shed as mine are complete spaghetti at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JohnW2]

I’ve amassed quite a few cable off cuts ( still a few metres long) that are no longer on their reels. How do you guys store these in a shed as mine are complete spaghetti at the moment.

Just 'coil them up' (into coils that are not too small in diameter, maybe 150-200mm) and use tape or something (or even just wind the ends around the coil) to keep them coiled.

 

[ebee]

small coils is a good way, you could put a piece of insulting tape at the coil ends to keep them neat . tip - it makes tape easier to unwinding tape if you make a small twist before cutting/snapping off , it looks a bit less neat but makes it easier to find the end to pull then unwind. Do not mention to me how annoying it is when some loses the end of sellotape and you want to use it Aggghhh! I have one of them at home.

 

[Jurassicspark]

Don't store it outside.

 

[ebee]

Don't store it outside.

someone will nick it!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Cut the cables into one foot lengths and then they can be stored neatly in a handy-sized box.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Just 'coil them up' (into coils that are not too small in diameter, maybe 150-200mm) and use tape or something (or even just wind the ends around the coil) to keep them coiled.

To make the coiling even more useful - measure the length first, and add a label, or write it on the sleeve. Saves you uncoiling to find the peace is just 1m to short for the job.

 

[JohnW2]

To make the coiling even more useful - measure the length first, and add a label, or write it on the sleeve. Saves you uncoiling to find the peace is just 1m to short for the job.

Yes, I occasionally do that, and sometimes also write on the CSA, if there is any risk of that being in doubt.

However, I don't usually bother. My coils are usually quite small, with just a few 'turns', and are generally of roughly the same size (diameter of coil), such that I know that each turn is in the ballpark of 2 feet for cables up to 4mm². Counting the turns and multiplying by two then takes only a few seconds.

 

[JohnW2]

Don't store it outside.

Do you mean 'exposed to elements', which I don't think many people would consider doing (although it would probably not result in much harm)?

Cable is very often stored in garages/sheds etc., and I think that's fine.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Cable is very often stored in garages/sheds etc., and I think that's fine.

I have several part coils, used when I might need a short piece, on offcuts of steel conduit, fixed on rafters via screwed hooks. Longer lengths, new coils, are stacked on shelves. Green/yellow sleeving, is just stored in bits, in a cardboard box.

 

[Jurassicspark]

Do you mean 'exposed to elements', which I don't think many people would consider doing (although it would probably not result in much harm)?

A new twin and earth reel was left outside for years, and eventually the insulation resistance came under 2M ohms.

 

[JohnW2]

A new twin and earth reel was left outside for years, and eventually the insulation resistance came under 2M ohms.

That surprises me.

I am now many years (can't remember exactly how many!) into my experiment with a length of PVC T+E (and lengths of other types of cable) submerged in brine, and it remains fine in terms of IR. I also have some 'totally exposed' T+E clipped to the side of my house which has been there for at least 40 years and, again, still remains fine.

 

[Jurassicspark]

That surprises me.

I am now many years (can't remember exactly how many!) into my experiment with a length of PVC T+E (and lengths of other types of cable) submerged in brine, and it remains fine in terms of IR. I also have some 'totally exposed' T+E clipped to the side of my house which has been there for at least 40 years and, again, still remains fine.

Fair enough. Thanks for your input.


It could have been that rats or whatever else may have chewed on the cable which resulted in a much lower IR value.

However, leaving a cable exposed outside to the rain or extense heat does lower IR values. Think about it, a cable exposed in a damp wall does eventually wear it out internally.

 

[JohnW2]

Fair enough. Thanks for your input. ... It could have been that rats or whatever else may have chewed on the cable which resulted in a much lower IR value.

That would obviously be a very different matter

However, leaving a cable exposed outside to the rain or extense heat does lower IR values. Think about it, a cable exposed in a damp wall does eventually wear it out internally.

It's UV light, not water, that can eventually damage PVC-sheathed cables, but it's only the sheath (and therefore should not affect IR) and, in any event, the main thing that can sometimes happen is that the PVC sheath becomes brittle - but that's not really an issue if it is not 'disturbed' (e.g. if, as in my case, it is clipped to a brick wall.)

 

[JohnW2]

However, leaving a cable exposed outside to the rain or extense heat does lower IR values. Think about it, a cable exposed in a damp wall does eventually wear it out internally.

If just looked back through the forum archives,and have found that in July 2017 I wrote ..

Talking of submerging cables in liquid, my occasionally-mentioned long-term experiment continues, and has now been going for 3 or 4 years. I have ~2m lengths of both T+E and ("50V") alarm cable submerged in brine, and periodically IR them (from cores to brine). At the last count, both were still showing >1,000MΩ at 1000V.

The experiment continues, still with fine IR results on all the cables, and has clearly now been going on for well over a decade.