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Incoming supply corroded
- Thread starter nearthemark
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They may well say it's not necessary work, so they certainly pay for that.
If UKPN decide it requires replacement, they will do all the work and making good of your driveway / garden etc at no cost at all to yourself.
TNS supply.
Would be good to get a Ze reading on that cable sheath IMO.
Would be good to get a Ze reading on that cable sheath IMO.
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So if they say it needs doing, they'll cover the cost, but if they say it does not need doing, then it can be left?
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I think that's beyond what I can do with a multimeter!??
Yes, a decent electrician with the gear can do this test for you.
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I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s the outside armours that have rusted, the cable itself will be absolutely fine. Underneath that is lead which is what the earth is connected to.
UKPN will certainly come out to take a look if you phone up to say you’re concerned, but you’ll be reassured that it’s fine.
Policies, procedures and PPE is all in place for covid-19.
Where in the ukpn patch are you?
UKPN will certainly come out to take a look if you phone up to say you’re concerned, but you’ll be reassured that it’s fine.
Policies, procedures and PPE is all in place for covid-19.
Where in the ukpn patch are you?
The outer hessian serving has come away and the steel tape armour is pretty rusted but the important part of the cable that serves as the earth connection, the lead sheath, is under all that. It looks bad, but a lot of PILCSTA (Paper Insulated Lead Covered Steel Tape Armoured) cable under the pavement is in a similar condition. Really, it all needs replacing and at some point in the future it all probably will be, but in the DNO's eyes it's electrically intact and will be covered over and out of harm's way, so I doubt they'd consider it a candidate for replacement.
Don’t worry too much about it, the cable is the original steel tape armoured 2 core PILC service that dates back possibly nearly 100 years, the armours are rusty but you will find that the cable itself will be in as good condition as the day it went in. It doesn’t look pretty but it is still serviceable, the earth is provided by the lead sheath and not the steel tape. Pretty much every house over 50 years old have cables like this- unless they’ve been replaced for some reason or another.
Can the lead sheath ever fail?
Have experienced very high Ze reading on a lead sheath years ago, DNO supposedly fixed it by doing something out in the road I think, which didn't do any good at all really.
After getting them back I think they fitted an RCD as a temporary measure.
Have experienced very high Ze reading on a lead sheath years ago, DNO supposedly fixed it by doing something out in the road I think, which didn't do any good at all really.
After getting them back I think they fitted an RCD as a temporary measure.
In my experience those cables (lead, paper insulation) were terminated in a cast-iron box, filled with bitumen - they would absorb moisture if left open to atmosphere.
Rather that cable looks like a steel armoured, hessian served.
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I visited a house where the lead sheath was rotten. The DNO guy tried remaking it, but the Ze was bad.
They ended up digging up all along the drive out to the street, effectively chasing the old cable back to a point where it was good and jointing it there.
The sheath itself doesn’t fail, it can fail at joints and terminations, the sweat can break leading to a high earth loop, or the lead can break due to damage.
Ok some old systems the lead sheath isn’t even connected through Tee joints so there is no earth available in the entire street.
Ok some old systems the lead sheath isn’t even connected through Tee joints so there is no earth available in the entire street.
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It actually looks more like rubber that was on the outside
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