How to join two 4mm SWA cables?

uptown47 · 6 Nov 2021

Hi all,
I ran a 4mm SWA cable to my summerhouse. I buried it inside some conduit but the guy doing the garden has hammered a metal stake through it (I've not dug it up yet - but it's tripping my RCD). It's not a direct short but measuring resistance from Neutral to his spike is about 1.6MOhms so I think he's 'nicked' the cable and now water has got in to it (been heavy rain here) it's caused an issue.

I'm going to dig it up next week but wondered what's the best way of repairing it. I can chop the cable completely and re-run part of it. But I can't re-run the whole length of cable so it will need joining.

So, do I bring it up out of the ground, into a junction box, then bury the second half of it again in order to repair it. Or are there durable "in line" ways of repairing the cable that will allow me to bury it again and forget about it for my lifetime?

The area will (eventually) be covered with slabs so whatever I do needs to be robust and permanent.

I'd love to get your advice on the best way to tackle this.

Thanks

HERTS P&D · 6 Nov 2021

I also went through a SWA cable and this is what I done:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/cable-joint-kit/bn_7024815695

Andy

Tigercubrider · 6 Nov 2021

Is it possible to pull a new cable through the conduit?
Get the spike guy to pay

BS3036 · 6 Nov 2021

Tigercubrider said:
Get the spike guy to pay

May depend how deep the cable was buried!

sparkwright · 6 Nov 2021

Tigercubrider said:
Get the spike guy to pay

Lectrician · 6 Nov 2021

It may be possible to strip the cable open and just place a resin joint around it. Is a core is badly damaged, joint just that. Do t go “cutting” the cable. Open it up.

uptown47 · 6 Nov 2021

HERTS P&D said:
I also went through a SWA cable and this is what I done:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/cable-joint-kit/bn_7024815695

Andy

That's brilliant Andy. Thanks so much for the links. I've ordered that now. Will sort it.

Cheers

uptown47 · 6 Nov 2021

Thanks all. Going to joint it and follow the earlier advice. The guys a mate of mine so not going to fall out over it. I'll let him know what's happened and then sort it. Thanks to everyone for the brilliant advice

HERTS P&D · 6 Nov 2021

Lets us know how you get on.

Andy

uptown47 · 6 Nov 2021

Will do Andy.

Cheers

John

securespark · 6 Nov 2021

Tigercubrider said:
Get the spike guy to pay

I don't know why people are laughing at that. Trades should have public liability to cover stuff like this. I did.

JohnW2 · 6 Nov 2021

securespark said:
I don't know why people are laughing at that. Trades should have public liability to cover stuff like this. I did.

It sounds as if it is a "mate of his" rather than a "trades".

Kind Regards, John

uptown47 · 6 Nov 2021

JohnW2 said:
It sounds as if it is a "mate of his" rather than a "trades".

Kind Regards, John

No, he's "trades". But also a very good friend. I know that when I show him what's happened on Monday he'll be mortified. It was one of his team that hammered in the spike. I have lots of good friends in the "trade". My view is that accidents and mistakes happen. Show me someone who's never cocked up and I'll show you someone who's never done anything.

This isn't something that's worth claiming on your liability insurance for. He'll dig it out for me I'm sure and I'll joint it. Job done. Lesson learned. Move on.

sparkwright · 6 Nov 2021

securespark said:
I don't know why people are laughing at that. Trades should have public liability to cover stuff like this. I did.

I have never yet had a gardener or groundworker or landscaper pay for the damage they do.

One gardener hammered a narrow fence panel into an underground cable - he didn't know it was there so not his fault, apparently.

Then someone wrecked an outside socket+outdoor jb for pond and garden lighting - he must have tied one end of a rope to the SWA gland, the other end of the rope to his car, and driven down the road - by the amount damage that he left. Mustn't say anything, very good tradesman apparently, mustn't mortify him - you can sort it out, can't you?

Sigh.

JohnW2 · 6 Nov 2021

uptown47 said:
No, he's "trades". But also a very good friend.

Fair enough.

uptown47 said:
I know that when I show him what's happened on Monday he'll be mortified. It was one of his team that hammered in the spike. I have lots of good friends in the "trade". My view is that accidents and mistakes happen. Show me someone who's never cocked up and I'll show you someone who's never done anything.

Quite so. I see quite a lot of that in relation to medical 'accidents and mistakes'. The more reasonable and philosophical 'victims' do understand that such things 'happen' and, provided the circumstances are not 'unreasonable', do not seek to attribute 'blame', let alone seek 'vengance'.

uptown47 said:
This isn't something that's worth claiming on your liability insurance for. He'll dig it out for me I'm sure and I'll joint it. Job done. Lesson learned. Move on.

Again, fair enough - and that is the ideal situation. In relation to the more unfortunate/serious cases of 'medical accidents and mistakes', there can be resultant large financial implications for the 'victim' - that's what insurance is for and it is quite common in such situations for the person 'responsible' to (far from being defensive or obstructive) actually encourage the 'victim' (or those around them) to claim against their insurance.

Kind Regards, John

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How to join two 4mm SWA cables?

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