cable repair

[clive5]

Hello

This is something I do not intend doing myself, but my electrics failed in my Garage, ever since the house was built 10 years ago the electrics would trip out every so often.

I have now discovered the cable from the garage to the house has been severed. It looks as if the builders had done it when they put a fence post in and over the years it finally parted.

Is this something than can be repaired or would the whole cable need to be replaced?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

How could they sever a cable and only create an intermittent fault?

What sort of cable is it, and how deep is it?

If it's not SWA, and/or not deep enough, it should be replaced.

If it is SWA, and is deep enough, you'll need crimps, a ratchet crimper, heat shrink tubing or amalgamating tape and one of these:

 

[clive5]

Looking at the cable it looks as if they had just caught it, somebody suggested that they may have caught it with a digger.

Looking at the cable I can see there is about 4 inches of the outer sleeve missing, this area of cable was under the concrete that held the post in place.

where the cable has come apart it looks as if the wiring has rusted away.

I think this is why the fault was intermitent, the elements finally parted the cable.

Unfortunately I think the builders turned a blind eye to it.

We live on clay soil so I wonder it the shrinkage in the summer also contributed to pulling the cable apart at the damaged area.

I am not sure what the cable is but it was down about 8 to 10 inches and was put down 10 years ago.


Thanks for your help.

 

[plugwash]

rusted sounds like steel which probablly means it is SWA. got a picture? (prefereablly of both the break and the terminitions)

unfortunately water has probablly got into the cable with it being left like that for a long time. is the cable two core (relying on the armour for earth) or three core (with a seperate earth core). if its 3 core the armour rusting is not such a concern and jointing it shouldn't be too much of a problem but i wouldn't advise that if relying on the armour for earth.

also that cable is a bit on the shallow side. to be honest whilst if this had been caught quickly i'd have said joint it its probablly better to replace the cable with one burried at the proper depth.

 

[clive5]

I've now been able to get a good look at the cable in daylight and it's 2 core, and the armour is rusted also both ends are black and fused together.

Looks as if the whole cable will need to be replaced.