disturbing find whilst digging

[sam8364]

I am currently ' in negotiation' with the electricty supplier about altering the mains supply cable into the house - so that I can open my front door fully and without damaging it.

We have a great big thick cable coming up from under the floorboards which it then split at a big black box to supply ourselves and next door via a cable through the wall.

I have just had remove a couple of inches of soil from the front garden to drop the soil level back down to the required 15cm below internal floor level (in a bid to help solve a damp problem). Whilst removing the soil I found the same electricty cable on its route from the road to the house. It was only burried 2 inches under the soil and is now less than half and inch. It is very old and has no markings to indicate it is an electricity cable

Obviously I know it is there and will avoid clobbering it with a axe or similar.

However, I want to know whether this is a problem and whether I have done anything wrong by exposing the cable - I have only reduced the level of the soil by the amount it has increased over the years - not done any serious digging! Do I need to get the supplier involved or notify them in anyway?

 

[industryspark]

However, I want to know whether this is a problem

yeah i would definetly class it as a problem! it might as well be running on the surface as half an inch deep!

.....infact it'd probably be safer as people would know it was there! (just thinking incase you ever sell the house or get some gardeners in)

Whilst removing the soil I found the same electricty cable on its route from the road to the house.

are you sure its the same cable? could it possibly be a disused cable or something else?

and whether I have done anything wrong by exposing the cable

cant really see as you have done anything wrong no. when us sparks bury a cable (to a garage maybe) the regs say it has to be a certain depth (think its half a meter but not 100% sure without looking it up) so im sure the supply company's will have to follow a similar (if not more strick) policy.

would let them no what you've discovered asap and demand that they sort it. you may well get the mains supply altered at the same time as a bonus!

 

[Pensdown]

so im sure the supply company's will have to follow a similar (if not more strick) policy.

YMBFJ...

 

[industryspark]

pensdown wrote:

YMBFJ...

ha ha , maybe that should have been........''the supply company's should/ should be made....... to follow a similar policy''.

 

[Spark123]

or they are a law unto themselves?

 

[tommo2]

Usually when you quote a dangerous situation to a supply company they jump immediately to sort it (if only to cover their a*ses)

I was looking to have a meter cabinet moved recently but the supply company wouldnt do any work until the cert was submitted. I was reluctant to submit the cert until the wiring was 100% finished, so i told them it was in a dangerous location (leaking water etc)
They came out at once and made it safe (by disconnecting the supply ) and left, saying they wouldnt reconnect until the cert was issued.
Had to work all night trying to get finished so that the customer could have power on again.

Didnt even get paid in the end...

sometimes you can be too smart for your own good.

 

[sam8364]

[/quote]are you sure its the same cable? could it possibly be a disused cable or something else?

Yes I am sure it is the current mains supply cable. It must be the best part of 70 years old though!

I must admite to being slightly miffed that I had to dig a 18 inch deep hole 100 ft to run power to my shed when the mains cable to the house is no more than a gnats chuff under the surface.

Other than the risk of phsycial damage - is it dangerous for this to be all but exposed in any other way? - Frost damage? etc