Rodent damage to electrical cable

[Sard]

Hi all,

I just noticed what looks to be rodent damage to a 2.5mm2 T&E cable carrying electricity from one room to the other. We are certain we don't have mice but it could have occured a long time ago.

Could anyone advise what the best option would be to repair the cable? I've attached a photo of the damage and it looks to be the neutral conductor has been exposed. Everything else looks intact.

 

[AndyPRK]

to me its far to neat to be rodent

It's rubbed against something sharp.

Personally I would put silicon over the top of it, but I doubt that is an approved procedure!

 

[Sard]

to me its far to neat to be rodent

It's rubbed against something sharp.

Personally I would put silicon over the top of it, but I doubt that is an approved procedure!

I did find some droppings in between the floorboards at other locations, so I assumed it might have been a rodent.

Could I wrap it in black electrical tape or is that a complete no-no?

 

[Lower]

Cut out the damaged section and wire in a replacement section. If its accessible you can use screwed junction boxes, otherwise you need a maintenance free junction box like a wago or similar.

 

[AndyPRK]

if its between rooms, there may not be slack to do that

 

[winston1]

Could I wrap it in black electrical tape or is that a complete no-no?

No. It can dry out and fall off. Self amalgamating tape would be OK however. Replacing the run of cable would be better.

 

[Sard]

No. It can dry out and fall off. Self amalgamating tape would be OK however. Replacing the run of cable would be better.

Thank you. I'm happy to replace the run. Is there a minimum distance I should replace?

 

[Bosswhite]

Definitely mice you can see teeth marks on cable , What is the timber ( Skirting/Joist ??) can you get behind it ? Wago Junction box is the way to go . What is the feed of the cable

 

[JohnW2]

to me its far to neat to be rodent ... It's rubbed against something sharp.

It looks like classic rodent damage to me, and it would seem (to me) extremely unlikley that, in such a position, "rubbing against something sharp" would produce that.

Also, although others have doubted me, and reported different experiences when I have mentioned this before, in my experience, when rodent damage to cables occurs, it is very commonly where, or close to where, the cable passes through a hole in a joist etc - as if the perpetrators were trying to increase the size of the hole so that they could crawl though it - and that is precisely where the OP's damage has occurred.

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

when rodent damage to cables occurs, it is very commonly where, or close to where, the cable passes through a hole in a joist etc - as if the perpetrators were trying to increase the size of the hole so that they could crawl though it - and that is precisely where the OP's damage has occurred.

Kind Regards, John

John's a clever soul, I never would have thought of that.

 

[Sard]

It looks like classic rodent damage to me, and it would seem (to me) extremely unlikley that, in such a position, "rubbing against something sharp" would produce that.

Also, although others have doubted me, and reported different experiences when I have mentioned this before, in my experience, when rodent damage to cables occurs, it is very commonly where, or close to where, the cable passes through a hole in a joist etc - as if the perpetrators were trying to increase the size of the hole so that they could crawl though it - and that is precisely where the OP's damage has occurred.

Kind Regards, John

Thanks John, I think is the most plausible theory.

 

[Sard]

Having looked at the length of cable and looked at what it's connected to at both ends, I've decided to cut it and put an extra socket on the wall and the Mrs wanted one there anyway, so looks like luck was on my side with this one.

Thank you all for the helpful insight and prompt responses. Much appreciated.

 

[JohnW2]

John's a clever soul, I never would have thought of that.

Nothing clever about it, I was merely reporting what I have personally experienced. Over the years, we've had rodent damage to several cables (of which I am aware - quite probably more!) and in every case it has been in proximity to where a cable went through a hole in something (usually a joist), with no (nearby) signs of damage to any other part of the cable.

Kind Regards, John

 

[SUNRAY]

Nothing clever about it, I was merely reporting what I have personally experienced. Over the years, we've had rodent damage to several cables (of which I am aware - quite probably more!) and in every case it has been in proximity to where a cable went through a hole in something (usually a joist), with no (nearby) signs of damage to any other part of the cable.

Kind Regards, John

It makes absolute sense to me albeit not my experience.

In a loft I didcovered a T&E which had been chewed over a couple of metres and the live conductor had popped out over half of that distance.

 

[JohnW2]

It makes absolute sense to me albeit not my experience. In a loft I didcovered a T&E which had been chewed over a couple of metres and the live conductor had popped out over half of that distance.

To re-post a piccie I've often posted in the past, this (very limited) rodent damage arose just (only) where the cable passed through a hole in a joist. AS I've often observed, the 'worrying' thing is that (as one would expect) this cable IRd just fine - so 'testing' is not a way of detecting such problems...

Kind Regards, John