Rodent damage

[daveaspy]

Having heard some scurrying about int he ceiling voids I lifted the floorboards upstairs to see if I could find anything. Didnt find any critters but did find some cables almost stripped of insulation between two joists. I cant see any damage beyond these joists. So this leads me to a few questions...

1. Am I allowed to repair this myself - given Part P etc. ?

2. If I can repair it, is it absolutely necessary to replace the whole cable run or would it be acceptable to just replace the damaged section with junction boxes?

3. The cables are lighting I think (need to have another look to make sure but they were quite thin cables) and use the old red/black colours. I am sure I have some old cable I could use - is that preferable to using blue/brown to avoid having a mix of colours in the house?

4. The buggers have also stripped the white outer insulation off some burglar alarm cables but the coloured core insulation inside (now outside ) look undamaged - I wondered about just wrapping some tape around the damaged section here. Any thoughts?

Cheers

 

[rebuke]

Firstly, I would suggest you deal with the rodents before replacing any cable, otherwise you're just going to have the same problem again!

As to your questions:

1. Yes, Part P allows you to replace damaged sections of cable without notifying.

2. Ideally you'd replace the whole run, if that's impractical, then your best option would be to join in a new bit using through crimps and a proper ratcheting crimp tool, and some heatshrink over the top. Normal screw-type junction boxes are not permissable under floors, so if you don't want to go the crimp route, then at least use one of the maintenance free junction boxes (although there's debate about whether those actually comply or not...)

3. Makes no difference, but if you do mix colours then make sure there is a warning notice on your CU stating so (you can normally pick up the appropriately designed labels in places like B&Q etc)

4. Wrapping it in tape should be fine if the cores aren't damaged internally...

 

[EdwardCurrent]

I agree with Rebuke.

A friend of mine had an on/off problem with what he thought was rats 'but it turned out to be a 'very intelligent' squirrel !!!! He rigged up a cage to catch it, only to find the 'luring' food gone and the trap still 'set'. The local pest control chap didn't entertain the idea of hunting the elusive creature down. Took about eight weeks, but I believe it just 'decided' to go elsewhere.
If it turns out to be a squirrel............
The Environment Department says that squirrels can be killed humanely by shooting them in a cage or luring them into a sack and administering no more than two firm blows to the head with a hammer or something similar, a technique known as "cranial despatch". Drowning, gassing or killing by any other means is banned under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.

Good Hunting

Ed

 

[daveaspy]

thanks for that, better than I hoped for ) I will dig out my ratchet crimper which is tucked away somewhere!

Still havent identified the culprits, the council were supposed to be coming to look for the last week but no sign of them yet, they did suggest it could be a squirrel though. Not heard anything in the ceilings either for a week so they might have gone somewhere else, but we live in a very old row of stone cottages and there are undoubtably lots of passages between the cottages! (I can certainly see fairly large holes between the walls in the loft)

 

[RF Lighting]

Squirrels are buggers for chomping on cables. I once went to a house which had had squirrels in the loft, and every last shred of cable up there had been completely stripped bare.

Mice don't seem to bother too much, and rats / rabbits seem to have a gnaw now and again.