Simplest Way Extend SWA Cable ~5 Metres?

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Morning All,

I'm looking to move my shed across the garden by about 5 metres or so so will also need to extend the existing SWA cable so that it can reach.

Currently the SWA cable is connected to the internal fuse box in the house, goes under the garden, pops up into the shed and has its own consumer unit in the shed.

Is it a case of turning power off, disconnecting from the shed CU, joining on an extra length of SWA with a resin bond and hooking back up to shed CU when shed is in new position? or is there a better/simpler way of connecting the cables e.g can they be connected above ground?

Thanks
 
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If it's buried it needs to be maintence free, a resin joint is the first thing that springs to my mind but itis not a casual/DIY job. I haven't used these but now there's Wago boxes and jelly which seem very popular but I've been told they are tricky to exclude all the air and we've seen the failure results on here and youtube.
It can of course be jointed above ground in a weatherproof enclosure. but will reqiuire mounting on a surface such as a wall.

I imagine there will be mention of notifiable work following soon
 
in my street they are digging holes for a water main replacement, I notice in one hole their digger had ripperd through an SWA cable -going to a street lamp I think.

Anyway I went past yesterday and they had repaired it with a resin joint -bl@@dy massive thing, easily a foot long x about 2" wide -seems overkill for what looks like a 2.5mm SWA cable at most.
 
in my street they are digging holes for a water main replacement, I notice in one hole their digger had ripperd through an SWA cable -going to a street lamp I think.

Anyway I went past yesterday and they had repaired it with a resin joint -bl@@dy massive thing, easily a foot long x about 2" wide -seems overkill for what looks like a 2.5mm SWA cable at most.
It needs all of that space to accomodate the terninations, armour continuity and waterproof bond to outer sheath.
 
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Be is epoxy lined heat shrink, or resin filled box, price around the same, around £15 for joint kit, the heat shrink type are neater, but the tubes always seem to be too short, it takes some skill to do the joint neat enough for the tubes to fit, and the resin ones need to be level to fill them, and so easy to get a leak, I have more than once needed to rob another kit when the box has leaked, plus likely uses crimps requiring tools which are not provided with the kit, so I would say in the main not a DIY job. Specially the tools needed to test after.
 
Anyway I went past yesterday and they had repaired it with a resin joint -bl@@dy massive thing, easily a foot long x about 2" wide -seems overkill for what looks like a 2.5mm SWA cable at most.
If the cable in question was a DNO cable, then there is a good chance the jointing was being done live. I believe the DNOs tend to use larger joint cases than commercial electrians do to accomodate live working practices.

Also each joint case size likely covers a range of cable sizes, for example the ones TLC sell are 1.5mm² to 6mm², 6mm² to 16mm² and 25mm² to 95mm²
 
I imagine there will be mention of notifiable work following soon
New circuits and new consumer units are notifiable, but I see nothing in the notification rules about relocating existing equipment.
 
If the cable in question was a DNO cable, then there is a good chance the jointing was being done live. I believe the DNOs tend to use larger joint cases than commercial electrians do to accomodate live working practices.

Also each joint case size likely covers a range of cable sizes, for example the ones TLC sell are 1.5mm² to 6mm², 6mm² to 16mm² and 25mm² to 95mm²
When I had electricity installed in my workshop, they dug up the pavement, found the big thick power line that fed the street, split it open, separated the wires and soldered the feed to my workshop into it all while it was live. Faaaaaack that! They then put some kind of casing on it and filled it with resin. I lost all power a few years later and they had to come out and do it all again.
 
Resin Join The hardest bit is getting the spring/ring clip around the armoured cable on both ends with the connecting strip, if you're already capable of terminating SWA cable
 
if you can fix an outdoor socket to a wall or fence post then that could be the easiest way to make the join and have a socket for future use.

 
If it's buried it needs to be maintence free, a resin joint is the first thing that springs to my mind but itis not a casual/DIY job. I haven't used these but

I have used many of them, nothing really could be easier. Make the joint, including the armour, but the molded case around the joint, then mix the resin in the bag and pour. Thing is, you only get one chance to get it right per kit, so plan it out carefully. The kits come with all that is needed.
 
I have used many of them, nothing really could be easier. Make the joint, including the armour, but the molded case around the joint, then mix the resin in the bag and pour. Thing is, you only get one chance to get it right per kit, so plan it out carefully. The kits come with all that is needed.
I've done a few resin joints and managed to not seal one properly, unfortunately it leaked after I walked away to let it cure. There are different makes & designs, some are easier than others.
I wouldn't recommend it for a one off DIY job.
 

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