Exposing old mains cables, Is this safe???

jonmic · Jul 10, 2023

Hello.

I'll apologize to start with as due to my lack of knowledge on the matter I'm likely to waffle a bit and call everything by the wrong name but hopefully you'll get my point...

I am having some renovations done at home and need to have the electrical meter relocated slightly. We have been advised this can only be carried out by SP Energy and have paid them almost 2k to have the works completed. However, if we want them to do it we have to wait 3 months so they suggested digging the hole myself and exposing the main cable where it enters the house beneath the ground. By doing this myself it will speed things up and they will be able to come sooner to relocate the cable to the required location.

I have cut through the cement and dug down to where they said the cable is located and found that the cable is inside a wooden frame and encased in pitch with a row of bricks placed on top. They have asked that I remove the bricks, dig away at the pitch and expose the cable. When I asked how many cables there would be I was advised one, however my explorations have uncovered two. I found this a bit worrying as could easily have damaged the second cable as I was not expecting it to be there.

I've got to be honest, I was Shi***ng myself picking away at the pitch around the cables and I'm now extremely relieved that I have completed the work. Am I just being a big wimp or was this actually dangerous?

My question is, is this something that I should be expected to do as a member of the public with zero experience with electrical cables and all the related complexities? Probably should have asked this prior to doing the work lol...

If you made it this far thanks very much for reading and for any advice or thoughts you care to share

James · Jul 10, 2023

I would consider what you have done to be dangerous

Marvo · Jul 10, 2023

jonmic said:
Hello.

I'll apologize to start with as due to my lack of knowledge on the matter I'm likely to waffle a bit and call everything by the wrong name but hopefully you'll get my point...

I am having some renovations done at home and need to have the electrical meter relocated slightly. We have been advised this can only be carried out by SP Energy and have paid them almost 2k to have the works completed. However, if we want them to do it we have to wait 3 months so they suggested digging the hole myself and exposing the main cable where it enters the house beneath the ground. By doing this myself it will speed things up and they will be able to come sooner to relocate the cable to the required location.

I have cut through the cement and dug down to where they said the cable is located and found that the cable is inside a wooden frame and encased in pitch with a row of bricks placed on top. They have asked that I remove the bricks, dig away at the pitch and expose the cable. When I asked how many cables there would be I was advised one, however my explorations have uncovered two. I found this a bit worrying as could easily have damaged the second cable as I was not expecting it to be there.

I've got to be honest, I was Shi***ng myself picking away at the pitch around the cables and I'm now extremely relieved that I have completed the work. Am I just being a big wimp or was this actually dangerous?

My question is, is this something that I should be expected to do as a member of the public with zero experience with electrical cables and all the related complexities? Probably should have asked this prior to doing the work lol...

If you made it this far thanks very much for reading and for any advice or thoughts you care to share

I've seen some posts in the 13 years I've been on this forum but I think this one takes the biscuit. Did the DNO honestly tell you to excavate their feed in cable then tell you to remove the cladding and pitch it was potted into? Are you sure you didn't mis-understand their instructions?

Speechless

freddo · Jul 10, 2023

Has that cable been dismantled right down to the paper insulation?! Amazing!

hydrocarbonPrimate · Jul 10, 2023

That's one way to stop the neighbours cat sh#tting in your garden!

Marvo · Jul 10, 2023

freddo said:
Has that cable been dismantled right down to the paper insulation?! Amazing!

That was my initial thoughts but I'm not sure.

Okay, I'm gonna give this the benefit of the doubt and assume it's not a troll or someone having a laugh.

I'm impressed you're still alive and sporting a full set of eyebrows. My suggestion is cut and run whilst the going is still good, stop immediately and stay well clear of that hole entirely. Also put some cones out or hazard tape if there's the remotest possibility someone could fall in it. Phone the DNO again and tell them there's an urgent safety issue with exposed and accessible wires on their underground supply cable and you need then to attend it as an emergency call and take things from there.

I'd also recommend you get ducks in a row about who told you to dig up their cable and then further suggested you remove the bitumen because I suspect they're not gonna be happy when they see your handywork.

jonmic · Jul 10, 2023

Hi

Thanks for your replies. No troll and not having a laugh.

The SPN guy has been around three times so far. The last time when he advised me I was to expose the cables further I must have asked him 5 times for clarification on exactly what he was asking me to do as I was concerned. Initially, I had left the bricks over the top as I thought there would be no way they'd expect me to be poking in around the cable but he said that I was to remove them and also remove the pitch as the guys who join the cable and move it won't touch it if it isn't fully exposed.

There is absolutely no misunderstanding, his instructions were clear but I am now feeling that I might have gotten lucky. Worried that this guy is out there giving advice like this!! Thanks again for your time.

freddo · Jul 10, 2023

Let us know the outcome!!

nicebutdim · Jul 10, 2023

Lucky the OP is here to post about this, rather than someone posting a news article about their untimely demise. That guy from the DNO needs to be locked up for his own safety as well as that of customers.

MJPD29 · Jul 10, 2023

I cannot believe they have asked you to do this. Removing the pitch on a live cable is extremely dangerous and should not be undertaken by any untrained person. It’s time to contact the hse with details of who from the dno has asked and approved you to do this.

davesparks · Jul 10, 2023

freddo said:
Has that cable been dismantled right down to the paper insulation?! Amazing!

I don't think so.
From the OP's description of a wooden trough filled with pitch I would say this cable has been installed in a method known as 'laid solid'
This was where PILC cables were laid in wooden troughs which were then filled with a pitch based compound.

So im pretty sure what has been exposed here is the PILC service cable and not the cable having been dismantled.

Avo Mk8 · Jul 11, 2023

davesparks said:
So im pretty sure what has been exposed here is the PILC service cable and not the cable having been dismantled.

Just happened across this:

https://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/userfiles/file/scottishpower_cables_equipment_metal_theft.pdf

Page 20?

Cankeredlamentations · Jul 11, 2023

That's crazy they asked you to do that, I did a rewire not long back where the clients earth readings were way over accepted values, back an forth with DNO (Northern Power Networks) but they came, sorted the earth issue, even moved the meter from inside to outside, fitted a meter box and isolator switch in a day job very neat and no cost to my client, though though it was a Friday and the guy from the DNO forgot to connect the meter tails from the isolator to the consumer unit!

7029 dave · Jul 11, 2023

So you payed them almost 2K, and done all the excavating to expose their cable, which is a very dangerous practice at best OMG.
Its a miracle that you did not have an accident my advice is dont touch it anymore keep out of the hole.
I cannot believe they said that to you.

jonmic · Jul 14, 2023

Hi

So, I now understand why some were talking about the cable being dismantled. There is no PILC, just these two lead pipes. Apparently one is live and one neutral. They think this has been an add-on at some point and that it will need to be further exposed to try to find the PILC as they cant join onto what's been exposed.

Another guy came out yesterday and said he has never seen cables like this before and I should not have been asked to remove the tiles or the pitch. Said the guy who advised me to expose it was new to the job and tried to justify the whole shambles by telling me they were extremely busy so everything is a bit rushed.

Dreading the quote I'm expecting from them next week for the additional work but happy to have survived the experience and I've learned a thing or two as well. Gonna be a stinker of a complaint I make.

Thanks again for all your advice.