UK Black cable off supplier's incoming cable?

[impish15]

Hi,

Any suggestions what this black cable is coming off the supply's incoming cable? Its a TN-S system, I thought it could be the earth conductor but the cable is black not green/yellow, plus it looks much smaller than 10mm2 plus there is already an earthing conductor coming off the sheath going to the MET.

Any advice welcome
Dennis

 

[James]

Looks like it’s the original earth connection

later, someone has cut back the sheath and added a pipe clamp and their own earth connection
I would ask the dno to come visit because of a damaged earth and let them repair the cable where it has been cut back.

 

[impish15]

Cheers James, i have done just that. DNO coming out today at 14:00

 

[Dustydazzler]

As James said Looks like the black cable is the original connection point and then some house badger has butchered the sheath and added a pipe bonding clamp and some green yellow earth and possibly disconnected the original black earth at the board

 

[telectrix]

we didn't have green/yellow sleeving back in 1940. there was a war on, you know. it was black so that the German bombers crews could not see it and bomb your house.

 

[James]

As James said Looks like the black cable is the original connection point and then some house badger has butchered the sheath and added a pipe bonding clamp and some green yellow earth and possibly disconnected the original black earth at the board

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!

 

[Dustydazzler]

we didn't have green/yellow sleeving back in 1940. there was a war on, you know. it was black so that the German bombers crews could not see it and bomb your house.

There is a big council estate near me which has black 10mm for the main earth , I simply put it down to the builders using up old cable they had at the time

But the German bomber thing does make sense when you think about it

 

[James]

@impish15
Any update on this?
it’s nice for the rest of us to know what happened

 

[mainline]

@impish15
Any update on this?
it’s nice for the rest of us to know what happened

Update: It worked !!, the Germans didn't see it

 

[impish15]

Hi James,

Yes the DNO came out and updated the earthing conductor, removing the old black earthing conductor (think it was 6mm2) and the newer 10mm2 cable attached via the earthing clamp. For the sheath he just wrapped it up in electrical tape. Not sure if there is another material he should have used to wrap around instead but he said that's how it's done

 

[Mike Johnson]

Was it electrical tape or self amalgamating tape?

 

[impish15]

Was it electrical tape or self amalgamating tape?

I asked him at the time and he said it was electrical tape. Assuming he should have used self amalgamating tape?

 

[mainline]

I asked him at the time and he said it was electrical tape. Assuming he should have used self amalgamating tape?

Self amalgamating tape in high temperatures/high UV disintegrates very quickly

 

[Mike Johnson]

I will have to tell the amalgamating tape around the junction box to the alarm cable in my field to the barn that it should not have lasted twenty years, naught tape.

 

[DPG]

Self amalgamating tape in high temperatures/high UV disintegrates very quickly

I've never had an issue with it outside. And it's been used by thousands of satellite and aerial installers over the years.