Cables in ducting around a garden

[robsparx]

One of the builders I work for has been doing some landscaping in a large garden, and has asked me to do some outside lights, and a socket and light in a small shed.

I turned up and realised all the landscaping is virtually finished, and he has layed the cables for me already. The thing is he has layed ducts under ground and used normal T+E cable

Now digging up the garden/brickwork isn't an option. Am I OK to just connect up the lights, and note down on the cert that I didn't lay the cables?

EDIT: Realised that its OK to lay unarmoured cable in ducting.

 

[johnboy6083]

i dont know about that, but you could use the existing cables as a draw wire, and pull armoured through the ducts!

 

[davelerave]

don't know what the uk rules are

armoured is best protecion obviously if it's cut

rcd/rcbo preferably on the t+e cable anyhow

 

[bugsy]

You cuold as mentioned use the t&e as a draw for the armour ( if the duct is big enough ) or use existing cables and protect each circuit via an RCBO

 

[pushrod]

Do you still need a yellow warning tape above the position of the ducting as you would with buried SWA? Out of interest what is the ducting made of?

 

[pennywise]

Bloody builders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they think there doing you a favour as well " that'll do won't it? I've seen it done before by my last sparky" get this one alot, remind me again why you don't use your old sparky "oh because the customer got a belt"

 

[mogga]

best bet would be use tw&e as draw wire instead of SWA u could use split concentric as its in ducting

 

[robsparx]

from the brief look i've had. the ducting didnt look very big, not sure about getting swa through it, especially if there's kinks and bends in it somewhere

T+E in ducting does seem to be a recognised installation method (although not the one that i would have chosen) so i guess i'll just rcbo it all. i'm just worried that the cable wont have much protection at the point between where it comes out of the ground, and gets terminated into the lights/transformers/power box etc. i'll have to stick some conduit over it or something

i think the builder was just trying to save the guy a bit of money by doing the wiring as he did the rest of the work. not sure that he really needs to save the pennies though. the water feature he's having cost £1500

 

[robsparx]

just had a look at that split concentric cable. have never used the stuff in my life, wouldn't even know how to terminate it!

 

[mogga]

its a daudle strip the outer covering live is in the middle surrounded by earths and neutrals sleeve eart and terminate to block/crimp ect neutrals strip insulation sleeve and terminate ( its looks better and makes terminating easier if you wrap the neutrals with tape before sleeving )

 

[rocker]

not sure that he really needs to save the pennies though. the water feature he's having cost £1500

Rich peope are rich because they don't give their money away....

 

[ringer]

its a daudle strip the outer covering live is in the middle surrounded by earths and neutrals sleeve eart and terminate to block/crimp ect neutrals strip insulation sleeve and terminate ( its looks better and makes terminating easier if you wrap the neutrals with tape before sleeving )

Why would you want/need to strip and then sleeve the neutrals? Individually?
Or are you suggesting to strip all of the neutrals, twist them together, apply tape to hold them together, then put a large sleeve over the uninsulated portion of the neutrals so they can then be connected as a single (multicore) termination?
Or does using the tape mean you don't need to twist them so they are then more flexible for routing?