Mice and possible rats

[shanky887614]

As a test...take a piece of micc you have been learning to pot lately, and try gently nibbling away with a pair of cutters...then tell us what you think..

if it is glanded then they have a round serfice to bite into.

what im saying is if they are chewing copper/plastic then they will have bigger problems with there house flooding.

yes I know 15mm copper is thicker but plumbers tend to use plastic everywhere now

 

[ferg]

It's not just the wiring that mice will damage.
If it was my house I'd be using the money I saved from not having a completely sealed galv conduit install towards the first few years of continuous pest control.

Shanky beat me to it, sort of

 

[micknew]

It looks like they have the choice of metal conduit if they want to be sure, or t+e with a continuous pest control program.

Never seen pvc conduit with signs of chewing, would be a cheaper option.

 

[davesparks]

Never seen pvc conduit with signs of chewing, would be a cheaper option.

:smilielol5:

 

[micknew]

:smilielol5:

Glad you enjoyed that.
you live and learn.

 

[tazz]

I better start a new thread.....Micc is not always suitable.....lol
micc is only a few thou of copper......a 15mm copper pipe is a total solid copper....as i suggest, try gently with a pair of cutters, on a piece of micc, and you will see how thin it really is.....try on a copper pipe, i dont think you will get the same result...

 

[tazz]

Glad you enjoyed that.
you live and learn.

Well with all respect...we are trying to show you individual experiences, we have all come across over many years, It may help you one day

 

[shanky887614]

I better start a new thread.....Micc is not always suitable.....lol
micc is only a few thou of copper......a 15mm copper pipe is a total solid copper....as i suggest, try gently with a pair of cutters, on a piece of micc, and you will see how thin it really is.....try on a copper pipe, i dont think you will get the same result...

yes but what im saying is copper is smooth so how can they bite it, there teeth will slip

 

[tazz]

Again we are trying to help here.........I actually never sat in the loft and waited to see what exactly happened....but when you have to answer to the client to why it did, it becomes a problem. especially when all adaptable boxes for tv, micc fire alarm, t&e, coax and data have all been chewed through...an expensive job

 

[davesparks]

If its tree-rats getting in then they will chew anything, whatever shape it is and whatever it is made of.

As I said earlier I think it is more than likely that they have damaged the sheath as a by-product of chewing the PVC oversheath.
I've never yet seen bare MI that has had the copper nibbled, but have seen a soft copper oil pipe (the PVC coated copper pipe) that had the pvc chewed and teeth marks in the copper.

For the vast majority of rodent problems MICC is perfectly adequate, but once you get into the seriously affected installations (eg some of the farms around here) it isn't necessarily ok.

 

[Brightspark2]

you sure? barely touch the conductors before they would probably die as the sheathing is earthed through the pot and to the gland through the olive

Ah our new resident pyro expert!....

 

[Richard Burns]

Yes, madam, we do believe we have found some evidence of rodent activity around the wiring!

 

[Pete999]

Can't in all honesty believe a rodent would bite through MICC, unless it was some sort of mutant thing that found it's way over from Chernobyl, as for conduit especially kopex, can't see that as an option either. Best way would be get rid of the pesky critters altogether oh and those electronic thingies are a waste of space, my Mrs got some we still get spiders mice and all sorts.

 

[Engineer54]

Our external SWA cables that run in ductwork, all round the site, or installed on cable tray on the roofs etc, have a sheath that is claimed to be anti flora and fauna. I'll have to have a look at the manufacturers data to give any more information.

Trying to install a full metallic conduit containment system to an existing house, is going to be expensive exercise, nay, very expensive exercise!! I hope whoever is going to attempt it, is also experienced in bending and setting conduit or you'll be left with a bloody big pile of wasted off cut pipe at the end of the job that'll need to be got rid of!! lol!!

 

[GMES]

You mean something like this Pete

Can't in all honesty believe a rodent would bite through MICC, unless it was some sort of mutant thing that found it's way over from Chernobyl, as for conduit especially kopex, can't see that as an option either. Best way would be get rid of the pesky critters altogether oh and those electronic thingies are a waste of space, my Mrs got some we still get spiders mice and all sorts.

 

[Pete999]

View attachment 25110
You mean something like this Pete

Big Burger aint it

 

[Andrewr3]

Talking of mouse damage. I found this on a fault a few weeks ago. You can see the mouse(?) damage on two of the cables. One of the conductors completely chewed through was part of a two way lighting circuit. No dead mouse that I could see.

Some of you may note the image other issues I came across at the same time.