Outside Garage Shorts - Need Help Please

[rjtyrell]

Hi,

About a year ago we lost power to the garage which is located at the rear of the garden. As soon as you flick the fuse back on the board in the house it shorts.

Our garage also has next doors garage on the side and both garages power comes up on your side of the garage and then splits at the top of the fascia board into the two different garages. As weird as this sounds they have told me they lost power around the same time.

The cable was laid under a concrete path, so I have traced this back around 2.5m back down the path and it is still cable. I was expecting the orange cable to join into some armoured cable?

The house was built in the 80's.

Question I am hoping someone can answer is should this go to armoured somewhere or is this already armoured? What is the easiest way to get power back to the garage. Its about 25m from the fuseboard to the garage.

many thanks,


Richard.

 

[Octopus]

You should plan to install a new cable from the house to the garage.

Best get a couple of sparks round to quote and to keep the price down offer to do the digging.

 

[Richard Burns]

That cable looks like MICC cable and is not really suitable for underground installation but then again should not have shorted anywhere unless it is penetrated by a stone or garden damage.
The supply underground should be armoured cable so this is a good time to arrange for the cable replacement.
To restore power you would need to get the cable checked for electrical continuity to identify the location of the fault and proceed from there.

 

[rjtyrell]

Would the test locate how far down the cable the fault is?

 

[Engineer54]

Nothing wrong with using PVC covered MICC cable underground but should have been installed in a duct of some sort.

If you can see where the cable exits your house, you can cut the existing cable at this point (leaving a suitable length for dressing and termination) and fit a suitable IP rated JB box, from which you can run in a SWA cable to the garage CU.

However, this is work that you will ''NOT'' be able to undertake yourself, as your dealing with MICC cable terminations and SWA terminations etc. This work is also notifiable with the LABC, and believe us when we tell you that the LABC fee's can amount to more than the installation. Employ an electrician who will notify any work he completes, free of charge.


One last point, ...as MICC cable is involved, you will need to employ an electrician that has the ability to work with this cable, So ensure that whoever you employ is an older fully qualified electrician, and ''Not'' an under qualified Electrical Trainee DI that wont have a clue what to do with a MICC cable!!
As others have suggested, offer to undertake any trenching and back-fill work, and also maybe duct/pipe provision (Advisable going by the posted photo's above) to keep your costs down to a minimum...

 

[Octopus]

Would the test locate how far down the cable the fault is?

Maybe BUT with cable like that who's to say its not going to fail again very soon. Tree/bush roots are probably to blame.

 

[telectrix]

you've not banged an earth rod through the cable, eng.54???

 

[HandySparks]

.... This work is also notifiable with the LABC...

Not since 6th April 2013 it isn't.

 

[Outspoken]

Nothing wrong with using PVC covered MICC cable underground but should have been installed in a duct of some sort.

I agree with that. It is one thing Pyro was designed for as it will certainly stand more abuse than many small SWA's if installed correctly, which this clearly isn't.

This work is also notifiable with the LABC

Not since 6th April 2013 it isn't.

As this is a repair to an existing circuit Guys it was NEVER notifiable, even if the cable was replaced with SWA, so long as the rating does not exceed the existing cable then it is a repair and again, not notifiable.

 

[Geordie Spark]

you've not banged an earth rod through the cable, eng.54???

He wouldn't do that, but he may have ordered a minion to bang it in & told him how far to bang it in and what Ra he wants it to be!

 

[telectrix]

garage shorts:

wear them in the garage all the time.

 

[Engineer54]

As this is a repair to an existing circuit Guys it was NEVER notifiable, even if the cable was replaced with SWA, so long as the rating does not exceed the existing cable then it is a repair and again, not notifiable.

That's fair enough, but i'm sure it would need some form of certification, even if not notifiable, ...Yes??

 

[Engineer54]

He wouldn't do that, but he may have ordered a minion to bang it in & told him how far to bang it in and what Ra he wants it to be!

I wouldn't be TT'ing this garage at all, be it a PME or TN-S!! That's the sort of thing i'd expect from a Electrical Trainee, or someone that has been listening to all the scaremongery that abounds in the UK on extending E/P zones!! lol!!

 

[Outspoken]

That's fair enough, but i'm sure it would need some form of certification, even if not notifiable, ...Yes??

Minor Works...Job Done.