Rats!Rats!Rats!

[rocker]

Hi all, I'm going to be having a look at a house which has problems with rats eating cables. The guy who has contacted me seems to think the damage is pretty extensive from several years of vermin abuse. So I'm estimating it'll probably want a rewire. So......

Is there any other way of rat-proofing cabling other than galv conduit? Anyone got any quicker/easier/cheaper ideas? Maybe trunk in loft spaces and between floors?

Anyway, any ideas appreciated....

 

[DurhamSparky]

burn it down and start again!!! or maybe get him to get council out to help get rid!!

 

[Animal]

hit them with your IR tester.

 

[johnboy6083]

a lot of the larger buldings that are part of the treatment sites im working on, use galv trunking in the lofts for building services, and then tube out in galv or PVC, but i think the PVC are additions by contractors, who didnt want to fork out for galv.

 

[rocker]

Har har har!

Steve that may be a good idea, I don't know what thr rules are with council help, I think these people are loaded to be honest so God knows why they haven't got it sorted by now. I'll be honest I'm not looking forward to working in a rat infested place....

Johnboy that's what I was thinking. To be honest I don't see the poiint in forking out for galv that will be chased into walls and protected that way... I mean there's nothing to say it has to be contiunous through the whole installation is there, as long as it's all earthed accordingly?

 

[DurhamSparky]

hit them with your IR tester.

batterys are dead!!

I'll be honest I'm not looking forward to working in a rat infested place....

swap you for the place i mentioned on phone yesterday!!

 

[Animal]

bet his favorite band ain't spinal tap!

 

[truckster]

What about SWA? I'd also try to keep any loft wiring to a minimum. We have a lot of thatched places down here and the rats love that stuff.

 

[nickblake]

i have just rewired a school classroom that was getting the cables damage with squirals wired all the main runs in SWA into galve boxes then did the cable drops in steel flexible conex then into a piece of plastic conduit embeded in the wall , it was a pain staking task but i got there

 

[johnboy6083]

Har har har!

Steve that may be a good idea, I don't know what thr rules are with council help, I think these people are loaded to be honest so God knows why they haven't got it sorted by now. I'll be honest I'm not looking forward to working in a rat infested place....

Johnboy that's what I was thinking. To be honest I don't see the poiint in forking out for galv that will be chased into walls and protected that way... I mean there's nothing to say it has to be contiunous through the whole installation is there, as long as it's all earthed accordingly?

no mate,it doesnt have to be continuos. use galv upto the point of the drop, put an end box on the end, and drop outof the back in PVC.
dare i say it, this may be one of the only situations, that i would consider using the non threaded tube, ie the grub screw stuff.

 

[JD6400]

Not trying to be smart , but would not getting rid of the rats be the best ?
Prevention's better than a cure , as they say !
Good rat poison is easy to get hold of if you know where to look , pm me if and i can give you some pointers if you like ?
Having said that we to have had similar problems in the past on a insurance job with squirrels in the loft of a thatched cottage .
We replaced all the cables in the loft only to return about three weeks later on a courtesy visit to find them all stripped again !
So we then positioned metal adaptable boxes above all lights and cable drops and used plastic coated armored copex between .
Even then on the next courtesy visit to check up on the work we found that the little buggers had been back and stripped all the plastic off the copex but could not penetrate the metal .
The client liked the squirrels in her garden so would only bait in the loft , which would get the culprits each time but then there mates would have a go when they got bored so it was never ending !

 

[Paul.M]

You could try a couple of these

Ultrasonic Rat Repellent

Someone I know has one and says he has not had any more problems with mice/rats but I'll take it with a pinch of salt.

 

[rocker]

Spinal tap lol!

Steve seems like there is plenty of vermin where you're working anyway.....

SWA is a good idea, do you reckon it'll stand up to rats?

 

[johnboy6083]

i dont know mate, they could pull it apart. they would definately remove the outer sheath. i think id go with galv tube. OR, you could use pyro? lol

 

[rocker]

Yes guys I would think that getting rid of the sods would be easier and I hope they are planning on doing that.... I'm just thinking ahead as I don't know if they may be paranoid about rats now, I mean I'd prefer to do a more interesting rewire and they will be future proofed against our furry friends, abviously cost will be a factor though, and if they are confident they've got rid of them and there's only a bit of damage, it may just be a fault finding and rectification excercise.......

....but hopefully not!