Armoured Cable Question.

[UNG]

I also have a beer in hand. You have helped me a lot. I hope I can now ask reasonably intelligent questions about this armoured cable and the alleged reading. What if I find it is not true! I am trying to give this man the benefit of my doubts but I am struggling.

Just to try and get some perspective on this prior to the testing was this cable in service and operating normally if it was with the resistance figure quoted I'm thinking a decimal point may have been dropped or the MFT was setup incorrectly and gave a red cross in the display so was considered a fail by the tester
Approximately how long is this armoured cable and what is the overall diameter so we can try and identify the conductor size

 

[littlespark]

The details of the cable are sometimes moulded into the black plastic covering… ie 2c25

 

[James Farrell]

Just to try and get some perspective on this prior to the testing was this cable in service and operating normally if it was with the resistance figure quoted I'm thinking a decimal point may have been dropped or the MFT was setup incorrectly and gave a red cross in the display so was considered a fail by the tester
Approximately how long is this armoured cable and what is the overall diameter so we can try and identify the conductor size

I have calipers and will measure in the morning. I would guess about 15 metres end to end but I can tell you tomorrow. It has been working fine but since it was condemned it has been turned off. I will upload some photos tomorrow which may help.

 

[James Farrell]

Cable may not need replacing just wait for the second electrician. I suspect the reading they have stated is a high earth fault loop impedance (Zs) due to a breakdown of conductor continuity, this is an assumption though. If this is the case it may be possible to correct this.

This is very helpful. I wonder if I can show these postings to my new Electrician. He is NICEIC Registered and he has been highly recommended. He is booked up in the early term but he will assist. The generous responses have been amazing and I am very grateful. I hope this will have a good and safe outcome.

 

[westward10]

If he knows his stuff he will fathom it out without us but we would like to know the outcome.

 

[UNG]

I have calipers and will measure in the morning. I would guess about 15 metres end to end but I can tell you tomorrow. It has been working fine but since it was condemned it has been turned off. I will upload some photos tomorrow which may help.

I think this would suggest that the guy who condemned it got it wrong somewhere

 

[westward10]

I think this would suggest that the guy who condemned it got it wrong somewhere

I would put money they are referring to Zs.

 

[UNG]

I would put money they are referring to Zs.

With a decimal point missing in the figure quoted is my thinking

 

[James Farrell]

If he knows his stuff he will fathom it out without us but we would like to know the outcome.

Good Morning Westward 10 - I wish to thank you and others you so helpfully gave up their time yesterday to respond. I will measure the armoured cable length this morning and try to identify the cable at the Oak Building Consumer end of the run (with it switched off having been made aware of the danger). I will take digital pictures I hope I can post. Of course I will advise on the outcome.

 

[James Farrell]

With a decimal point missing in the figure quoted is my thinking

This is a duplicated posting by me this morning Ung: Good Morning - It is a far more serious issue this morning as I have examined the Consumer Unit this morning and located the main armoured cable. It is more like 20 metres end to end. I discovered by lying down and look up with a torch that there is an earth cable no more than 2 inches in length cut off and in mid air. The live and neutral go to the main fuse. No wonder he advised of a risk of death. The obvious question this poses is if this earth cable is earthed both at this end and the other end (it may be) then will the Test Reading give a safe result? The Electrician recommended running a new armoured cable end to end. This would have been a huge high cost job but if this ultimately must be done to make it safe this is what we will instruct. I have not checked the other end and I stress again I am not an electrician but a 74 year old very worried home owner.

It is extremely hard to read the writing on the cable as the Power is off and I could only use a torch. It is 12 mm cable and it may read as follows:

FIECTRIP CABLE?
600/1000V
Coraka or similar?

Does this help?