Armoured Cable Question.

[Intoelectrics]

I also suspect a TT / Divorced earth situation, however I'm finding this picture confusing because... Red/Blue conductors would normally indicate an old cols 3c cable yet I see no yellow, and we've two brown lives in the box (B10 and B16) yet only one blue neutral??? We also seem to have three circuit cpc's into the bus bar for four circuit??

I agree it looks like a separate TT system. The missing yellow conductor is likely to be the conductor that has been cut back coming from the swa, and left disconnected (the "earth" that James is concerned about). Difficult to see but the missing blue could be terminated in the same terminal as the one shown, but hidden from view in the picture. There appear to be 5 cpc's a pair that appear to be part of a ring or possibly 2 radials also sharing the same breaker in one terminal, one terminated on its own and 2 that share another terminal.

Either way it needs some more investigation and improvement, so will be nice to see what the electrician who's going to take a look has to say about it.

 

[brianmoooore]

I think it's fair to say that something is wrong with this installation that needs investigation and sorting, but there's nothing that we've seen in the thread to suggest that the cable needs replacing.

 

[James Farrell]

I think it's fair to say that something is wrong with this installation that needs investigation and sorting, but there's nothing that we've seen in the thread to suggest that the cable needs replacing.

I PULLED DOWN THE ARMOURED CABLE TO TAKE THESE PICTURES. I HOPE THIS HELPS ALL THE KIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO HELP ME. Our electrician will be attending in the coming days. The electrician who condemned this cable hoped to replace it and it would be a major job at very high cost. I am hoping our NICEIC Registered Electrician will clamp this loose earth wire and be able to report a safe reading. The other armoured cables got to an external motor, an automatic underground pump and to external lighting. There is only the one incoming supply cable as pictured. This may help those of you who have been trying to help me.

 

[westward10]

There is a few issues here. The cable is not correctly glanded hence the armour is not likely to be effectively earthed. If the cable is readily accessible this can be rectified assuming other tests come back fine. If the electrician decides to maintain the TT system, which we are assuming to be in place then the cable will require correct installation to ensure the armour is earthed and that it is isolated from the TT earth. It probably isn't insurmountable.

 

[James]

That is probably not an earth cable.
it may well be an unused yellow cable.

 

[Rockingit]

I think it's fair to say that we know there are some issues with how it's been installed - and it's not a great leap to also think that an inexperienced 'inspector' may not have realised what they were looking at. Someone more experienced should be able to resolve this mess fairly simply, I suspect.

 

[James Farrell]

There is a few issues here. The cable is not correctly glanded hence the armour is not likely to be effectively earthed. If the cable is readily accessible this can be rectified assuming other tests come back fine. If the electrician decides to maintain the TT system, which we are assuming to be in place then the cable will require correct installation to ensure the armour is earthed and that it is isolated from the TT earth. It probably isn't insurmountable.

I promised to report the outcome. The new electrician was not NICEIC regitstered as I thought but he is NAPPIT Registered and was strongly recommended. Those who responded did not have the benefit og a physical inspection but the replies were for the most part very impressive and extremely helpful. There was nothing wrong with the armoured cable and no reading of 371 ohms was taken. I was not able to comment upon this alleged reading as I have no experience and I am not an Electrician. The recommendation was to install an external Earth Rod externally and close to the Consumer Unit. The recoomendation was to install 2 threated earth rods and each was 1.2 metres in length so they went nearly 2.4 metres into the ground. This may have been much deeper than absultely necessary but I was happy with the suggestion. The work required drilling a hole through a concrete slab path before hammering the rods deep into the ground. The first was hammered most of the way in and then the second was connected with the threaded joining piece then that was hammered into the ground. A wood block was used to protect the top of the second earth road. Finally an Earth Road Inspection Pit to comply with regulations. On completion of the work a Test Reading was taken and it produced a figure of 24.5 ohms. I was invited to watch the work being cvarried out. It took less than 1 hour and I am hugely relieved having been advised to replace an alleged defective armoured cable. I wish to thank the many who gave up theur valuable time freely and willingly in an effort to assist. There was some inspired thinking. The new electrician has been brilliant. His work is to a very high standard and we can feel safe.

 

[James Farrell]

I think it's fair to say that something is wrong with this installation that needs investigation and sorting, but there's nothing that we've seen in the thread to suggest that the cable needs replacing.

I promised to report the outcome. The new electrician was not NICEIC regitstered as I thought but he is NAPPIT Registered and was strongly recommended. Those who responded did not have the benefit og a physical inspection but the replies were for the most part very impressive and extremely helpful. There was nothing wrong with the armoured cable and no reading of 371 ohms was taken. I was not able to comment upon this alleged reading as I have no experience and I am not an Electrician. The recommendation was to install an external Earth Rod externally and close to the Consumer Unit. The recoomendation was to install 2 threated earth rods and each was 1.2 metres in length so they went nearly 2.4 metres into the ground. This may have been much deeper than absultely necessary but I was happy with the suggestion. The work required drilling a hole through a concrete slab path before hammering the rods deep into the ground. The first was hammered most of the way in and then the second was connected with the threaded joining piece then that was hammered into the ground. A wood block was used to protect the top of the second earth road. Finally an Earth Road Inspection Pit to comply with regulations. On completion of the work a Test Reading was taken and it produced a figure of 24.5 ohms. I was invited to watch the work being cvarried out. It took less than 1 hour and I am hugely relieved having been advised to replace an alleged defective armoured cable. I wish to thank the many who gave up theur valuable time freely and willingly in an effort to assist. There was some inspired thinking. The new electrician has been brilliant. His work is to a very high standard and we can feel safe.

 

[James Farrell]

I think it's fair to say that we know there are some issues with how it's been installed - and it's not a great leap to also think that an inexperienced 'inspector' may not have realised what they were looking at. Someone more experienced should be able to resolve this mess fairly simply, I suspect.

I promised to report the outcome. The new electrician was not NICEIC regitstered as I thought but he is NAPPIT Registered and was strongly recommended. Those who responded did not have the benefit og a physical inspection but the replies were for the most part very impressive and extremely helpful. There was nothing wrong with the armoured cable and no reading of 371 ohms was taken. I was not able to comment upon this alleged reading as I have no experience and I am not an Electrician. The recommendation was to install an external Earth Rod externally and close to the Consumer Unit. The recoomendation was to install 2 threated earth rods and each was 1.2 metres in length so they went nearly 2.4 metres into the ground. This may have been much deeper than absultely necessary but I was happy with the suggestion. The work required drilling a hole through a concrete slab path before hammering the rods deep into the ground. The first was hammered most of the way in and then the second was connected with the threaded joining piece then that was hammered into the ground. A wood block was used to protect the top of the second earth road. Finally an Earth Road Inspection Pit to comply with regulations. On completion of the work a Test Reading was taken and it produced a figure of 24.5 ohms. I was invited to watch the work being cvarried out. It took less than 1 hour and I am hugely relieved having been advised to replace an alleged defective armoured cable. I wish to thank the many who gave up theur valuable time freely and willingly in an effort to assist. There was some inspired thinking. The new electrician has been brilliant. His work is to a very high standard and we can feel safe.

 

[James Farrell]

That is probably not an earth cable.
it may well be an unused yellow cable.

I promised to report the outcome. The new electrician was not NICEIC regitstered as I thought but he is NAPPIT Registered and was strongly recommended. Those who responded did not have the benefit og a physical inspection but the replies were for the most part very impressive and extremely helpful. There was nothing wrong with the armoured cable and no reading of 371 ohms was taken. I was not able to comment upon this alleged reading as I have no experience and I am not an Electrician. The recommendation was to install an external Earth Rod externally and close to the Consumer Unit. The recoomendation was to install 2 threated earth rods and each was 1.2 metres in length so they went nearly 2.4 metres into the ground. This may have been much deeper than absultely necessary but I was happy with the suggestion. The work required drilling a hole through a concrete slab path before hammering the rods deep into the ground. The first was hammered most of the way in and then the second was connected with the threaded joining piece then that was hammered into the ground. A wood block was used to protect the top of the second earth road. Finally an Earth Road Inspection Pit to comply with regulations. On completion of the work a Test Reading was taken and it produced a figure of 24.5 ohms. I was invited to watch the work being cvarried out. It took less than 1 hour and I am hugely relieved having been advised to replace an alleged defective armoured cable. I wish to thank the many who gave up theur valuable time freely and willingly in an effort to assist. There was some inspired thinking. The new electrician has been brilliant. His work is to a very high standard and we can feel safe.

 

[James Farrell]

I agree it looks like a separate TT system. The missing yellow conductor is likely to be the conductor that has been cut back coming from the swa, and left disconnected (the "earth" that James is concerned about). Difficult to see but the missing blue could be terminated in the same terminal as the one shown, but hidden from view in the picture. There appear to be 5 cpc's a pair that appear to be part of a ring or possibly 2 radials also sharing the same breaker in one terminal, one terminated on its own and 2 that share another terminal.

Either way it needs some more investigation and improvement, so will be nice to see what the electrician who's going to take a look has to say about it.

I promised to report the outcome. The new electrician was not NICEIC regitstered as I thought but he is NAPPIT Registered and was strongly recommended. Those who responded did not have the benefit og a physical inspection but the replies were for the most part very impressive and extremely helpful. There was nothing wrong with the armoured cable and no reading of 371 ohms was taken. I was not able to comment upon this alleged reading as I have no experience and I am not an Electrician. The recommendation was to install an external Earth Rod externally and close to the Consumer Unit. The recoomendation was to install 2 threated earth rods and each was 1.2 metres in length so they went nearly 2.4 metres into the ground. This may have been much deeper than absultely necessary but I was happy with the suggestion. The work required drilling a hole through a concrete slab path before hammering the rods deep into the ground. The first was hammered most of the way in and then the second was connected with the threaded joining piece then that was hammered into the ground. A wood block was used to protect the top of the second earth road. Finally an Earth Road Inspection Pit to comply with regulations. On completion of the work a Test Reading was taken and it produced a figure of 24.5 ohms. I was invited to watch the work being cvarried out. It took less than 1 hour and I am hugely relieved having been advised to replace an alleged defective armoured cable. I wish to thank the many who gave up theur valuable time freely and willingly in an effort to assist. There was some inspired thinking. The new electrician has been brilliant. His work is to a very high standard and we can feel safe.

 

[James Farrell]

I promised to report the outcome. The new electrician was not NICEIC regitstered as I thought but he is NAPPIT Registered and was strongly recommended. Those who responded did not have the benefit og a physical inspection but the replies were for the most part very impressive and extremely helpful. There was nothing wrong with the armoured cable and no reading of 371 ohms was taken. I was not able to comment upon this alleged reading as I have no experience and I am not an Electrician. The recommendation was to install an external Earth Rod externally and close to the Consumer Unit. The recoomendation was to install 2 threated earth rods and each was 1.2 metres in length so they went nearly 2.4 metres into the ground. This may have been much deeper than absultely necessary but I was happy with the suggestion. The work required drilling a hole through a concrete slab path before hammering the rods deep into the ground. The first was hammered most of the way in and then the second was connected with the threaded joining piece then that was hammered into the ground. A wood block was used to protect the top of the second earth road. Finally an Earth Road Inspection Pit to comply with regulations. On completion of the work a Test Reading was taken and it produced a figure of 24.5 ohms. I was invited to watch the work being cvarried out. It took less than 1 hour and I am hugely relieved having been advised to replace an alleged defective armoured cable. I wish to thank the many who gave up theur valuable time freely and willingly in an effort to assist. There was some inspired thinking. The new electrician has been brilliant. His work is to a very high standard and we can feel safe.