SWA in drain permissable?

[dksanders]

Fit the yellow and black sleeping policemen with the cable runs inside rated at 30 tons some of them if screwed down correctly there is your ansew

I've never used them before but they look like the solution thanks. They'll add an additional £200 to the bill though so may not get accepted. Great suggestion, thanks.

 

[LankyWill]

Agreed, but the cost wouldn't be accepted by the committee. They've had to spend a lot recently getting bringing things up to standard and there's not a lot of budget left.

A rogue from the pub with a disc cutter could cut that tarmac out and fill it with tarmac in a bag for £80 you tight arse.

 

[Dave OCD]

Solar light ?

 

[bigspark17]

You need a proper duct a minimum of 450mm below surface with warning tape above it. Then run SWA through this duct. If budgets would not stand two poles and a catenary then I can not see that budget will stand a proper duct. Tell customer price for doing a proper job with a duct line dedicated to electrical cable. If he will not pay the price for a proper job then walk away.

Where does it say in regs it must be buried 450mm & in a duct???

Fit the yellow and black sleeping policemen with the cable runs inside rated at 30 tons some of them if screwed down correctly there is your ansew

That would be expensive than digging up the road!


Common sense says the swa will be more than safe in that soakaway, use 30mA for additional protection.

 

[dksanders]

Solar light ?

I don't think one would give light for enough hours especially in the winter.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Running any cable in a drainage channel is a daft idea. They need de-silting from time to time and that is likely to be done with a drop scraper with a metal blade. By the time that happens, the cable will be submerged in silt and will go unnoticed, so the blade will be dragged along the channel gouging through the sheath of the SWA. By the time the guy with the scraper notices, the cable will be as waterproof as a tea bag and he'll go nuts. "Could've b****y killed me, live cable hidden in there like that!" Even if the cable is indestructible, it'll stop the channel being scraped clean, would have to go down on hands and knees with a trowel and work round it. Mutual detrimental influence: Cable obstructs maintenance of channel, channel puts cable at risk of damage.

The ramp sounds like a possibility.

 

[Octopus]

I've never used them before but they look like the solution thanks. They'll add an additional £200 to the bill though so may not get accepted. Great suggestion, thanks.

You are best off giving them a price to do it properly.... If they choose to go else where with a cheaper price and a less than suitable solution then that's their lookout.

 

[dksanders]

Running any cable in a drainage channel is a daft idea. They need de-silting from time to time and that is likely to be done with a drop scraper with a metal blade. By the time that happens, the cable will be submerged in silt and will go unnoticed, so the blade will be dragged along the channel gouging through the sheath of the SWA. By the time the guy with the scraper notices, the cable will be as waterproof as a tea bag and he'll go nuts. "Could've b****y killed me, live cable hidden in there like that!" Even if the cable is indestructible, it'll stop the channel being scraped clean, would have to go down on hands and knees with a trowel and work round it. Mutual detrimental influence: Cable obstructs maintenance of channel, channel puts cable at risk of damage.

The ramp sounds like a possibility.

Have you seen my photos, the drain is 3" wide and 2" deep.

 

[bigspark17]

Running any cable in a drainage channel is a daft idea. They need de-silting from time to time and that is likely to be done with a drop scraper with a metal blade. By the time that happens, the cable will be submerged in silt and will go unnoticed, so the blade will be dragged along the channel gouging through the sheath of the SWA. By the time the guy with the scraper notices, the cable will be as waterproof as a tea bag and he'll go nuts. "Could've b****y killed me, live cable hidden in there like that!" Even if the cable is indestructible, it'll stop the channel being scraped clean, would have to go down on hands and knees with a trowel and work round it. Mutual detrimental influence: Cable obstructs maintenance of channel, channel puts cable at risk of damage.

The ramp sounds like a possibility.

Yes as all drains get desilted regularly lol

 

[DPG]

I think other members have covered it pretty well already. Not a good idea at all. I certainly wouldn't put my name to it.

 

[Midwest]

SWA is waterproof, however it is not intended for continuous submersion in water.
.

I recall this piece from a cable manufacturer;

Electric Cables in Water? Cables Installed in Waterlogged Condition - https://www.whyprysmian.co.uk/underground.html

 

[static zap]

Yes as all drains get desilted regularly lol

..I was that Idiot the other day , on knees with a metal trowel...
(Digging out leaves/compost-while nice and dry)
( Worried about dents in block paving near where I park)
Don't try to kill the hissing snake down there !

 

[telectrix]

that's not a snake. it's OP's SWA.

 

[dksanders]

I recall this piece from a cable manufacturer;

Electric Cables in Water? Cables Installed in Waterlogged Condition - https://www.whyprysmian.co.uk/underground.html

Brilliant, I hadn't seen that before so thanks. That settles it then, sleeping policeman or not at all, thanks.

 

[telectrix]

cut a bloody trench in the tarmac. a previous post suggested about £80. it's only about an hour or so and a bucket of tarmac. you local friendly pikey will do it.

 

[Midwest]

you local friendly pikey will do it.

Is his name Oxy moron from Paradox

 

[telectrix]

dunno about that, but this thread has me drained emotionally. what about the poor spiders in the duct if the cable is compromised. will 30mA RCD protect them from electrocution?

 

[telectrix]

Is his name Oxy moron from Paradox

is that in the Klingon Empire, or is it Romulan?

 

[Midwest]

Spider Amps will be fine

 

[telectrix]

as long as it's a spider circuit

 

[Midwest]

is that in the Klingon Empire, or is it Romulan?

Dunno, don't Romulans circle Uranus wiping out Klingons

 

[telectrix]

dunno about uranus, but they can sod of from myanus.

 

[Midwest]

dunno about uranus, but they can sod of from myanus.

Don't think they've ever been to Connecticut?

 

[Wilko]

Don't think they've ever been to Connecticut?

Made me look

 

[dksanders]

Dunno, don't Romulans circle Uranus wiping out Klingons

No, that was the similarity between Capt. Kirk and toilet paper, they both got rid of cling ons.

 

[Midwest]

Made me look

Of course and me

 

[telectrix]

but then a treaty was signed. Klingons are now allies. a bit like the germans on this planet.

 

[Deleted account]

Anyone seen the thread about MR WET PANTS and his hijacking of the drilled cable holes to bung oodles of micro bore plastic pipe.

Well.

This is the opposite.

MR SPARKY PANTS wants to hijack MR WET PANTS drain.

Don't lower yourself to his level.

 

[Jjc]

A drain is for drainage and not for cable runs as far as I’m concerned.
It’s a bit rough I’d say as I don’t like the idea of water in contact and maybe covering the cable.
Also proximity to other services although not water pipes I wouldn’t do it.

 

[Jjc]

Hi All,

I've been asked to get a supply for a car park PIR light across the car park entrance from the existing light. The only way across would be by running the SWA cable in a drain that runs across the driveway (see picture).

Is there any reason that I shouldn't do that? I can't think of any regulation of the top of my head that prohibits it.

TIA

View attachment 43481 View attachment 43482

 

[Jjc]

OMG don't think regs think common sense no no no

 

[pirate]

Drain in road
Hostile environment
Might kill a toad
Better put in cement

It'll get

 

[Mark42]

That's not necessarily a soakaway: it's a linear drain that may indeed go into a soakaway at one end, or maybe into a proper surface water drainage system. Getting your SWA in and out at either end might be difficult without cutting the cover or some other equally unwieldy method. As others have said, I think it's a horrible idea, although I suspect not against any regulation, as you could argue that the cable is protected by the metal drain structure and unlikely to be damaged. But that doesn't make it a professional way of doing things!
Anyway ... remember that 'mains' LED PIR lights aren't really mains, in that they all have an ELV driver inside the body. So there's a solution. Buy a good quality LED floodlight, take it to bits, remove the 230V driver, put that in a proper IP box on the lawn side, then run any waterproof cable (maybe 2.5mm H07RN, and in the bloody drain if you must) carrying only the constant-current ELV supply.
Sorted?
I have done this myself where there's no convenient way of getting mains safely to a remote part of a garden. It works.

ps. And leave (unsigned? ) notes in the IP box and under the LED fitting saying hello to subsequent electricians, and telling them what you've done. You may add that you got the idea from the internet.

 

[Mark42]

▲ Update (too late to edit my post). An obviously daft idea if the PIR is integral to the lamp, as the PIR sensor usually has its own internal PSU and needs mains. My idea will only work if there is a remote switched supply, or a separate mains PIR can be installed on the supply side of the drain. You don't say if you can 'see' the car park from there.
Or as LEDs are so cheap to run, forget unreliable PIRs and feed say a 20W LED flood from a dusk-to-dawn sensor. The latter could go in, or next to, the IP box containing the driver.
It's late. Hope that makes sense

 

[DPG]

Bear in mind the volt drop if it's a long run of cable at 12v though.

 

[Mark42]

Bear in mind the volt drop if it's a long run of cable at 12v though.

Yup, that's why I suggested 2.5mm, but the great thing about constant-current LED drivers is that they will crank up the voltage to maintain the correct current, so the effects of voltage drop, within limits, is prevented.

 

[Rockingit]

Haven't and am not going to read the whole thread so ap0logies if this duplicates:
1) Nothing wrong in the electrical sense, SWA's totally fine along the length being submerged (wouldn't have any glands though!)
2) In the practical sense though it's non-starter as the cable will ultimately encourage the drain to silt and block, I have a suspicion that a BCO wouldn't allow it for that reason and frankly, why would you want to?! There's always more than one route other than the straight line, you just need to demonstrate why you're the superior sparky who can think outside the box.

 

[mrloy99]

why not just whack a pole in the ground and put a solar powered one on it? the council have been fitting them around here in the car parks and park and rides. give out a good amount of light too , the solar panel is not too large either.

Agree..solar is the way forward for this instal.just screw it on the wall.job done..no pole required.Don't even need a test cert.