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Electrical cabling in garden

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  • 23-06-2019 10:21am
    #1
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,862 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭


    Moved into a new build recently. In the garden there are two cables coming out of the ground, one is for a future light connection and the other for a future shed connection.

    At the moment they’re just lying on the ground.

    Are these safe? I don’t see any “outdoor lighting” on the fuse box, so I assume they are live? What about when it rains and stuff?


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    #2
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    awec wrote: »
    Are these safe?

    They should be, but occasionally people do some mad sh!t :eek:
    I don’t see any “outdoor lighting” on the fuse box, so I assume they are live?

    Live cables should not be left lying on the ground like that so it is not likely that they are live. Why don’t you ask? Is it was my house I would like to know where the other end of these cables are so that I could have the option of using them at a later date.

    It is impossible for anyone on the internet to know what the status of these cables are without a survey.
    What about when it rains and stuff?

    Nothing if they are dead.
    If they are live this would be the least of my worries.


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    #3
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,862 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Yea I’m asking tomorrow.

    I have one of those wall detector tools that detects electrics in plasterboard walls and it beeps when i run it over these cables, but I’m not sure if that only picks up live cabling or not.


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    #4
    lawred2
    Registered Users Posts: 24,413 ✭✭✭✭lawred2


    awec wrote: »
    Yea I’m asking tomorrow.

    I have one of those wall detector tools that detects electrics in plasterboard walls and it beeps when i run it over these cables.

    Think they just detect copper or some such metal


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    #5
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,862 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    lawred2 wrote: »
    Think they just detect copper or some such metal

    Yea I'm hoping my tool is giving a false reading.

    We've been in for weeks now and I always just assumed they were dead, but then someone was asking me about it and I realised there's no fuse in the fuse box for them, so I've no idea how they're connected up.

    They're thick cables, like about 1/2 inch, the wires are surrounded by some shielding and then rubber covering.


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    #6
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    awec wrote: »
    Yea I'm hoping my tool is giving a false reading.

    Theses tools are notoriously unreliable.
    We've been in for weeks now and I always just assumed they were dead, but then someone was asking me about it and I realised there's no fuse in the fuse box for them, so I've no idea how they're connected up.

    Most likely they are not connected at all and have been left at the back of the distribution board ready for connection. .
    They're thick cables, like about 1/2 inch, the wires are surrounded by some shielding and then rubber covering.

    Makes sense, they could be SWA's.


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    #7
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,862 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    2011 wrote: »
    Theses tools are notoriously unreliable.



    Most likely they are not connected at all and have been left at the back of the distribution board ready for connection. .



    Makes sense, they could be SWA's.

    Distribution board, where would that live usually?


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    #8
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    awec wrote: »
    Distribution board, where would that live usually?

    Think “fuse board” :)


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    #9
    tech
    Registered Users Posts: 2,839 ✭✭✭tech


    sounds Like, SWA cable more than likely ran back to a switch and not connected to this switch, otherwise its ran back to fuse board.


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    #10
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    tech wrote: »
    sounds Like, SWA cable more than likely ran back to a switch and not connected to this switch, otherwise its ran back to fuse board.

    For the garden lights, you might be right.
    For the shed supply I would expect that to be run directly to the board.


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    #11
    Roen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,620 ✭✭✭Roen


    I moved in here two years back.
    Live cables above and below ground wired back to an outdoor socket that was filled with water half the year. Knocked out the entire house every time someone switched on the outdoor lights.
    Every second time I went digging in the garden I found cable. Some connected back to sockets, some to the board and some unconnected.
    Some folk!

    OP. Might be at well to get someone out to sanity check things.


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