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Lifetime of red/black cables? (Read 15772 times)
Lectrician
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #17 - Nov 13th, 2016, 5:48pm
 
420 metre.  I would say 60 to 80amp load, you would be looking around 95mm to satisfy the voltage drop requirements!  Without calculating anyway.  Yours looks to be a 16 or 25.

Would be interesting to know the actual length, and readings.
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londonman
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #18 - Nov 13th, 2016, 7:12pm
 
have to confess that I am now rather worried.  Presumably if the cable developed a fault - say someone shoved a pick-axe through it - then under normal circumstances the fuse would blow, the damaged part repaired, the fuse replaced.

But if the fuse doesn't blow in the timeframe required then the cable could overheat and need replacing ? Or am I worrying unnecessarily on that score seeing as how it is buried in the ground.  The fuse might not blow within five seconds but may be ten seconds ?
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #19 - Nov 13th, 2016, 7:59pm
 
Really depends on the figures.  Funnily enough, at a caravan park recently, I calculated the disconnection time to be 45 seconds or so for one of the circuits!  An RCD at the origin sorts it Wink  300mA or even 500mA, time delayed.
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londonman
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #20 - Nov 14th, 2016, 5:36am
 
Is that a solution LEC ?  A time-delayed RCD ? That would sort out the protection issue then?

Then all that one would be left with are the volts drop and possibly explains why they use Calor gas to cook.

Trenching costs alone look to be £15k. Sad
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londonman
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #21 - Nov 14th, 2016, 11:55am
 
Electrician going in tomorrow.

Talking to the vendor, apparently they tweaked the voltage to arrive at the house to be 260v !!  So when I fire up my Sedgwick MB planer with a massive inrush current .......
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #22 - Nov 14th, 2016, 5:49pm
 
It's unusual for them to be able to tweak voltage - Only the DNO can alter tappings on the transformer, and while they could, it would mean the voltage at the origin would be higher than permitted.

I wonder if the supply at the origin is shared with others?  Do you have your own meter for this property?  A meter belonging to a utility company?

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londonman
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #23 - Nov 14th, 2016, 10:17pm
 
I think we might be talking 'cowboy country'.  This was done in 1979.  There are only three properties at the end of the 11kv line.  

All the properties belonged to the same family, I believe.  Yes, the meter must be separate otherwise who would the householder be paying the bill to ?

There could be two transformers, of course...one tweaked.  WE shall see tomorrow.  Intriguing, eh ?
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londonman
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #24 - Nov 15th, 2016, 4:06pm
 
Duff gen by the current owner or maybe he was being disingenuous. The voltage is 240v.

Cable size is 35mm about as far as they can judge.  It's not 440m...more like 800m as my measurement was as the crow flew.

They calculate a 60v drop at 60A load (the size of the cut-out).  So a 10KW electric shower is out of the question  Grin

Cable size needed probably 135mm.  Or a service alteration.  I think the latter.

There is no earth or if there is it is reliant on the sheath which is not 10mm in equivalence.  No earthing of any of the internal copper water pipes.
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #25 - Nov 15th, 2016, 9:28pm
 
How did you determine the length of run?  Measurement?  Are they doing a proper report for you?  A copy of that would be good.

135mm² isn't a size, it would be 120mm² or 150mm².  On that length of run, a DNO supply would likely work out cheaper!

If your meter and switch fuse is in a building elsewhere, you obviously need to make sure rights of access etc exist when the property is split off and sold.
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londonman
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #26 - Nov 15th, 2016, 9:43pm
 
I determined the length of the run simply using the dimension tool on the Magic site (brilliant site, by the way).  They walked the route ad subsequent to their visit I now have the plan showing the route of the cable.  

Re 135mm..to be fair to him he did say that it was finger in the air.

Yup, definitely a Service Alteration is on the cards.  I am asking him to fill in the form on my behalf..much easier what with him being up there etc.  Have to say that I think he's OK.  Glad I got in contact with him.

Your point re access etc is a good one but not applicable in this instance.

One other good reason for an SA is that imagine fitting an RCD up at the meter to sort out the earth loop issue ?   Intermittent cable fault.  Trudge up in the wet and snow to reset the RCD.  Trudge all the way back.  Few minutes later, it trips again...repeat.

Much better to have my own wee transformer on a pole and the meter in my house (just as long as it's not a smart meter!  That'll be another interesting conversation))

Mind you, there's no mobile signal and so the smart meter will be stuffed anyway.
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Re: Lifetime of red/black cables?
Reply #27 - Nov 16th, 2016, 4:40pm
 
email sent with EICR
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