Help please with old sub-floor located mains electricity supply cable

squashabe · Sep 27, 2010

Hello, I'm new to this forum, so please forgive me if I have posted this question in the wrong section. I am currently renovating an old terraced property with a timber floor in the front ground floor room. I have been removing the floor boards and I intend to replace the timber floor with a concrete floor. Having removed the floor boards there is the mains electricity supply on the surface of the sub-floor soil. The cable appears to have has some form of material around the outside and most of this has rotted away to expose a strip of metal that is approximately 25mm wide and fully wrapped around what I believe must be the supply cable. The electricity meter is a cupboard in the middle part of the house. I was wondering if I should notify somone and have it checked out to see if it will be safe, or if it needs replaced. I am guessing that it might be United Utilities responsibility. Can anyone please advise.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from anyone who can help.

Adrian

Spudnik · Sep 27, 2010

Contact your local supply company and get them round to have a look.

They will more than likely suggest it is relocated to the outside in the drive/pathway.

Probably cost you a few hundred quid though.

mechelec · Sep 28, 2010

Sounds like a PILC cable and the outer tape has corroded off which is not a problem in its self (check Ze to confirm). As Jason suggests get the DNO to have a look and they will quote you to move it. Otherwise cover it in thick plastic sheet and concrete over. If in the future you have a cable fault under the floor the DNO will come and put you a OS meter box and supply for free!!! (you would need to put in a submain from this point)

squashabe · Sep 30, 2010

Thanks for the replies

Adrian

Darkwood · Sep 30, 2010

If its their cable thats corroding as far as im aware they will do there part for free by resiting it outside and your cost will be to run power supply from new meter position to current dist board position, think this is what jason was getting at, and the last thing id want to do is bury or conceal what is already an obvious issue thats likely to rear it ugly head at some point, peace of mind is a most comforting thing when laying in bed

mechelec · Oct 1, 2010

darkwood said:
If its their cable thats corroding as far as im aware they will do there part for free by resiting it outside and your cost will be to run power supply from new meter position to current dist board position, think this is what jason was getting at, and the last thing id want to do is bury or conceal what is already an obvious issue thats likely to rear it ugly head at some point, peace of mind is a most comforting thing when laying in bed

seeing the steel tapes on a PILC cable is quite alarming but there are thousands of miles of it buried in the ground with corroded tapes supplying electricity quite happily. During the war when steel was in short supply they did away with the tape and used plain lead sheathed cable and there is a lot of this especially HV still in the ground.
I can see your concern but if it is buried in 6 inches of concrete the worst that can happen is you may lose your supply it wont blow the house up!!
As stated in my previous post get the DNO to check it out first. It would be very unusual to replace a cable because the tape has corroded and to move it outside they will probably class it as a service alt and charge accordingly