testing a live armoured in the ground.

[KNIPEX]

anyone got any ideas on this.

there is an armoured cable buried in the ground, we have traced it back as far as we can and we think it feeds a db, kill the power to the db and the db is dead, however on a CAT (used for seeing if cables are live)
its showing its still live.

also there are other buildinds around so it may well go under the building.

its impossible to trace it all the way, so just wondering if anyone had any ideas??

my thoughts are the cat is too sensitive?? anyone used these??

only other way i can think of testing it to check it is to spike it???

any other ideas please, thanks

 

[benji]

have you checked all groundwork drawing ?you could ask elect.board if they have anything in that area their drawings are quite accurate
yours benji

 

[rumrunner]

hi
Sounds dodgy to me ,be careful ,i cant see how the cat is to sensitive ,i would knock off every supply at the main till i found the correct disboard ,you could "spike it" with a digger,the driver should be ok if he stays in the cab

 

[wattsup]

Possible induction voltage in armourings, but I wouldn't assume so.

Do you intend to re-use the cable?

 

[Shakey]

anyone got any ideas on this.

there is an armoured cable buried in the ground, we have traced it back as far as we can and we think it feeds a db, kill the power to the db and the db is dead, however on a CAT (used for seeing if cables are live)
its showing its still live.

also there are other buildinds around so it may well go under the building.

its impossible to trace it all the way, so just wondering if anyone had any ideas??

my thoughts are the cat is too sensitive?? anyone used these??

only other way i can think of testing it to check it is to spike it???

any other ideas please, thanks

the cat should have a knob at the top (no, I dont mean you), which you can use to decrease/increase sensitivity, you can also turn the cat through 90 degress to find the exact direction of the cable.

I remeber a lad working for me reckoned there was cables all over a field we were going to spike. We were using a cat and genny, and the genny was inducing into his steel toe capped boots, which the cat was picking up!

bless him!

 

[Cattled]

CAT may be picking up other cables or pipes deeper in the ground under the cable in question. Elec company should have drawings however if its a small service cable (tape or wire armoured) the accuracy of drawings fluctuate from from elec company to elec company.

Spiking a cable that is being used may bring a hefty charge for repairing so best off calling elec company.

I can confirm however that spiking with a digger is safe for the driver, subject to length of diggers arm,distance from substation/fuse and agility of driver whilst jumping from digger..(speaking from experience now, hehe!)

 

[wattsup]

Most unlikely picking up from deeper cable. You cannot rely on a drawing that may be yonks old.
Remove probable breaker/fuse supply. Now use cat at the point in question. If it shows 'live' go back to db and use cat on the known 'dead' cable (is it surrounded by other cables, if so you will need to trace from db through to gland plate to identify the correct cable.)
Does it still show 'live' if so induction, possible up to 50v or more likely 9/24v. If the type of cat you are using is of the type used in identifying control circuits, it may be rated 9v - 1000v so it will pick up.

Next kill the whole board, go back to point in question, is it dead? If the mains into the db is near the cable in question, you will need to kill the db supply to prove.

 

[Bane]

you could "spike it" with a digger,the driver should be ok if he stays in the cab

Ho ho ho!

Very funny!

the cat should have a knob at the top (no, I dont mean you)

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Even funnier!

 

[KNIPEX]

cheers guys,

still not resolved but western power are now looking into it.

 

[wattsup]

So it's a utility supply cable? friggin ell its their prob in the first place then, ain't it?

 

[KNIPEX]

no mate, they have now come back today and said its nothing to do with them so back to square one again