What is this cable

[JSSE]

The kids have moved into a rental mid terrace house in Lincoln and this is a picture of the incomer and meter, Only just looked at it. What is this cable? the one with the orange sheath and the earth clamp, looks to me like MIC, but the cable looks to go straight into the incomer. Any ideas what it could be for, looks strange to me. Where Does it go..........

 

[DefyG]

looks to me like MIC, but the cable looks to go straight into the incomer.

It is and looks like it does, but not sure it should. Singularly insulated cores of the MICC shouldn't be exposed.

 

[telectrix]

think it is MICC.you can see the copper sheath where the clamp is. the single insulated tails want addressing, as does the ancient head. get the landlord to call DNO. and those pigtail meter tails are an abomination.

 

[Darkwood]

Definitely MICC that sheath colour is unique, it's installation practices do not comply to modern regulation and question how long the run is as I guess it should also be fused.

 

[JSSE]

think it is MICC.you can see the copper sheath where the clamp is. the single insulated tails want addressing, as does the ancient head. get the landlord to call DNO. and those pigtail meter tails are an abomination.

The house is over 100yrs old and yes its a mess. I am an industrial sparks (process control) so quite used to panels being a mess when they get 20 yrs old. What i can't think is what is the MICC for, Not used any myself for over 40yrs (still have the tools though somewhere). Why would you go to the trouble to use MICC and it looks unmetered i will not be there till next weekend will have a closer look.

 

[JSSE]

Definitely MICC that sheath colour is unique, it's installation practices do not comply to modern regulation and question how long the run is as I guess it should also be fused.

Well it is fused ha ha at 100A or 60A What a mess. Very intrigued as to where it goes as its unmetered as well

 

[telectrix]

possibly the supplies are looped door to door.

 

[JSSE]

possibly the supplies are looped door to door.

That is even more crazy for the size of the conductors. will take a clamp meter with me and see what current is flowing when i go next week.

possibly the supplies are looped door to door.

just got the kids to have a look and you may be right as to goes through the wall in the direction of next door

 

[Darkwood]

MICC has a high current carrying capacity relative to it csa against normal pvc etc which is limited by its insulation property so I wouldn't be surprised if that's a 6mm loop feed.

 

[timhoward]

That is even more crazy for the size of the conductors.

Current carrying capacity of MICC is often surprising. e.g. 4mm can do 40 amps clipped direct (6mm would be 57 amps)

 

[Petej999]

The kids have moved into a rental mid terrace house in Lincoln and this is a picture of the incomer and meter, Only just looked at it. What is this cable? the one with the orange sheath and the earth clamp, looks to me like MIC, but the cable looks to go straight into the incomer. Any ideas what it could be for, looks strange to me. Where Does it go..........
View attachment 89397

MICC ,PVC /PVC SINGLES, PVC insulated earth cables, and many more that I can'e to lack of clarity. identify

 

[Darkwood]

Current carrying capacity of MICC is often surprising. e.g. 4mm can do 40 amps clipped direct (6mm would be 57 amps)

That is our regulations, it has has built in safety, DNO have their own and are more based on real tolerences and diversity.

 

[timhoward]

That is our regulations, it has has built in safety, DNO have their own and are more based on real tolerences and diversity.

I was forgetting it was straight into the head....!

 

[Darkwood]

I was forgetting it was straight into the head....!

I'm on the fence with this, normally the loop prior fusing but it isn't unknown to tap off after, I'm only speculating like everyone here so I may be wrong but I've seen it before myself.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I'd agree that it looks like 2H6 as that is the largest 2-core that uses a 20mm pot. 2H4 would have more of a shoulder around the pot entry while 2H10 would have a 25mm pot.

Not ideal to be sharing the fuse between two properties but not altogether rare; more of an issue if it's 60A and both have showers. The unenclosed pot and conductors insulated only with the stub sleeving are not ideal. It seemed to be a popular way of doing things a few decades back, before internal use of split-con took off. TBH I am sitting about 6 feet from a similar arrangement using 2H10 installed in the 70's (albeit a submain in my own installation not a BNO cable) which I have not yet felt the urge to upgrade.

I would say avoid waggling it about to hang a clamp on it. The last thing you want is for the seal disc to pop out and then find the supply to both properties has to be turned off until it can be made safe.

 

[DefyG]

If it is a link to a neighbouring property, and installed 'legitimately', I cant imagine the DNO would have left the end floating loose, singularly insulated conductors exposed and use a pipe clamp for continuity of earth connection!

 

[ipf]

Not for some sort of landlord's sub meter is it?
Whatever, it's unlikely that any supply authority has authorised it, terminated like that.

 

[freddo]

I've seen that style of termination posted a few times here and I've seen it myself on 2 occasions where the meter was installed in a different position to the cutout.

 

[UNG]

Given it's a rental property I wonder what the EICR says about it

 

[Fender]

The earth wire connecting onto the MICC is quite bad. But it's the other end of the earth that worries me. Is it really connected into the neutral terminal block?