electrical question

Tomazzi

Hello Boards

Im in need of a little knowledge from enlightened enthusiasts

A few years back i ran a lead from one power point to another...about 80 meters total.

Recently it has started tripping, so i presumed something had come apart or such...On inspection of the cable joints , today the two places in where they are joined have corroded...

So the cable is joined by heavy armored cable from point A roughly all the way or about 76 metres then it goes to regular extension cord(point for the last few metres....

*****heres my question*****

the heavy duty armored cable has two wires (red & black) and the steel armoring that protects it....
The other cable has three wires (brown and blue and green/yellow)

I noticed the green/yellow was just running into the ground

Does anyone know if i can run the earth into the ground?

sorry now to be bothering ye, but i had a little help when i was digging these into the ground and at the time we only taped them and put plastic around them and buried them...they lasted a fair while to be true...

It only powers a lightbulb or two where im using it...so max a couple hundred watts....

I purchased water proof junction boxes this week with the hope il get another few years out off them if the tape worked that length..

excuse the long winded post.....

_Brian

Get an electrician

Maewyn Succat

Tomazzi wrote: »

Hello Boards

Im in need of a little knowledge from enlightened enthusiasts

A few years back i ran a lead from one power point to another...about 80 meters total.

Recently it has started tripping, so i presumed something had come apart or such...On inspection of the cable joints , today the two places in where they are joined have corroded...

So the cable is joined by heavy armored cable from point A roughly all the way or about 76 metres then it goes to regular extension cord(point for the last few metres....

*****heres my question*****

the heavy duty armored cable has two wires (red & black) and the steel armoring that protects it....
The other cable has three wires (brown and blue and green/yellow)

I noticed the green/yellow was just running into the ground

Does anyone know if i can run the earth into the ground?

sorry now to be bothering ye, but i had a little help when i was digging these into the ground and at the time we only taped them and put plastic around them and buried them...they lasted a fair while to be true...

It only powers a lightbulb or two where im using it...so max a couple hundred watts....

I purchased water proof junction boxes this week with the hope il get another few years out off them if the tape worked that length..

excuse the long winded post.....

It's most likely due to water being present at the points where the cable is joined.
The waterproof junction boxes are a good idea. However I don't think you should do it yourself as you have no idea what you are doing by the sounds of things. Call an electrician and be thankful that no one has been hurt due to your dodgy work so far.

Tomazzi

Thank you very much...im afraid im worse at explaining things than electrical splaining...
I have found the solution on a forum..succat your right on...water got through to the dodgy electrical tape on first job a few years back..
The junction boxes are a fine job...
Swa two core doesn't "need" to be earthed
Im gonna close this one down...people look for advice at times not the obvious, thats why its here
Adiois

Maewyn Succat

Tomazzi wrote: »

Thank you very much...im afraid im worse at explaining things than electrical splaining...
I have found the solution on a forum..succat your right on...water got through to the dodgy electrical tape on first job a few years back..
The junction boxes are a fine job...
Swa two core doesn't "need" to be earthed
Im gonna close this one down...people look for advice at times not the obvious, thats why its here
Adiois

I don't agree that the swa doesn't need to be earthed. The outer sheath can be used as an earth but in a lot of cases there is still a separate earth cable. From what you have described I would have my doubts that there is an earth where it is needed I.e. at the socket.