Electrical cable depth

[Maxus]

I know that when I dig a trench for a cable its always done so that the armoured cable is 600mm below grade.

What do the regs say? Reason I'm asking is there's a cable in a garden I'm landscaping, installed in between quotation and starting the job, that's 230mm deep and is stopping me from what I need to do, installing linear slot drain. It's armoured cable and in a conduit that has been filled with foam. PITA!

 

[Left hooker]

Get the customer to get their sparky back to extend it so you can drop it down

 

[6feetdown]

I know that when I dig a trench for a cable its always done so that the armoured cable is 600mm below grade.

What do the regs say? Reason I'm asking is there's a cable in a garden I'm landscaping, installed in between quotation and starting the job, that's 230mm deep and is stopping me from what I need to do, installing linear slot drain. It's armoured cable and in a conduit that has been filled with foam. PITA!

450mm min cover as far as I'm aware

 

[Maxus]

Get the customer to get their sparky back to extend it so you can drop it down

Obviously have to do something. I want to give customer accurate information for when they call the electrician. As an operator it irks me to see a cable laid so shallow, especially by a qualified electrician.

 

[Brendan]

If it's on a private property there is no depths.
Even the stuff in the paths and road is a recommended/best practice

 

[JD450A]

Just below grass if on price

 

[GazCro]

If it's on a private property there is no depths.
Even the stuff in the paths and road is a recommended/best practice

Once in and operational it doesn't matter what depth it is, its ok. This is perfectly ok

 

[Brendan]

Once in and operational it doesn't matter what depth it is, its ok. This is perfectly ok View attachment 32955

That a big electric?

 

[GazCro]

That a big electric?

Yup goes under a road at that depth as well.

 

[DaveDCB]

Was digging some utilities in Derby city one night shift and came across old tram lines.. so gave the breaker some welly to get through all the concrete, huge HV(no idea the type, red multiple twisted together), but lads said it would do half the city, they were only just under the tracks at 14”deep… breaker chisel 18” long.. no idea how the hell I missed them all!

 

[Smiffy]

The shallowest we have found anything in the highway was a bt duct 75mm below the surface. Lucky we didnt run a Stihl saw through it. On a main road too.
Regularly get virgin media ducts in the footway only covered by tarmac

 

[Maxus]

If it's on a private property there is no depths.
Even the stuff in the paths and road is a recommended/best practice

Well I'll be damned, and all this time I've been burying them 600 deep.

 

[Left hooker]

Obviously have to do something. I want to give customer accurate information for when they call the electrician. As an operator it irks me to see a cable laid so shallow, especially by a qualified electrician.

Would run along cable with trench to the depth you require should be pretty obvious then to sparky where it needs to be when customer tells him/ her to lengthen it

 

[6feetdown]

The shallowest we have found anything in the highway was a bt duct 75mm below the surface. Lucky we didnt run a Stihl saw through it. On a main road too.
Regularly get virgin media ducts in the footway only covered by tarmac

Yeah virgin are diabolical

 

[Pedrod355]

Obviously been on private ground the warning tape can go at any depth as well….

 

[Vinpetrol]

450mm min cover as far as I'm aware

Locally SSE will inspect the trenches we do for new connections . They state 450mm cover in most cases . If it is in a field they then look for minimum 600mm cover in case the field gets ploughed

 

[GazCro]

Locally SSE will inspect the trenches we do for new connections . They state 450mm cover in most cases . If it is in a field they then look for minimum 600mm cover in case the field gets ploughed

600 cover here or 900 in ag land which usually means you're 600 deeper than the main when you get to it

 

[Vinpetrol]

Obviously been on private ground the warning tape can go at any depth as well….
View attachment 32956

It’s really handy to throw it in at the same time as the cable because then you can backfill the trench in one go

 

[V8Druid]

The shallowest we have found anything in the highway was a bt duct 75mm below the surface. Lucky we didnt run a Stihl saw through it. On a main road too.
Regularly get virgin media ducts in the footway only covered by tarmac

as I've said before .... found our tel. line feed 3" below the surface here ... on the other side of the driveway that Openreach had told me it was , going 90 deg.s to the direction they had said it ran ..... tossers ....
at least SSE/WP/SWALEC showed me the exact route of their cable and marked it for me which I photographed for future ref.

 

[Vinpetrol]

as I've said before .... found our tel. line feed 3" below the surface here ... on the other side of the driveway that Openreach had told me it was , going 90 deg.s to the direction they had said it ran ..... tossers ....
at least SSE/WP/SWALEC showed me the exact route of their cable and marked it for me which I photographed for future ref.

I had the same with open reach. I broke a cable that was in my pals ground . They took it across his ground rather than go round the verge where it was on there drawing . It was just under the turf.
I called them out to repair it and they billed me. I refused to pay it . I then started getting calls from New Delhi telling me it would cost me a lot of money if it goes to court I’m bettter of paying it . I still refused . I insisted on a local engineer to come out so I could show what had happened . Eventually after 18 months and lots of threats of court action I told them stop calling me and just take me to court , I will say my piece to a judge . A week later a local engineer called and said I’ve had a look on site . It shouldn’t of been in your pals garden . I heard no more about it !