Cabling in the void - mess

[dishman]

Just doing a bit of plumbing in the void under the house. I have noticed that the electric cabling down there is a bit of a mess. Junction boxes hanging down, only supported by the cabling going into them.

I have also noticed a large number of cables just routed on the floor.

Other than being in easy reach of mice/rats, is this a common thing to find? It is one of these "if it ain't broke situations". I do not want to open a can of worms. Is it worth trying to tidy it up on to some tray support or retaining onto the joists.

Also, does anyone know what a steel (maybe 3mm in diameter) cable would be for. It seems to be winding it's way amongst the electric cabling. It is frustrating as it is preventing some of the cabling being attached to the joists by retaining clips to keep it out of the way while I am down there. Is it possibly some kind of tracer wire for the gas mains pipe? It seems to disappear under ground....

Many thanks in advance

 

[motorbiking]

it sounds ok to me but if you have rats, you should try to deal with them. If you wanted you could upgrade to maintenance free boxes with strain relief.

You may appreciate a bit of slack if ever you wanted to extend.

cable could be a legacy earth cable?

 

[dishman]

No pests at the moment, I was just thinking ahead.

Hmm, legacy earth is certainly something to consider.

It is very similar to this in style:

Although I have not traced either end yet. One end certainly goes into the ground, in around the area the mains water comes in, and then snakes through the electric cabling to the other end of the house (to where I do not know yet).

 

[phatboy]

No pests at the moment, I was just thinking ahead.

Hmm, legacy earth is certainly something to consider.

It is very similar to this in style:

View attachment 114324

Although I have not traced either end yet. One end certainly goes into the ground, in around the area the mains water comes in, and then snakes through the electric cabling to the other end of the house (to where I do not know yet).

I found that sort of thing in our house, bonding to all the pipework at various points.

 

[securespark]

It's funny how you can go your whole life and never see that stuff before now!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I found that sort of thing in our house, bonding to all the pipework at various points.

Using steel cable?

 

[phatboy]

Using steel cable?

Well it certainly wasn't copper looking

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes, but...

It is very similar to this in style:

That's steel cable, as in wire rope, not an electrical cable.

...a steel (maybe 3mm in diameter)...

Assuming that it's taking the place of 10mm² copper cable it would need to be 22.6mm² - over 5mm in diameter.

 

[Echo the husky]

Tinned copper?

 

[JohnD]

A magnet will tell you if it is steel.

 

[motorbiking]

there were times when copper was very expensive

 

[dishman]

Solved: It seems to be a legacy earth.

The cable is indeed un-sheathed copper. What confused me, probably because it is so oxidised and/or dirty, is that there were lots of silver shiny specks along it's run (as if it was steel underneath). No attraction with a magnet and after a good scrape the copper colour was visible. Tracing the other end led to the location underneath the consumer unit. But it is not connected to anything.

There is also another legacy earth cable in a solid green sheathing, again disconnected under the void at the consumer unit, but leading and connected to the mains cold.

This has also been superseded by what I assume is the current, much thicker copper earth sheathed in yellow and green, tracing the same route but this goes up through the floor boards and is bonded where it can be (I assume) more easily inspected.

I will remove the old legacy cable as it just gets in the way at the moment.

Thanks to all who posted suggestions.

 

[securespark]

...after a good scrape the copper colour was visible.

Just like my saucepans...