Really dodgy cable

[Gasguru]

Anyone seen this on a 1.5 mm heat resistant pvc cable.

As I was about to cut back the earth insulation the earth wire pulled straight out of the white sheath. The earth wire had been joined in the factory and to fit the twisted join within the sheath several copper strands had been cut off reducing the csa.

Is this standard practice for the cowboy cable manufacturers or a one off if the machine broke. The cable was purchased at a well known electrical retailer.

 

[Lectrician]

Shocking.

Basec approved?

I believe, during manufacture, to keep the production run operating, they will splice new cable onto old in that manner - however, in a set distance either side of that splice, the blue and brown should also be spliced. This section of cable would have been removed from the run during spooling.

Can you tell I watch "how its made?"

 

[Gasguru]

I'm waiting from a response from the supplier - if they don't come up with a satisfactory answer I'll be emailing BASEC. Whether the cable manufacturers are affiliated with BASEC I can't tell.

 

[plugwash]

i'd guess someone just forgot to dump the section of cable with the joint in.

 

[Gasguru]

Why bother wrapping tape around the joint though if its to be cut out and surely they would mark the join as soon as its gone through the extruding machine.

 

[davy_owen_88]

I can't explain the lack of marking, but they dip the cables in a water bath prior to testing insulation resistance. If they didn't insulate the joins then they'd get **** poor test results.

 

[Gasguru]

I don't think it was even tested for proper continuity. There is no evidence of any arcing from high current testing and with only half the strands left these would surely have melted.

 

[ebee]

Who is the retailer? the manufacturer ? and what is printed on the cable ?

 

[securespark]

Those two images.. Are they the same piece of wire?

 

[Gasguru]

Had a reply from the retailler today who had spoken to the manufactururer:

Further to your E-Mail addressed to *** I reply on behalf of ****** ***** *******. The Pictures you refer are of a Factory Joint , the Joint is used to maintain a Continuios Conductor length in the PVC Extrusion over the Core’s .The PVC Conductors throughout the Manufacturing Process are Spark Tested however the Factory Joint /Mechanical Joint should have been cut out on Completion of the Production Run .The Factory Joints are common Practice throughout the Cable Industry this is the only way to continually Extrude the Conductors .I Confirm there are no more Factory Joint’s on your previous Installation’s ,on behalf of ****** ***** ******* I apologise for any Inconvenience caused. *** will Free –Issue some 3093Y 1.5SQMM to cover your additional cost’s .


I don't know how he can confirm there are no other faulty cables. It sounds as though this is all due to poor QA and happens from time to time. If I am right in where I purchased the cable (from a well known trade supplier) the cable manufacturer is of Polish origin.

 

[empip]

Quality? Even the big timers can be found wanting... Lucas Aerospace '95
The whistle was blown !

 

[ColJack]

did you perhaps tell him in the e-mail you sent that this was the first time you'd had this happen to you or the first time you'd seen it?


they surely have a record of what cable batches were shipped to what retailers.. so they have an idea that the next joint would be maybe 2000 metres down the line and they only shipped 1000 to that supplier.. ?