Hi Peter

On Fri, 11 May 2007 08:51:56 +0100, "Peter"
wrote:


"Jim Alexander" wrote in message
k...

"Peter" wrote in message
...
I have a drainage pump in a manhole which connects to armoured cable in a
box at the top (inside) the manhole.
All is well until the pump breaks down, water level rises and the box
does not keep the water out.
Local electric store says they have nothing to help so I wondered .....
can I literally fill the box with silicon to solve the problem.
At the outset the connection should have been made above ground ( a wall
about 8 feet away) but alas, there is now not sufficient cable to play
with meaning the connection has to remain inside the manhole.
Any help appreciated.

looking at the price of pumps, the cost of wp boxes and the inconvenience
of having perhaps a compound filled box in the manhole, maybe a new pump
is the best option. How have you solved the breakdowns you report?

Jim A

I recently pulled out the pump (after a breakdown) and put a socket on the
wire to test it. It failed. On a whim I cut the wire shorter and found that
it worked fine. Then used it to lower the water level until I could reconnet
it back in the manhole.
Since water had not only entered the box and tripped the electrics but also
(apparently) seeped into some few feet of the pump cable, I am quite keen
for a waterproof solution.
I need to connect armoured cable to normal 3 core (somewhat thinner) cable.
Would silicon work?


What about 'Self-amalgamating tape' ?
It's a rubbery tape, in order to use it you remove the backing
material and stretch it. You then use it to 'over-wrap' whatever
you're waterproofing, bandage-style.

It then sticks to itself, forming a kind of rubber sheath over the
cabling. Being a tape, it will cope with cables of different diameter
- and it can be 'stanley-knifed' off if you ever need to remove it.

Avaliable from CPC, Screwfix etc...

I used one of the 'waterproof' junction boxes from Screwfix in a damp
location (to do with a pump in a septic tank system - but the box was
well above the water level), and it was pretty useless !
Self-amalgamating tape was much more effective.

Hope this helps
Adrian