On 29/07/2019 11:44, Chris Green wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 28/07/2019 22:04, Chris Green wrote:
I am trying to identify the cable that feeds our house consumer unit.
It was buried many years ago, before 1998 at least and quite likely
some years before that.

It's not a 'company' cable, the company fuse is outside, it used to
feed from an outdoor meter/company fuse, it now feeds (after a
re-route under the drive) from meter and company fuse in the garage.

It might be pre-metric SWA, the outside diameter is just over 23mm and
looks somewhat like black SWA. It's a three core cable with Red, Blue
and Yellow insulated cores.


Depending on how much "just over" is, I would guess you either have:

From BS 6346:1997 "PVC Insulated armoured cables...", Table 9 Three
core 600/1000V cables with stranded conductors:

Nominal cross section 16mm^2, Approx overall diameter 23.1mm

Of from BS5467 1997 "XLPE thermosetting armoured cables", Table 8 Three
core stranded:

25mm^2, Approx overall diameter 23.6mm with an extruded bedding, or
23.2mm with a taped bedding.

Brilliant, thanks John, I think it's nearer the second of those two so
I think I have 25sqmm. I'd better get some 16sqmm tube crimps as well
though, just in case, not much money. I need to check what cable I
have, if any, though.


Where are you based Chris? I could call in and offer site advice
depending where you are. I do travel the country quite a bit for work.

--
Adam