Exposed wiring and rain?

LolitaLove

First of all, please forgive me for not being remotely knowledgeable about anything electrical and for the no doubt useless description I'm about to give:

I'm hoping for some advice on whether this is dangerous. We are currently renting, and in the garden there's two sheds, a very large one and a smaller one. The smaller one has a fuse box thingy. I have no idea where the electricity comes from, as the garden is massive and the sheds are nowhere near the house. But, there's a plug, so I plugged in a freezer, and a dryer in the smaller shed...both work fine. However, the second, larger shed which is next to the smaller one is connected to the smaller one on the outside, in the gap between them, by wiring. As far as I know there's nothing actually in/on in the larger shed, electricity wise. The wiring has a rubbed seal thing around it, (looks a bit like a hosepipe from a distance) but that rubber seal has corroded in places, so in some places you can see the wires. Now that it's raining heavily and windy etc I'm getting worried about the wiring. Is it dangerous/a fire risk? Any advice will be VERY much appreciated, thank you!

jamesd

Can you see the metal part of the wires or only the covering part over the wire?

In general it needs looking at because even if it's not the metal, the insulation covering might have cracks in it that could let in water.

It shouldn't be a fire risk because the fuse should blow before there's a fire risk but that's not absolutely certain.

Myser

Assuming it's armoured cable, the outer sheath may have perished exposing the metal armour underneath.

robatwork

LolitaLove wrote: »

has corroded in places, so in some places you can see the wires.

What exactly can you see - describe the colours etc. Eg you can now see 1 black cable about 2cm thick. Or you can see 3 cables, yellow/green, brown etc. Or you see some silver metal that looks "Knitted". Or copper coloured metal a few mm thick?

Whichever one, it's unlikely to be a fire risk but could be hazardous to life -yours or an animal's. So let us know the above...

Myser

Or even better, post a photo!

LolitaLove

jamesd wrote: »

Can you see the metal part of the wires or only the covering part over the wire?

In general it needs looking at because even if it's not the metal, the insulation covering might have cracks in it that could let in water.

It shouldn't be a fire risk because the fuse should blow before there's a fire risk but that's not absolutely certain.

I can't see any metal, only the coloured wiring

[Deleted User]

Even if the insulation is intact, once the water has found it's way into the conduit it may be able to run along the inside until it finds a fitting or fuse box with bare terminals.

jamesd wrote: »

It shouldn't be a fire risk because the fuse should blow before there's a fire risk but that's not absolutely certain.

Not correct! A fused supply can provide more than enough power to start a fire. It's a common mistake to think that fuses fully protect that part of the installation which lies downstream of the fuse, they don't, it's only the supply which has absolute protection.

robatwork

LolitaLove wrote: »

I can't see any metal, only the coloured wiring

OK this isn't good it means that only the final layer of insulation is protecting you, your pets, kids, etc.

Outside wiring you would expect this coloured layer of insulation, a further layer like on all normal cabling, plus an external grade sheath ideally armoured (another metal layer).

So yes, it's dangerous.

LolitaLove

The wires are yellow and grey.

Not sure why but I'm being blocked from posting pics

Will try posting the link

http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/LolitaLove2/library/?sort=3&page=1

Hope that works.

I managed to sting my leg on some stinging nettles hidden up against the shed :'(

LolitaLove

jack_pott wrote: »

Even if the insulation is intact, once the water has found it's way into the conduit it may be able to run along the inside until it finds a fitting or fuse box with bare terminals.



Not correct! A fused supply can provide more than enough power to start a fire. It's a common mistake to think that fuses fully protect that part of the installation which lies downstream of the fuse, they don't, it's only the supply which has absolute protection.

So the fuse box wouldn't trip the switch before a fire started?:(

[Deleted User]

The black plastic that's been put around the cables is not really doing anything at all, so it's no more dangerous without it than with it. The installation is generally pretty shoddy and unprofessional, but the cables look intact, so you don't appear to be in any immediate danger from them getting wet.