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Mr Fox

Member Since: 10 Sep 2011
Location: green & pleasant land
Posts: 1037

2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Keswick Green

Armoured Cable Advice - routing underground?

I need to get power from my house to a point in the garden; issue is that the previous owner decided to hard landscape all around the house, making it a house sitting on a island of tarmac and brick paving.

Situated between the house and the garden, in the middle of the driveway, is an access hatch that houses some now defunct equipment, in an underground plastic box, that took power from the house. I'm pretty sure I can use the old cables as draw wires and get the 6mm armoured cable from the house, under the drive, to the access hatch. This then leaves me about 12 foot to the edge of the driveway and the garden. Once there, I can easily bury the cable and run it to where I need power in the garden.

I've been reading up and the method that seems to be used most is to dig down on one side of where you want to end up and use a long length of iron pipe, hammering it through the earth towards the target: using it as something akin to a wedge or manual auger bit. Doing this for 12 foot seems like a long shot.

I know we have some clever and diverse professions on here; does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm trying to avoid cutting a channel in tarmac and going that route but perhaps that is the quickest and easiest option?

27th Jul 2023 7:38pm

ickle

Member Since: 22 Jul 2010
Location: South Vendee
Posts: 1780

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Alpine White

You should find someone who has or can hire you a hydraulic mole.

HTH Keith

27th Jul 2023 7:46pm

Screbble

Member Since: 26 Apr 2015
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 2098

2004 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Zambezi Silver

It’s difficult for me to picture (without a picture…) but I wouldn’t like to be using that method for that length of run. Apart from the physical aspect, you could also hit/damage other buried services/utilities.

Unless you have access to some specialist boring/drilling equipment, it sounds like a trench may be the only practical option.

Others may prove this wrong, and provide you with a more positive response!

Good luck 🤞

27th Jul 2023 7:47pm

gcc130

Member Since: 05 Jun 2015
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 739

Rather than trying to go under the tarmac it should be possible to lift a section of brick paving, dig a trench then backfill and re lay the paviors.
We normally lay brick paviors on compacted grit sand over compacted scalpings.
The cable trench should be minimum of 450 mm deep and be covered with 100mm sand and electric warning tape before backfilling.

27th Jul 2023 8:30pm

landy andy

Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5693

2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver

I’ve shoved a scaffold pole under a few driveways/roads and use these as a conduit for services. I tend to get the digger driver to force it through.

27th Jul 2023 9:01pm

NickMc

Member Since: 01 Oct 2014
Location: Norn Iron
Posts: 1624

Next time you see a utility company about or installing fibre cable go and offer them some cash to do it

27th Jul 2023 9:44pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17369

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

I've used 3" valve waterpipe (similar to scaffold poles) and driven them under about 20' of tarmac drive, with an accuracy of about 3" at the distant end. I had four or five (I forget) equal lengths of about 5', threaded the ends with the appropriate BSPT thread, obtained suitable threaded connectors, then dug a trench aligned with the intended direction. I made a cutting head using a short length of pipe with one end hammered flat, welded, and ground to a blunt cutting edge, the other threaded, and attached it to the first pipe section. Using a HiLift jack I drove the first section, the added the second and drove that, repeating until the end popped out into a receiving hole I'd dug at the destination. It all worked a treat.

27th Jul 2023 9:57pm

chopcat

Member Since: 11 Sep 2012
Location: Pembrokeshire
Posts: 411

Could you not go above ground around the perimeter on a wall or fence lets say only then going underground when you get to the garden. Or am i missing the point that you need to get to the existing land locked box?

27th Jul 2023 10:08pm

Mr Fox

Member Since: 10 Sep 2011
Location: green & pleasant land
Posts: 1037

ickle wrote:
You should find someone who has or can hire you a hydraulic mole.

HTH Keith

Did think about that but finding someone who has one is slim and imagine hiring one isn't cheap.

gcc130 wrote:
Rather than trying to go under the tarmac it should be possible to lift a section of brick paving, dig a trench then backfill and re lay the paviors.
We normally lay brick paviors on compacted grit sand over compacted scalpings.
The cable trench should be minimum of 450 mm deep and be covered with 100mm sand and electric warning tape before backfilling.

Unfortunately, the access hatch, which I think I can get to via an existing conduit and runs from the house to the existing hatch, is in the middle of a tarmac section with no block work. Lifting bricks would have been the easy option. There is no section from the house that doesn't have a decent run of tarmac to cross.

NickMc wrote:
Next time you see a utility company about or installing fibre cable go and offer them some cash to do it

Not a bad shout but I live in a ruralish area, so chances are slim. We're still on crappy connections with no plans for fibre install.

blackwolf wrote:
I've used 3" valve waterpipe (similar to scaffold poles) and driven them under about 20' of tarmac drive, with an accuracy of about 3" at the distant end. I had four or five (I forget) equal lengths of about 5', threaded the ends with the appropriate BSPT thread, obtained suitable threaded connectors, then dug a trench aligned with the intended direction. I made a cutting head using a short length of pipe with one end hammered flat, welded, and ground to a blunt cutting edge, the other threaded, and attached it to the first pipe section. Using a HiLift jack I drove the first section, the added the second and drove that, repeating until the end popped out into a receiving hole I'd dug at the destination. It all worked a treat.

I do think this, and Landy Andy's approach, is probably the easiest and was where my mind was before asking if I was missing anything. I don't have a digger but I think hitting it with a sledge, perseverance and taking my time should get it 12 foot. ...or it could be a total pig of a job

chopcat wrote:
Could you not go above ground around the perimeter on a wall or fence lets say only then going underground when you get to the garden. Or am i missing the point that you need to get to the existing land locked box?

House is marooned on an island of hard landscaping - to get to the garden, I need to cross the island to get power from the house to the garden, across the driveway (tarmac) and brick paving.

28th Jul 2023 9:14am

NoLimits

Member Since: 29 Dec 2022
Location: Somerset
Posts: 58

If you live in a rural area go an speak to a local farmer, he will be able to help

28th Jul 2023 9:30am

Chris S

Member Since: 22 May 2023
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 43

Speedy do the GRUNDOMAT 55MM 14.4KG for under £200 for the weekend I think you require a compressor.

28th Jul 2023 10:22am

AmL

Member Since: 22 Jan 2016
Location: Devon
Posts: 30

You could use a diamond saw to cut a 20-25mm slot in the tarmac, put the SWA cable in and fill with bitumen. Make it look like an intentional expansion joint. You wouldn’t get anywhere near the ‘code’ depth but at least you’ll know where it is if you need to excavate drive in future.

28th Jul 2023 10:24am

Procta

Member Since: 03 Dec 2016
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 5163

Me and my dad have chatted about routing a power to the back garden, where we have our chairs, so we can have some sort of lights and maybe a power outlet or two, Where do you get the armoured cable? my dad was talking about this as we would need to route this behind some trees. Defender TD5 90 ---/--- Peugeot 306 HDI hatch back

Success is 90% Inspiration and 4 minutes Preparation # you can make it!

29th Jul 2023 12:37am

AmL

Member Since: 22 Jan 2016
Location: Devon
Posts: 30

Any electrical wholesaler, Screwfix, some of the larger DIY chains, Amazon, ebay etc., search SWA cable (steel wire armoured cable)

29th Jul 2023 7:59am

s55shh

Member Since: 30 Dec 2019
Location: staffs
Posts: 193

ickle wrote:
You should find someone who has or can hire you a hydraulic mole.

HTH Keith

This is how Transco did my water main for me. Yep, Transco lads were working opposite and it cost me four x Chicken Tikka Massala.

29th Jul 2023 10:21am

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