Weird Wire

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Kopper

Member
Location
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I have attached a picture of a strange wire that i would like to identify. I was called to look at a job where the garage burned down about a month ago. The feed coming from the house to the garage was obviously burned but this cable is unlike any i have ever seen. It is seven individually insulated strands of number ten wire twisted together then wrapped with what appears to be a twine and then wrapped with some kind of tough outer shell. It is direct buried. The insulation in spite of being charred on the outside is still quite amazingly pliable. Any ideas or help in identifying this would help me to know what to recommend - should it be replaced or is it fine to leave it there and use it...?
 

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kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
What is composition of this tough outer shell? Metallic, non metallic? Any markings on the outer sheath?

Could be some specialty cable - and maybe even only listed for a specific application.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
I have attached a picture of a strange wire that i would like to identify. I was called to look at a job where the garage burned down about a month ago.

The feed coming from the house to the garage was obviously burned but this cable is unlike any i have ever seen. It is seven individually insulated strands of number ten wire twisted together then wrapped with what appears to be a twine and then wrapped with some kind of tough outer shell. It is direct buried. The insulation in spite of being charred on the outside is still quite amazingly pliable.

Any ideas or help in identifying this would help me to know what to recommend - should it be replaced or is it fine to leave it there and use it...?

I'd say replace it. It's been exposed to heat which retempers it and the insulation is obviously compromised. You don't know how much heat traveled how far up that cable. How does the other end look?

Curious: Have cause & origin been established?
 

Kopper

Member
Location
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
The outer shell is a plastic/fabric extremely tough. The wire comes out of the ground right beside the foundation of the old garage. The cable runs underground about 75 feet to the house. The cable is unharmed for about two feet where it exits the ground.
 

jumper

Senior Member
If the wire is not marked/identifiable, would not the inspector have the right to reject it?

310.10

(F) Direct-Burial Conductors. Conductors used for direct burial
applications shall be of a type identified for such use.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
If the wire is not marked/identifiable, would not the inspector have the right to reject it?

310.10

(F) Direct-Burial Conductors. Conductors used for direct burial
applications shall be of a type identified for such use.

Conductors in OP are part of a cable assembly though so it is the cable assembly that would have to be rated for direct burial, though from the description it likely is not.
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
Looks like old festoon cable used in overhead cranes and controls. Might have been a DIY job from the past where the homeowner worked at a facility with cranes and "borrowed" some crane cable to do his garage hookup. Doesn't really matter now, if you are replacing it, you have to follow the current code.
 
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