Waterproof Splice for Buried, UG, Romex Cable

Tyco Electronics make a range of heatshrink and gel filled products that should solve your problem Google Raychem or Raygel They are sure to have something to solve your problem. Raygel works underwater

Thanks, Pete. Will check in to it.

Hey again, pete. Found out Raychem is provided in water resistent at best, but not for waterpoof. Turns out Raygel is actually Geltek--which explains why kept getting pages about medical skin products. Tyco no longer produces it, but Dow Corning...so I'll need to look there.

Here's the info provided by Tyco, FYI.

"Our Geltek product line was actually sold off to another company several years ago. It is now a part of Dow Corning. www.dowcorning.com. 989-496-7881.
We do not have any heat shrink product in our Raychem line of product within this division that has been tested for long term burial. My suggestion would be to call Dow Corning. Sorry I am not able to help you."

Pete,

Checked the Corning site and the Geltek. Seems the gel is mainly for things like aeronautics apps, and is conductive...for use, for example, on airplane skins (where lightning strikes) and such. For UG insulator applications D-C offers silicone based, cold shrink--and dealer phone numbers, not locators, to detailed product descriptions.

Thanks again for the input.

Look up your local electrical code. It should tell you precisely what can and cannot be used.

Watchful, see SolarEagle #6 thread. Thank you.

I believe 3M and T&B make splices like the one you need.

I don't know where you're located but in Houston you can buy this type of splice in Lowes or Home Depot.

Good luck.

Thanks. Will check it out. When you saw them there in Houston, did the package say...okay for submersion or burial? Just wondering.

Okay, I checked...yes, they do in fact.

3M supplies one that looks interesting: cold shrink, installs with no tools, "okay" for direct burial--I'll need to look up the ANSI requirement claimed.

Thomas and Betts's HS series is a heavy-wall, heat shrink tube in their Shrink-Kon line. Requiring heat gun or torch, it too is characterized for direct burial.

Only problem would be quantity--could I find them locally, per unit--as they are sold by 10/case and 25/case, respectively.

Here are the PDF downloads your post helped me find.

3m: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MElectrical/Home/ProductsServices/Products/?PC_7_0_21K4_root=GST1T4S9TCgv&PC_7_0_21K4_output=html&PC_7_0_21K4_gvel=GCC8VFQJBCgl&PC_7_0_21K4_vroot=HHQF1TLZT7ge&PC_7_0_21K4_node=P9196N2DQ5be&PC_7_0_21K4_theme=electrical_markets_portal&PC_7_0_21K4_command=CustomizePageHandler

T & B: http://www-public.tnb.com/ps/pubint/index.cgi?a=getBrands&id=83

Thanks for the info.

No splices underground...This is a code violation, I think anywhere...In any case, it's not a good idea...

Watchful, SolarEagle:

I checked local building code and it referred to National Electric Code; so far I haven't been able to find any code references (including prohibitions, per se) to underground splices. I did, however, find references--it was on eBay or Amazon--to manufactured waterproof splices for sale; more about that...in posted responses to others discussing splices.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004WLKR/ref=olp_product_details/103-5018574-7647842?ie=UTF8&seller=

This is what it looked like. Anyone had experience with this one?

This thread may be long dead, but I looked through it yesterday to answer the same type of question. Afterward, I found in the "Code Check: Electrical" published by Taunton Press (5th edition) the following guidance under "Underground Wiring", p.6:

"OK to splice or tap direct-buried conductors w/o boxes w/splicing means listed for the purpose."

Taunton cited 2006 IRC [3703.4] and 2008 NEC (300.5E)

First, if this is NM and not UF (Underground Feed), forget it. I must be replaced.

Now assuming it's UF, you will need a foot of slack to do this: Get a 8 inch length of 1-1/2 inch PVC pipe and two caps and PVC glue. Get a 10 ounce tube of RTV and caulk gun.

Bore a hole in the end of one cap just big enough for both cable ends. Slip them through and make your wire connections. Adjust the length of cables so that the connections are about six inches from the hole. Glue the other cap onto the pipe. Fill the pipe with the RTV to one inch from the open end. Put glue on the end of pipe and cap and insert the connection and glue it together. Bury the assembly pointing straight up.

Where I work we have been successfully using this method to replace sump pumps for decades. If it works when it's continuously submerged, it will work under ground.

Guest, please see #9 jmart23 thread

You dont need the pipe just get a caulk tube do your repair, cut bothends off the tube and slice down the length in one spot. pry it open enough to shove the wire in and you are done.

just a hairbrain'd idea from a hair brain'd kinda think'r

if you locate each wire in the cut a special distance from eachother...

ie... one wire at the zero mark the next at the one foot mark and the next at the two foot mark. you get the idea?

i guess if one were so inclined to do so they could calculate the permittivity of the environment where the cuts are located to find this "special distance".

if in doubt doube shrink wrap, dip in liquid plastic, and duct tape (just to say you did)

Hi, fri'nd; and back at you. ...not sure what it would be permit'n'--or not; but I'm confident the the shrink...liquid plastic, tape approach never kept my breaker from tripping when I tried that before. (So I can already say I did...and can't help but doubt....)

Splices should be in a water proof junction box - in fact all permanent junctions should be in junction boxes.

To ensure that the splice is water proof I pack it in duck seal then rubber tape then vinyl tape. I have used this on temporarily splices while doing underwater hot taps and never had it fail.

That should be duct seal not duck seal - poor ducks.

Poor ducks?! I was thinking the feathers might provide good moisture repellency if stuffed into and around the sealed pipe before backfilling. We even have some feathers already saved...from the Mallard road kill supper the other night!

Guest#7, jmart23:

First, Guest, it's a 120VAC feeder from the house to a light fixture that will illuminate and enable camera surveillance of anyone opening my (unavoidably-not-viewable-from-house) mail box; no...the box door sensor and camera signals are carried in a conduit travelling totally away from the AC lamp fixture.

Then, Guest and jmart:

The junction box and pipe sound like different forms of the same thing(?), and the improvised pipe...sounds very similar to the splices mentioned above (#3 thread). In those, the wires are affixed to copper bars held in a barrier device which slides into the pipe, and the pipe is sealed by adhesive and shrink tube. At about $12 ($20 after shipment) this might be the way to go? Is this the kind of junction you used submerged in the sumps?

Patent below describes device for underground splice similar to pvc pipe and silicon above. If they gave it a patent number, then I guess it works.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4061872.html

Here's 3M's Direct Bury splice kits

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/utilities_telecom/electrical_contractors/node_GST5QZL16Vbe/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_GSBCDFDZ1Zge/gvel_1HPN1MNC2Hgl/theme_us_electricalcontractors_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

I used to work at doing underground cable splicing. First for a cable TV company and later on for a power utility.

The Raychem heat shrink splices does work. However it must be the underground rated heavy wall type with heat activated adhesive liner. Better results are obtained when you also wrap the outside with the self amalgamating uncured bytyl rubber tape.

When a cable drop, phone line or power cable was cut by post hole diggers etc the power utility guys would often just tape up the house feed with the butyl rubber done in multiple stages.

Properly done it stays sealed. We also spliced high voltage (27,600V) primary feeders in underground areas, but this was more involved using both heat shrink Raychem and butyl rubber tape. The butyl rubber must be finished with a triple layer of regular black electricians tape. This kind of tape does not provide any real water seal but provides physical pressure on the butyl tape for the first 24 hours while the butyl tape seals to itself in the overlapping layers. Follow instructions about stretching the tape to break the skin coating and expose the raw butyl rubber underneath. Otherwise it will not seal completely to itself.

For a 120V branch circuit, layer enough tape to at least equal the thickness of the original PVC insulation. More is better.

BTW, if this cable has been in the wet ground for any lenght of time without having power applied, better check the insulation with a megger befoer energizing it.

We found that buried wire tended to absorb moisture unless it was energized. Sometimes after a year of burial without power applied, it would fail a hipot test.

On the high voltage cables, we could sometimes salvage the cable run by applying power at gradually increasing levels using our test gear to "cook" the insulation and drive out the moisture. This could take a few hours.

For a branch circuit I suggest doing a megger test at the 1000V setting. If it passes that, go ahead and use it, otherwise replace it.

Once moisture starts wicking in between wire and insulation its a lost cause. Direct buried coaxial cable for telephhone and CATV has a special coating to prevent this but power cables do not.

The electrical code wil not specify how to install splices. New installations must be continuous runs. However most codes will stipulate what is an acceptable repair technique for cut cables.

Revolutionary Splice Filling Gel...Really!

Non-Toxic, One part, easy to use gel that will 100% water proof a splice, and restore the connections to like new condition.Why is this the best splice gel to use? Because it absorbs water! Yes, correct, it absorbs water. It bonds with any moisture that may get into a splice and holds it creating an even greater seal. Any moisture that is around the wires or cables is absorbed and a completely dry splice is maintained.

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another alternative

http://www.coaxseal.com/

hi there,, 3-m makes a perminate splice kit, that has all the items needed,, its a plastic tube and a 2 part baggie of epoxy, and has the crimps for the wires with the heat shrink,, all in one kit,, and has a range of wire sizes for each kit,, we use them, and have never had a call back,, even in ponds/lakes. and is approved in most states, its available in most electrical supply or grainger, there a bit costly,, but with the price of wire,, and long runs,, very simple to use, takes few minutes to set up,, and wala-ah,, good luck,,

Can you can use Bishops Tape? It tape made of tar. Unroll a piece, it has paper on

one side. I have used it for a spliced RG6 cable from the dish to a satellite receiver.

It's bound to work better than duct or electrical tape.

Bishops Tape! Would that be a trade name, like Crescent, or something descriptive, like it looks like a bishop's mitre when correctly applied?

I'll look into that as well.

Many thanks to you and to everyone else for the many excellent responses. Will advise...

On the search... I need a completely submersible splice/junction. I need it legal for whichever state has the highest restrictions on code. I have been researching this for days and have been unable to locate a code sufficient submersible splicing device. I have learned through my research that the term "waterproof" does not mean submersible. Please do not confuse the two as this will be sitting directly in water up to twelve feet deep. "A hot wire spliced and submerged in water?" Yeah, I know, I'm looking for trouble. By the way, people will be in the water so I need a sure fire thing. Thomas & Betts is researching for me right now; waiting to hear back from them. The equipment I am using draws a 115V, 7.1 Amp, 60 Hz... I'm at a loss at this point. It's a good thing I'm not an electrician. Please email me some real answers if you have them. Bradley surfjunkie44@yahoo.com

Ditto... I have a situation with a tree in a concrete planter box. The outdoor electric outlet box with GFCI was mounted to the inside of the concrete planter box and when the snow melts in the spring, this planter box gets completely full of snow melt water submerging the outlet box and frying the GFCI outlet. I am trying to move the outlet up and out of the planter to stop this from happening again next year. The problem that I have is that the wires are too short to do this. I can't figure out where this circuit is being fed from, or I would pull new longer wires, extend the PVC conduit up and out of the planter box and mount a steel angle iron on the top of the concrete to hold outlet box secure. So I am also searching for a completely submersible junction box for 120 volt current. I found one online but could only find a chinese address as where to get it. If anyone knows where I can order one in the U.S. I would be greatful.