Repair underground wire to outdoor light?

[millinghill]

Hi.
While gardening, I dug way too deep and cut through the wire (UF
cable) that goes to the lightpost (120volt) at the driveway
entrance . If possible, I want to avoid trenching and replacing the
whole line. I cut the wire close to the house, so... if there's a
reasonable way to splice it, I can get some slack in the wire from the
house side. Or I can just run a new line from the house to the
splice. But, I'm not sure what to do.

1. does HomeDepot sell waterproof electrical junction boxes that have
waterproof clamps for incoming/outgoing wires such that I can make the
splice, put on wire twist caps, and bury the box?
2. do I strip and solder the wires together and then coat the whole
thing with Liquid Electrical Tape and just bury it back up?

Please help. All advice appreciated.
Theodore

[Dean Hoffman]

You might try DryConn wire nuts. Website here:
> http://tinyurl.com/3snscla

We've used them at work for some time and haven't seen a failure. We
wrap them in plastic electrical tape and point the small end up.
You'll find plenty of solutions in an online search. Use "underground
wire splice".

[Sjouke Burry]

If it happened to me, i would solder them together, but before that
put a piece of plastic pipe around it(about 4 inch long).
After soldering,shift the pipe over the damaged site, and fill it
form both sides with bathroom silicon paste.
Let it stay in the open for some days(a week?), to let the paste
cure completely,then bury the evidence.

[RBM]

Get any silicone filled underground wire nut and follow the directions

[larry moe 'n curly]

millinghill wrote:
> I dug way too deep and cut through the wire (UF cable)

> 2. do I strip and solder the wires together and then coat the whole

> thing with Liquid Electrical Tape and just bury it back up?

Liquid electrical tape isn't durable enough to be trustworthy. You
need a direct burial underground splice rated for 600 volts. Almost
all wiring products used for 120V are rated for 600V.

Here's one underground UF cable splice:

www.amazon.com/GB-Electrical-HST-1300-Underground-Splice/dp/B00004WLKR

Here's another:

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=TTTTTVv_LdGtMYu7OY0YOY9Tfwvrfdv_IwUTfwUTfTTTTTT--&fn=DBYDS.PDF

Even better are splices rated for underwater use, not just underground
use, but they may be expensive.

Don't simply use a waterproof wire nut (regular wire nut filled with
gel, often silicone rubber made to never cure) but also put the nut in
a waterproof sleeve (electrical tape isn't waterproof). Also pointing
the waterproof wire nut upward won't keep its insides dry because
water pressure will push up into the nut.

[Ted]

Yah, a half-assed wirenut and a dab a silicon repair is ok. Just point the wire nuts up. Since its underground it cant hurt
anything, right?
/sarcasm

http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_b0be64a2-bfa1-11e0-a0a4-001cc4c002e0.html

[RMD]

Hello Theodore,

The method I've seen used is to join the broken ends together in a
junction box and then set the whole wire joint in two-pack epoxy resin
to completely waterproof the joint.

Ross

[John Grabowski]

*Home Depot and electrical supply companies sell underground splice kits for
UF wire. Basically it is a small round terminal block that gets
encapsulated in shrink tube. You will need a heat gun for the shrink tube.

[Pete C.]

Real plumbing supply places sell waterproof splicing kits for use with
submersible well pumps, that is what I'd use.

[gree...@neo.rr.com]

Home Depot also sells underground splices that include a terminal
strip in a folding plastic case that is filled with waterproof glop.
No heat shirink required. Connect the wires and then fold the case
until it snaps. I have used them before without any problems.

[bob haller]

> encapsulated in shrink tube.  You will need a heat gun for the shrink tube.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

so how deep ws the wire buried? and if it wasnt to code why didnt
someone run it in conduit:(

[Red Green]

"John Grabowski" <jgra...@optonline.net> wrote in
news:4e4f95ca$0$8641$607e...@cv.net:

Here's some at at Lowes. Put in your zip when it prompts. On the right
it will tell you if it's available at your local store.

Looks like this one will do up to 4 wires in a single container.

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=34228-12704-46-401&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3128687&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

Item #: 34228

Looks like a single.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_34311-12704-46-404_0__?productId=3379022&Ntt=splice&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dsplice&facetInfo=

Item: 34311

[Smitty Two]

Well, that link was a complete non-sequitur. Has absolutely nothing to
do with the situation at hand, other than the word "electricity."

[Tony Hwang]

Hi,
Out at my cabin, after fixing broken wire couple times and dealing with
tripping GFCI headache, I switched to solar powered LED light post.
Works well even in winter. I donèt need a good illumination, I just need
a beacon for driveway entrance.

[dpb]

On 8/20/2011 7:08 AM, Pete C. wrote:
> Dean Hoffman wrote:
>> On 8/19/11 8:24 PM, millinghill wrote:
>>> While gardening, I dug way too deep and cut through the wire (UF
>>> cable) that goes to the lightpost (120volt) at the driveway
>>> entrance . If possible, I want to avoid trenching and replacing the
>>> whole line. I cut the wire close to the house, so... if there's a

>>> reasonable way to splice it, ...

>> You might try DryConn wire nuts. Website here:
>> > http://tinyurl.com/3snscla
>>
>> We've used them at work for some time and haven't seen a failure. We
>> wrap them in plastic electrical tape and point the small end up.
>> You'll find plenty of solutions in an online search. Use "underground
>> wire splice".
>
> Real plumbing supply places sell waterproof splicing kits for use with
> submersible well pumps, that is what I'd use.

Either will work well---

I managed to find the control wire from the pump house to the well w/
the post hole digger--no mean feat in a 200-yd run either way to select
where to stick a post for a new garden plot fence--

It was an evening, of course, so only choice was an Ace Hardware--the
equivalent of the DryConn have held for 8 years or so, so far...

The are, as above says wrapped very well besides just the silicon in the
caps.

I've found a couple splices Dad made in the 60s or perhaps even earlier
with just twisted ends and friction tape topped by electrical that are
still fine--the reasons for finding them had nothing to do w/ the
splices themselves but either modifications/additions or in one case,
the actual underground cable sheath itself was failing all along it, it
turned out was the cause of the failures causing line to be dug
out...they are buried pretty deep (24" +) so that they are not ever in
standing or thoroughly soaked ground for any length of time if ever,
however, but I suspect they would last a long time no matter what given
the condition they're in after 40-50 years.

--

[Steve Barker]

dig up the spot, making an extra big hole. Then ADD a piece of wire
about a two feet long, make the splices with standard (or waterproof)
wire nuts. THEN, shove each set of splices into a tin can filled with
roofing tar. We have a splice of this nature in the 300' run of 10-3 to
our detached garage. Been there almost 40 years.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

[Smitty Two]

In article <kbidnVe73MW4H83T...@giganews.com>,
Steve Barker <ichase...@notgmail.com> wrote:

>
> dig up the spot, making an extra big hole. Then ADD a piece of wire
> about a two feet long, make the splices with standard (or waterproof)
> wire nuts. THEN, shove each set of splices into a tin can filled with
> roofing tar. We have a splice of this nature in the 300' run of 10-3 to
> our detached garage. Been there almost 40 years.

Good grief. A quality solder joint protected by a piece of
adhesive-lined shrink tubing is all he needs.

[Steve Barker]

that would work also. (for a while) only a few drawbacks:

1. not everyone knows how to solder properly
2. not everyone has adhesive lined shrink tubing easily obtained
3. #2 was not available 40 years ago.
4. Most hardware stores have roofing tar, and cheap.