Glen Labah wrote:
> In article ,
> "Adam H. Kerman" wrote:
>> Stephen Sprunk wrote:
>>> On 09-Jul-14 14:39, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> Do underground copper cables "wear" and need eventual replacement?
>>>
>>> Older ones, yes; they weren't very durable. Newer materials are
>>> virtually impervious to water and rodents, and the wires themselves
>>> don't wear out.
>>
>> Oh, I wouldn't say that. The newer thermoplastics used in insulation
>> are excellent, but you never know when you'll make something
>> attractive to rodents, till you've unfortunately installed quite a
>> lot of it then discover the chewing.
In 2008, the "Fire Protection Research Foundation" did a study on old
residential wiring. Basically, they found houses that were about to be
torn down, and got samples of the wiring, receptacles, switches, etc,
and tested them. They didn't talk about rodent damage, though.
The basic take-away for house wiring is that if it has thermoplastic
insulation (starting in about the mid-1950s), it will last forever.
(See PDF page 30 or paper page 21 in the below.)
The report used to be hosted at NFPA, but now I can only find it via
archive.org:
http://web.archive.org/web/20120227052437/http://www.nfpa.org/as
ets/files/PDF/Research/RESAReport.pdf
or
or even
http://is.gd/tgoTTs
The full cite is probably:
Residential Electrical System Aging Research Project Technical Report
July 1, 2008
Prepared by: David A. Dini, P.E. Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
Obviously, buried wire and cable, or wire and cable in (obMTRA) rail
vehicles, will have different problems.
> Where I work we have a horrible problem with the ethernet cables being
> chewed on. Thankfully, they seem to have stayed away from the power
> cables so far.
Chewing through the insulation on a power cable may be kind of self-
limiting...
Matt Roberds
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