Splicing 4/0 feeder

[Awlknottedup]

The skid steer cut the main 4/0 aluminum underground feeder line to the house. The cost of replacement is a budget killer so I am looking for an acceptable way splice the lines.

 

[TomgaI]

Electrical supply house should be able to fix you up with a splice kit and a heat shrink to seal it. I have repaired UG wire and it lasted. You just need a tight connection and no moisture in the splice or it will turn to white powder pretty quick.

 

[David G]

An electrician should easily be able to splice it with a compression kit and silicone seal. Hire someone good, mine went bad going to my shop and had to be replaced.

 

[Samuels68]

Any electrical wholesaler should have direct burial rated splices. Just a couple set screws and a rubber boot. Hardest part is digging up the bad spot. Also make sure the wire is good and clean before putting ends into splice. If it is completely broken you may need 2 sets of splices and a short piece of wire to make up the gap if you cant get the ends to touch. Just think...could a been worse...could a ripped it out of the panel and destroyed the panel guts! Btdt!!

 

[donjr]

I think there's also a judy poop that you can put into the connectors before crimping to better seal them from moisture. But you want a really good sealing kit to protect the splice or you'll be digging it up again in a few years. I worked for the phone company, and made many on those cables over the years. I have also seen many EL splices made along ours. You GOTTA DO THEM RIGHT,,,,,,

 

[buickanddeere]

How deep was the underground feeder buried to have a skid steer damage it?

 

[Awlknottedup]

It was the feeder to the previous house and had been disconnected and laid on the ground. The plans were to reuse the feeder rather than spend $1000 for a new feeder.

 

[dr sportster]

Once you do that you may need a short run of wire and double the amount of kits to repair if you don't have enough wire to make the connection. Someone said this already below but think about that before you go to the supply house. Tight wraps in super 33 will help seal up the whole deal . Put 1/2 stretch into your tapes.Meaning 3/4 tape stretch to 3/8 when wrapping splices.

 

[Gene-WI]

When I put up my shed we cut through an underground wire with the auger, called the electric co. and after getting chewed out for not calling diggers hotline , they repaired it. cost $40

 

[David G]

Super 33 is a huge mistake, get the right stuff.

 

[mick in il.]

Just like a couple of others have said, go to a reputable electrical shop and buy direct bury splice kits. They'll come with a butt splice (usually they have screws to tighten) and two shrink wraps, one long, one short. Clean the wire, slide both heat shrinks on, use your butt splice good and tight, slide the shorter of the two heat shrinks on and heat it then follow on top with the long one and heat it on. Then let cool and bury, no problem. Key with aluminum is make sure it's CLEAN! Good Luck.

 

[dr sportster]

Super 33 he would use to top off and seal the splice repair kits. The best product would have a mastic that oozes out of the shrink when heated. when you see the melted goop come out the ends you know water can't get in there.

 

[David G]

Yup, agree, oozy stuff must make the seal, 33 to protect from dirt.

 

[Sparktrician]

The thing about this is, you are just making a band-aid! It may last forever.....but.....the fact of the matter is that one day it will likely burn up. Underground splices with AL are hard to get watertight.....even with heat shrink and everything else available.

My advice, make CERTAIN you know exactly where the splice was made, so if it burns up, you know where to fix it. I understand about budgets.....but do what you can to make for a easier fix when it does go south.

Use de-ox or no-lox gel/compound when making your splices. Use it liberally, once your splice is made, cover the entire connector in it before you put the first heat shrink on. I would recommend no less than 3 heat shrinks, getting progressively longer by 2' increments. that way each heat shrink is 1' longer on each end than the last.

remember.....more is better here.

Good luck

 

[Anonymous-0]

(quoted from post at 22:08:37 07/02/13) The thing about this is, you are just making a band-aid! It may last forever.....but.....the fact of the matter is that one day it will likely burn up. Underground splices with AL are hard to get watertight.....even with heat shrink and everything else available.

My advice, make CERTAIN you know exactly where the splice was made, so if it burns up, you know where to fix it. I understand about budgets.....but do what you can to make for a easier fix when it does go south.

Use de-ox or no-lox gel/compound when making your splices. Use it liberally, once your splice is made, cover the entire connector in it before you put the first heat shrink on. I would recommend no less than 3 heat shrinks, getting progressively longer by 2' increments. that way each heat shrink is 1' longer on each end than the last.

remember.....more is better here.

Good luck

feel that there are people here who have made bad splices before or else there wouldn't be so many nay-sayers, BUT....the local power company makes then in this hood all the time. Everyone here irrigates (too much), so it is easy to spot them when they go bad. Just watch for steam rising from the earth! They just do them over. Usually last 10-12 years. Yes, aluminum.

 

[Sparktrician]

Exactly my point, 10 to 12 years.