How do you run an electric cable outside?

15 Apr.,2024

 

Was this guy an actual licensed electrician? Was there a permit pulled for this work? Did the building inspector sign-off on the work?

Of these questions I suspect the answer is "no" to all of them! Even if #1 is "yes" clearly he's incompetent and/or lazy.

Anyway, what you have is unacceptable and the wire should be protected from the elements and from damage. Simply laying it on the ground, even with some type of warning tape is not going to change that.

The line needs to be buried but before doing that you need to determine if the wire used is rated for direct burial. If should have a "UF" designation on it. UF wire is more expensive than non-UF types and that's what concerns me regarding your "electrician". He cut corners on the installation, he may have cut corners on the materials as well.

Also, this type of circuit (i.e. outdoor) needs to have a GFCI breaker installed. Where did the hookup to existing power happen? Did he run a new circuit from the panel or did he just splice into an existing circuit?

In my opinion a license professional electrician would NEVER do such shoddy and incomplete work. Hopefully you didn't pay this clown yet.

DetlefSchmitz said:

Huh? Each socket marks the safe zone up to the corner. Any difference in height can be dealt with within 150mm of the corner.

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Yes I'd agree with that but from someone who's come across cables going in expected routes to then find they suddenly go off at an unexpected tangent, (i.e. cables start going horizontal to what you believe is the socket further along the same wall, so you go to mount a cabinet where you now think it's safe to do so only to discover that of 2 cables running together one has gone off at 45 degrees into a corner recess then vertically to disappear into the ceiling void right where you have just decided to drill!), so from a personal point of view for me it's either straight up/down or in line horizontally without going round corners. Also bear in mind a corner can be a very tight radius.

Yes I'd agree with that but from someone who's come across cables going in expected routes to then find they suddenly go off at an unexpected tangent, (i.e. cables start going horizontal to what you believe is the socket further along the same wall, so you go to mount a cabinet where you now think it's safe to do so only to discover that of 2 cables running together one has gone off at 45 degrees into a corner recess then vertically to disappear into the ceiling void right where you have just decided to drill!), so from a personal point of view for me it's either straight up/down or in line horizontally without going round corners. Also bear in mind a corner can be a very tight radius.

How do you run an electric cable outside?

Running An Electrical Cable Along An Outside Wall