Exterior armoured cable

Lawrie:

I need to run an outside armoured cable to a pond pump. I will install all the necessary protection devices. My question is can the cable be laid loose on the ground between trees or attached to the trees. I dont really want to dig a trench all the way over a 40metre run. Thanks

Hi Laurie, welcome to the forum :) 


Is this a domestic or commercial installation, and is a new circuit you are installing or an extension of an existing circuit?

Lawrie:

It’s a domestic installation and the cable will come off an existing rcd and a new mcb. It’s a TT supply 

Thanks for the reply, are you able to post pics of the intended route? 

Lawrie:

I need to run an outside armoured cable to a pond pump. I will install all the necessary protection devices. My question is can the cable be laid loose on the ground between trees or attached to the trees. I dont really want to dig a trench all the way over a 40metre run. Thanks

All pond pumps will eventually leak water into their internals and trip off a protecting R.C.D. even if not in use but still connected. (N-E fault). A double pole switch is best to prevent this happening. This fault can in certain circumstances trip off other circuits in a house which can be a nuisance or cause loss if freezers run back. A dedicated circuit for the pond pump is best, being completely separate from other circuits and not being supplied via an R.C.D. that protects other circuits such as in a split load consumer unit. Connecting to a ring final circuit is not a good idea.


An extra low Voltage pump run through a mains  isolating transformer removes the risk of nuisance tripping of a house R.C.D. and is safer than using a 240 Volt pump.

Z.