Rodent proof cable ?

We keep a mains operated water pump in its own little insulated box fixed t o the outside wall of the garage. I turn it off and drain it down every win ter, having lost two pumps to frost, and we only use it for the garden in t he spring and summer anyway. Last spring when re-commissioning it I discove red that Mr Squirrel had been hiding his stash in it as evidenced by all th e empty nut shells.

This winter I now find that some creature has been feasting on the mains ca ble. Hardly the squirrel, probably mice or rats.

So what's the best answer please ?

Reply to
fred
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Reply to
Alan J. Wylie

.22

Reply to
Adrian Caspersz

Steel trunking or conduit is one option, of you could try MICC or SWA... those obviously only protect you up to the box itself, so you need to make sure they can't get into that as well.

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Reply to
John Rumm

Could you not simply rodent-proof the box it is in?

Reply to
Toby

ed to the outside wall of the garage. I turn it off and drain it down every winter, having lost two pumps to frost, and we only use it for the garden in the spring and summer anyway. Last spring when re-commissioning it I dis covered that Mr Squirrel had been hiding his stash in it as evidenced by al l the empty nut shells.

s cable. Hardly the squirrel, probably mice or rats.

Its all very tight as it is. Suppose I could go around it with expanding fo am. There are entry and exit holes for the water pipes which must be how he got in.

They are agressive little buggers. We have a hazel bush on that ditch and o ne of the boys went over one autumn to examine the nuts. The squirrel came scuttling along a branch and hissed at him. Cheeky bastard.

Reply to
fred

Electric perimeter fence round the box.

Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

What do you have to do to make it good if rodents chew on the outer plastic sheath? Does it matter if the armour wire is exposed? Maybe just a little?

Reply to
Adam Funk

Apparently mice can get through a quarter inch gap.

Reply to
ss

With SWA it depends on the circumstance really. If its going to get wet, then you don't really want the armour exposed for extended periods since in spite of being galvanised it may eventually rust. With MICC the outer plastic sheath does not really serve any purpose other than for identification when used on fire alarm circuits etc.

Reply to
John Rumm

I was thinking of SWA, which I have running from the house to the shed, clipped to the fence (it's a small garden). What would you have to do to fix exposed armour properly (or maybe just decently)? Dry thoroughly & use self-amalgamating tape?

Reply to
Adam Funk

Probably as good a fix as any... (since getting heatshrink round it might prove difficult ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

to the outside wall of the garage. I turn it off and drain it down every w inter, having lost two pumps to frost, and we only use it for the garden in the spring and summer anyway. Last spring when re-commissioning it I disco vered that Mr Squirrel had been hiding his stash in it as evidenced by all the empty nut shells.

cable. Hardly the squirrel, probably mice or rats.

The answer is either keep them out or conduit/trunking. Failing that, one of the spiral tree protectors. (Obtainable from garden ce ntres)

Reply to
harry

ed to the outside wall of the garage. I turn it off and drain it down every winter, having lost two pumps to frost, and we only use it for the garden in the spring and summer anyway. Last spring when re-commissioning it I dis covered that Mr Squirrel had been hiding his stash in it as evidenced by al l the empty nut shells.

s cable. Hardly the squirrel, probably mice or rats.

All very well saying keep them out but a mouse can get through a hole the d iameter of a pencil. I'd have to make it airtight which might not be ideal as there is a high pressure pump in it which must generates some heat.

This is a very confined space, about 600mm x 600mm x 600mm. I would'nt fanc y wrestlingin-flexible cable in there.

I do have some plastic flexible conduit I bought many years ago to tidy up hi-fi wiring. I might try that.

One way or another it will wait till next spring in case the buggers are st ill hungry.

Reply to
fred

Yeah!

Reply to
Adam Funk

ixed to the outside wall of the garage. I turn it off and drain it down eve ry winter, having lost two pumps to frost, and we only use it for the garde n in the spring and summer anyway. Last spring when re-commissioning it I d iscovered that Mr Squirrel had been hiding his stash in it as evidenced by all the empty nut shells.

ins cable. Hardly the squirrel, probably mice or rats.

diameter of a pencil. I'd have to make it airtight which might not be idea l as there is a high pressure pump in it which must generates some heat.

ncy wrestlingin-flexible cable in there.

p hi-fi wiring. I might try that.

still hungry.

You can buy insect/mouse proof ventilators with a fine gauze.

Reply to
harry

We had a squirrel in our loft. I put wire netting over the ends where it was getting in, and fixed it with expanding foam.

By the next weekend there were bite-sized bits of foam all over the garden. The wire stopped it - so it tried another place. And another...

Finally it gave up, found a place where a bit of mortar had dropped out of a ridge tile, and chewed through the mineralised felt.

I was wise to it by then. Rat poison works...

Andy

Reply to
Vir Campestris

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