Soil heating cable

[John]

I bought some lengths of this from eBay a few years ago but never got around to using it. I now want to connect it, using an RCD of course, but examining the cable it seems to be just one thin wire wrapped around a central insulating core. Presumably I then have to join one end of the cable to live, loop it through the sand bed and return the other end to neutral -- using the whole thing in a large loop, rather than the commercial heating cable which can be used in a line, (so presumably) must have the wire returning inside the cable.

Anyone else used this? Any idea where I can get a waterproof junction box from?

Thanks,

John

[Bob Minchin]

You should be able to find waterproof junction boxes at water garden centres. Might be worth experimenting first to make sure that the lengths of cable you have are appropriate for 240 volt direct across the ends. Maybe put a highish* power light bulb in series to start with.

• ideally as high as the power you hope to develop in the heating cable. The bulb should be relatively dim if the cable is suitable for mains use.

bob