ask This Old House
Fix for a lamppost light
The carriage lamp in our front yard no longer works. Its wiring, which runs underground from the house, is not in conduit, and we’ve nicked the wire while planting the garden beds. We’ve tried repairing it, but the circuit keeps shorting out. Can you help us?
—ORHAN KILKI, LOVELAND, OH
TOH electrician Heath Eastman:
You have a few different options for making this repair. The easiest and least expensive one would be to locate where the cable has been nicked or cut, and repair it using an underground wiring splice kit (see Tip). Start by switching off the power, then carefully dig around the damaged section of wiring until you have at least 12 inches of clearance on both sides of the nick or cut. Use a non-contact voltage tester to confirm that the line is de-energized, then wipe the cable clean with a damp rag. Following the kit’s directions, splice the damaged wiring and cover the splices with the waterproof, heat-shrink sleeves that come with the kit.
If you can’t locate the damaged section, then you’ll have to dig up and replace the entire run. Most building codes allow you to bury cable directly in the ground, as long as it’s labeled as
