# Lead shielded cable.



## 220/221 (Sep 29, 2007)

Anybody ever run across lead shielded cable?

I remember reading about it during my brief stint in the IBEW apprenticship program in the early 70's and I actually came across it ONE time soon after that, installed as underground feeders to a couple of outbuildings on a rural ranch.

I never saw it again or heard anyone on the message boards mention it.

Anyone?


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## Magnettica (Dec 19, 2006)

Like you, I learned about it once in school. The teacher even brought in a sample, sort of like a show 'n tell. The MI cable was dirty and not very flexible.


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## Sparky Joe (Apr 29, 2006)

I'm not sure if lead insulated is the same as Mineral Insulated (MI), but we've been installing a lot of MI cable lately being used as snowmelt for light rail platforms. It's a system made by Tyco and pretty pricey from what I heard and pretty fragile from what I've noticed.
If it's kinked it's ruined or as small as allowing an moisture to get on the 'cold joint' ends it's ruined.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

There's quite a bit of lead jacketed cable in my area. Forerunner to UF cable. I normally find it run to detached garages, post lights, fountains, and other places where we'd typically run UF cable today. It sure lasted a lot longer than UF. I use a UF splice kit when I have to fit the stuff. Works okay, since the repair will last as long as the rest of the cable considering the rest of the cable is probably on its last leg.


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## randomkiller (Sep 22, 2007)

There is plenty of it under the sidewalks of Manhatten. But then again anything in the history of electric can be found in the city someplace.


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## goose134 (Oct 10, 2007)

Like Random, plenty of it in Chicago. Only time I've seen it is utility transformer vaults. Although I am working at a building (c.1913) that had a lead sheathed phone cable (about 100 pair). That, I'd never seen before. They couldn't pull it out to scrap it so they cut it flush with the floor. It was in a 2" GRC.


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## cosmo (Feb 20, 2007)

We've got plenty of it at the Federal Facility I work at. In fact we purchased a 500' of 8kv 500kcmil 3 conductor PILC, 500' of 22kv 350kcmil 3 conductor gas filled PILC, and 800' of 8kv 350 kcmil 3 conductor PILC last year. Splicing lead cable is somewhat of an art form.


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## Bkessler (Oct 8, 2005)

The recent death of a la firemen that you can read about in one of these posts involved lead lined medium voltage cable.


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