Just realized I was totally wrong about using compression fittings on outdoor burial cable

I always swore by gel-filled connectors for direct bury but after my last job in that new development off Route 9 cracked open a compression fitting I put in two years ago and it was bone dry inside, what do you guys use for long term outdoor runs where the ground shifts?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmam321d ago

Jumped on that same bandwagon a few years back after a buddy swore by them. Turned over a compression fitting I'd buried for a seasonal sprinkler system and it was the same - completely dry inside, no water got past the gasket. For spots where the ground really moves, I've had the best luck with a good quality gel filled connector and then wrapping the whole thing in a layer of that butyl rubber tape. Adds some extra give when things shift around.

dakotab131d ago

Yeah but @emmam32, don't you worry about the butyl tape getting all gummy and hard to peel off if you ever gotta dig it back up? Like how do you even get it clean off when the ground's been shifting around for years?