1.5mm² 2 Core PVC SWA XLPE Armoured Electrical Cable

Heavy-Duty Protection for Underground, Outdoor & Industrial Power Distribution

Professional-grade 1.5mm² 2-core SWA XLPE armoured electrical cable engineered for mains voltage distribution (600/1000V) in environments where mechanical protection is non-negotiable. Whether you're running power to remote equipment, burying cable underground, or installing across exposed outdoor installations, this cable combines robust steel wire armour with cross-linked polyethylene insulation to deliver reliable, long-term performance.

Why Choose This Cable?

Superior Mechanical Protection
The armour provides superior tensile strength, allowing the cable to endure pulling forces during installation and minor ground movement post-burial. The structure of the armour guarantees maximum resistance to crushing, cutting, and wear. This means your cable survives spade strikes, excavation damage, and ground stress—not just initial installation, but throughout its service life.

XLPE Insulation Outperforms PVC
Contemporary designs frequently use cross-linked XLPE insulation, resulting in high-performance steel wire armoured XLPE cable variants that operate continuously at 90°C with excellent thermal stability. Thermosetting insulation offers higher insulation resistance values, increased mechanical protection and resistance to chemical corrosion and water. You get better current-carrying capacity, longer service life, and superior moisture resistance—especially critical for underground and damp installations.

Direct Burial Ready
SWA cables are ideal for underground installations thanks to their protective steel armour, which guards against physical stress, impact, and shifting ground conditions. This cable contains a steel wire armour below the outer sheath, meaning it is protected against damage when buried underground. No additional conduit or trunking required—bury it directly and rely on it for decades.

Dual-Function Earthing
The armour can also be used a secondary Earth (CPC). The black outer sheath resists UV and chemicals, while the armour can serve as a Circuit Protective Conductor (CPC) when correctly earthed—simplifying electrical installations and boosting electrical safety. This reduces wiring complexity and improves grounding safety across your system.

Real-World Applications

1.5mm x 2 Core SWA Cable Per Metre is generally used for lower power garden lighting, outdoor switches & sockets, small outdoor pond pumps etc. Additionally, it suits outdoor lighting installations whether for security lights, external sockets, or providing power to a garden office. You'll also find it ideal for renewable energy systems, where solar farms use SWA Cable to connect PV modules to substations, with steel wire armour protecting against mechanical damage and multi-layer sheath resisting UV and moisture for long-term outdoor operation.

Built to Last in Harsh Conditions

The steel wire armour makes SWA cables highly resistant to crushing, impact, and external damage, making them ideal for underground installations and heavy-duty environments. SWA cables are built for long-term use, even in harsh environments such as moisture, corrosion, and high mechanical stress. The carbon-loaded black PVC sheath delivers UV stability for exposed outdoor runs and chemical resistance for industrial settings.

Compliance & Standards
This cable meets BS 5467 specifications, ensuring construction, performance testing, and safety compliance with UK regulations and international standards. SWA Cable primarily complies with BS 5467 (UK) for XLPE-insulated, PVC-bedded and sheathed armoured cables, and IEC 60502-1 for extruded solid dielectric cables rated up to 1 kV. These standards define construction details, voltage testing, insulation properties, armour conductivity, and mechanical performance.

Professional Installation Note
While this cable is straightforward to terminate with standard outdoor (CW) glands and copper cable cleats, always ensure proper earthing of the steel armour layer and use appropriate cable accessories rated for the external diameter. For burial applications, follow local depth requirements (typically 0.7 metres minimum) and avoid sharp bends that exceed 15× the cable diameter to preserve armour integrity.

Choose this 2-core armoured cable when durability, safety compliance, and mechanical protection matter more than cost—it's the professional's choice for installations that must perform reliably for 20+ years in demanding environments.