# Sealed cable end

Canonical URL: https://eloragrid.ai/symbols/iec-cable-end-cap
Publisher: Elora Grid
Updated: 2026-10-28
Lookup label: W
Drawing use: SLD, GA
Reference families: IEC

## Symbol convention

Convention: IEC
Form: Sealed unterminated cable end
Independent IEC-context illustration; not certified IEC geometry.

A cable end that is sealed and capped but not connected, such as a spare circuit or a cable laid for future use.

## In plain English

### What does Sealed cable end mean?

A sealed cable end shows a cable that terminates without connection, typically capped with a heat-shrink or cold-shrink end cap. It appears on network diagrams for spare circuits, cables laid ahead of future equipment, and cables isolated and left in the ground after a fault or diversion.

### A simple example

A capped cable may still be connected at its other end and therefore supplied with operating power. The symbol does not tell you its state, so the reader must check the switching position at the source end before treating it as dead. Drawings should also note whether the cable is earthed for safety.

### What the drawings help you do

Check the far end to see whether the cable is supplied with operating power. Look for notes that the capped cable is earthed or isolated. A sealed cable end has no connection; a sealing end is a termination connected to equipment or a line.

### This particular reference

A cable end that is sealed and capped but not connected, such as a spare circuit or a cable laid for future use. A sealed cable end has no connection; a sealing end is a termination connected to equipment or a line.

### Terms

- Terminal: An identified point where a conductor connects.
- Schematic: A drawing showing function and connections rather than physical appearance.

Concept diagram: Identify the device and form → Read the connections and state → Check the equipment reference
A guide to reading this reference. The original symbol illustration and its drawing notes appear below; these boxes are not a wiring diagram.

- [Elastimold underground cable accessories](https://www.abb.com/global/en/areas/electrification/medium-voltage/cable-accessories-connectors/underground/elastimold/underground)
- [IEC-60617 symbol preview directory](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoCAD-Electrical/files/GUID-7871E6EF-24D5-467E-9B74-321FEDC9DFDA.htm)


## What it represents

A sealed cable end shows a cable that terminates without connection, typically capped with a heat-shrink or cold-shrink end cap. It appears on network diagrams for spare circuits, cables laid ahead of future equipment, and cables isolated and left in the ground after a fault or diversion.
A capped cable may still be connected at its other end and therefore energised. The symbol does not tell you its state, so the reader must check the switching position at the source end before treating it as dead. Drawings should also note whether the cable is earthed for safety.

## How to read it

- Check the far end to see whether the cable is energised.
- Look for notes that the capped cable is earthed or isolated.

## Information to show or reference

- Note the energisation state of the capped cable.
- Record its far-end connection.
- Identify planned future use where known.

## Important distinction

A sealed cable end has no connection; a sealing end is a termination connected to equipment or a line.

## Facts

- Graphic cue: Cable line ending in a short bar or cap
- Safety note: May be live from the far end
- Preview: Original educational illustration; consult the publisher and applicable standard for the exact graphic

## Public references

- [Elastimold underground cable accessories](https://www.abb.com/global/en/areas/electrification/medium-voltage/cable-accessories-connectors/underground/elastimold/underground) — ABB. Manufacturer context for cable accessories including end sealing.
- [IEC-60617 symbol preview directory](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoCAD-Electrical/files/GUID-7871E6EF-24D5-467E-9B74-321FEDC9DFDA.htm) — Autodesk. Public directory of IEC-oriented symbol families.

## Graphic scope

Independent original educational concept illustration by Elora Grid. Not a certified standards graphic or manufacturer footprint. Unitless; not to scale. Original artwork licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Publisher material is linked only.