Is it legal to have a light switch in front of copper pipes...

Sprogginz · 27 Nov 2015

I want to install a new ceiling light and the switch in the hallway. I have copper pipes in a corner coming down from upstairs and I've yet to put a PVC pipe cover on.

Can I run a light switch cable down the pipes and even install the switch on the PVC cover by cutting a small hole? In fact should I connect the earth to one of the pipes?

Otherwise it means chasing into one of the walls which I really don't want to do.

Thanks and hope you can help.

RF Lighting · 27 Nov 2015

Do the pipes get hot?

ban-all-sheds · 27 Nov 2015

Sprogginz said:
should I connect the earth to one of the pipes?

No.

ban-all-sheds · 27 Nov 2015

BTW, if you put the switch in the corner as you suggest, would someone in a wheelchair be able to get to it?

Sprogginz · 27 Nov 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
BTW, if you put the switch in the corner as you suggest, would someone in a wheelchair be able to get to it?

I hope not.

JK! Good point but it's just for some display lights.

Sprogginz · 27 Nov 2015

RF Lighting said:
Do the pipes get hot?

I'd imagine they would get reasonably hot at times especially over the Winter of course. I could have the cable about 1-2cm away from the pipes if that would help?

securespark · 27 Nov 2015

As there will be a PVC pipe cover there anyhow, is it any great aesthetic loss to put a trunking adjacent with a surface-mounted pattress?

Sprogginz · 28 Nov 2015

securespark said:
As there will be a PVC pipe cover there anyhow, is it any great aesthetic loss to put a trunking adjacent with a surface-mounted pattress?

That would be the safest and simplest method but it would be too much of an aesthetic loss unfortunately.

In fact I think I might box them all together in with batten and.... is plywood the best option for boxing something in?

Thanks.

Iggifer · 28 Nov 2015

Yea, just use a 2x1 as a batten on either side of what you want to box in, then a 1x1 for the corner batten, attached to one piece of ply, then attach the other piece of ply to that. If you countersink the screw holes, you can either skim it and paint, or just filler the screw heads and paint the ply directly

ban-all-sheds · 28 Nov 2015

Or paper over it, if the walls have that finish.

seasickstevie · 28 Nov 2015

I wouldn't try skimming over ply.
If you're not likely to need to get inside the boxing, you could fix plasterboard over the ply & then skim.
Then you've got a proper job.

Sprogginz · 28 Nov 2015

Thanks for all your help.

Going back to the cable itself, does heat-resistant cable that you can buy mean it can touch the central heating pipes?

I found some old PVC pipe cover to test with and it fits very nicely but when the time comes to attaching the light switch and external pattress, the wire running at the back of the pattress will have to go between the two pipes. If this is acceptable using the heat-resistant cable then it will look very nice and neat with little effort - project complete.

Boxing it in and then plastering over it will certainly give it a professional finish but you need a professional to do it! I'm sure I will make a pig's ear out if as I've never done plastering before - properly that is!

Thanks again, very much appreciated.

wundaboy · 30 Nov 2015

No. I really don't believe it's acceptable to box 240v mains cable in with heating pipes under any circumstances. Without going to get the Big Book out, I'm pretty sure the relevant regulation specifies a minimum distance of 25mm between mains cables and metallic services (50mm for gas). However, given the quite high ambient temperature created by heating pipes, I would instinctively want to maintain a greater distance than 25mm between those and mains current carrying cable(s). I would also definitely not want them in direct contact with each other!

I'd consider putting coaxial or data cables in the same trunking as heating pipes (no doubt some will shoot me down for that) but not mains voltage cable - possible heat damage and derating factors would render it very unwise, regardless of whether it's heat resistant or not.

Sprogginz · 30 Nov 2015

Okay, thanks very much for that.

stillp · 30 Nov 2015

wundaboy said:
No. I really don't believe it's acceptable to box 240v mains cable in with heating pipes under any circumstances. Without going to get the Big Book out, I'm pretty sure the relevant regulation specifies a minimum distance of 25mm between mains cables and metallic services (50mm for gas). However, given the quite high ambient temperature created by heating pipes, I would instinctively want to maintain a greater distance than 25mm between those and mains current carrying cable(s). I would also definitely not want them in direct contact with each other!

I'd consider putting coaxial or data cables in the same trunking as heating pipes (no doubt some will shoot me down for that) but not mains voltage cable - possible heat damage and derating factors would render it very unwise, regardless of whether it's heat resistant or not.

Consider yourself partly shot down - coax doesn't withstand heat very well.

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Is it legal to have a light switch in front of copper pipes...

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