Cable run

[notsurebutkeen]

Fitting shower in bathroom. Bathroom directly above livingroom which contains mains supply and circuit breakers. Not keen to chase out living room wall. It is an external wall. Is there any reason why I can't take cable through wall run up the outside of the wall(in metal conduit) and come back through wall in bathroom. I believe it is not done - but is this for a good reason?

Ta.

 

[andy]

Fitting shower in bathroom. Bathroom directly above livingroom which contains mains supply and circuit breakers. Not keen to chase out living room wall. It is an external wall. Is there any reason why I can't take cable through wall run up the outside of the wall(in metal conduit) and come back through wall in bathroom. I believe it is not done - but is this for a good reason?

Ta.

best use SWA. easier to work with than metal conduit

 

[BenStiller]

you mean outside house??

 

[andy]

Im actually not sure on this, so dont quote me, but hasnt temperature got a bit to do with not running shower cable outside?

never heard that 1 before...

you might be gettin confused with cable de-rating at higher tempreatures?

as for runnin cables outside, i dont think there is anything in the regs to say you cant do it

 

[plugwash]

you can run cable on the outside if its adequately protected. generaly its easier to use a cable with adequate protection built in than to mess with conduit.

maybe consider using split concentric. unlike SWA it doesn't need special glands to terminate, its suitable for outside use and from what i can gather its also fairly cheap.

 

[notsurebutkeen]

Thank you all - I think I'll go for it. I'll look into split concentric but whatever will probably still use conduit for neatness. Better safe than sorry.

Ta

 

[Spreadie]

maybe consider using split concentric. unlike SWA it doesn't need special glands to terminate, its suitable for outside use and from what i can gather its also fairly cheap.

Wha about internal walls? Must you use conduit or can you plaster armoured cable directly into a channel cut in the walls?

Edit:: Just read http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/C5-43.pdf - so if i'm running a cable (like twin&earth or armoured) from a socket horizontally and less than 50mm from the wall surface I don't need conduit at all?

Seems like a safety concern, although anything other than steel conduit isnt going to stop a nail or screw.

 

[plugwash]

yes horizontally and vertically from fittings is a permitted zone.

however most laypeople don't realise that horizontal running is allowed (those who have enough clue to think about the way wires run in the first place) so many sparkys consider it bad practice to do so.

 

[Albert]

yes horizontally and vertically from fittings is a permitted zone.
however most laypeople don't realise that horizontal running is allowed (those who have enough clue to think about the way wires run in the first place) so many sparkys consider it bad practice to do so.

I find, (although it is not required), that using PVC conduit to run the cables (inside the wall)might be a good practice, not only because it is an safety edition but more practical reason, in the event that the circuit will have to be rewired for any reason, it is much easier to do so than to chase the wall.

 

[plugwash]

i doubt pvc in a wall would make much difference. even steel is apparently possible to drill through by accident.

 

[Albert]

i doubt pvc in a wall would make much difference. even steel is apparently possible to drill through by accident.

That is why I said that it is for practical reasons as rewiring, do you plaster the cable into the wall or use capping/conduit?