Drilled through cable

[hardmandez]

Hello All,

I've been a **** and drilled through the electric cable for one of the light circuits in my flat. It's very near the fuse box. I'll probably get an electrician in to fix it but just wondered if this was easy to fix myself and how I would best tacle the job.

Cheers

 

[Softus]

How easy and safe it would be for you to do it depends on how much electrical work you've done before.

 

[hardmandez]

I peeled back the plaster round the hole to have a look. Didn't look too bad I had cut through the covering of two live wires. I could have managed it myself but managed to get a pro in at short notice, better safe than sorry.

If only people would put the electric cables out of the fuse box from the bottom or the top like your supposed to.

Anyway it's all fixed and at least I wasn't injured.

Cheers

 

[Softus]

You're right - better safe than sorry.

 

[dw3101]

If only people would put the electric cables out of the fuse box from the bottom or the top like your supposed to.

Where cable runs are concealed behind plaster they must he installed in 'acceptable zones' which are intended to reduce the danger to the cables and to people who drill holes or knock nails into walls. Cable runs must only follow paths which are horizontal or vertical from an outlet, or be within 150 mm of the top (but not the bottom) of the wall, or within 150 mm of the angle formed by two adjoining {Fig 4.14} Acceptable installation zones for concealed cables. The diagonal cable must be enclosed in earthed metal walls. Where a cable run has to be diagonal, it must be protected by being enclosed in steel conduit, or must be a cable with an earthed metal sheath (such as mineral insulated cable), or an insulated concentric cable. In this latter case, the phase conductor will be surrounded by the neutral, so that if a nail or a screw penetrates the cable it will be impossible for it to become live. The possible zones are shown in (Fig 4.14). The internal partition walls of some modern buildings are very thin, and where cables complying with the requirements above are within 50 mm of the surface on the other side, they will require protection.

Dunno if a consumer unit counts as an outlet?