how to take twin and earth upstairs?

[heavyduty]

Hi

What is the tidiest way getting twin and earth wiring routed from consumer unit under staircase to upstairs ring mains?

We're rewiring soon and I've been trying to get an idea before bringing in the electrician, the common way this part of the deal is approached.

The wiring currently in place is a mess and travels in various yarns upstairs through nooks and crannies, through and above joists so it hadn't been well planned out and designed.

 

[1550]

No easy way for that one, especially if it comes out half way up the stairs on a small corner landing. Your electrician will be familiar with the type of properties in his area and will have experience in this type installation.

 

[sparkticus]

Hi

What is the tidiest way getting twin and earth wiring routed from consumer unit under staircase to upstairs ring mains?

We're rewiring soon and I've been trying to get an idea before bringing in the electrician, the common way this part of the deal is approached.

The wiring currently in place is a mess and travels in various yarns upstairs through nooks and crannies, through and above joists so it hadn't been well planned out and designed.

One way to do it is use a trunking "riser" for all cables that traverse the two floors. Trunking can be surface in an under-stairs cupboard or recessed just allowing access to the top cap. But while you may want to plan ahead it is best to ask your electrician first because he/she will need to design it and sign that they have designed it not to mention signatures for the installation, inspection and test. There is strict criteria about how cables run in trunking vs size of trunking etc, etc. It is actually your electrician who should worry about such details.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is there a doorway into the kitchen near where you could come out of the cupboard at ceiling level?

If so you could probably lower a small section of the ceiling to give somewhere to run cables through. When it's up against a wall above a door, i.e. not sticking down in the middle of a ceiling, a dropped section is pretty unobtrusive once papered and/or painted to match the rest.

 

[sparkwright]

The electrician may follow the route other cables like the downstairs lighting may have taken. This may be in a buried conduit or even in a brick cavity if it's an old house.

You may be able to use trunking and blend it in with the slope of the stair case so it looks like it's supposed to be there.

There may be some route of running the cable under the downstairs floor (if wooden) and then up into the inside of some form of tall cupboard you may have.

If your electrician is experienced he should find a good way to do it.

 

[rebuke]

This raises an interesting question I've had - in my house all the cabling (including downstairs power circuits, as it's concrete ground floors) runs from the consumer unit under the stairs to upstairs inside the cavity between my house and my neighbour (I'm in an end terrace property). As I understand it running cables inside a cavity is now discouraged, so my question is if I put in a new circuit can I follow the same route, or do I need to find an alternative route (such as putting some trunking in somewhere or whatever)?

As a follow up if it is allowed, does anybody have any tips on how to get the cables in, given I don't think I'm going to be able to easily get cable rods in as there's a bricks thickness in the way, and it's not a straight drop etc?

(Yes I'm aware of Part P and have put a building notice in)