Low voltage cable in walls

[Vogon]

Hi,

I am having a new kitchen put in, and I want to have 3 x 35W low voltage halogen downlights underneath the wall cabinets.

The plan is for the transformers to be in the plinth under the base units, and there is no problem running mains power to the transformers. However, I need to get LV wires from the transformers up to where the lights will be (each light must have a run of wire to a transformer), and obviously I want the wires concealed in the walls.

My kitchen installer is planning simply to put a plastic conduit in the wall and have the wires coming out at each end (at the top end, this will be just below the bottom of the wall cabiets at the join with the wall) without any connectors. I expect this is not in accordance with the regs, but

1) is it dangerous in any way?
2) is it likely to make an ugly hole in the plaster whcih will get bigger if the wires are jiggled around?
3) is there a better way of doing it?

I should add that the wall units do not have a lip at the bottom to conceal things, so I am not keen on anything bulky in the wall where the wires come out.

All help / suggestions gratefully received

Vogon



P.S. I am aware that (as per the instructions in the lights) the LV wire must not exceed 2m in length. This can be achieved with 2 transformers, with one of them having 2 sets of LV wires going to 2 lights.

 

[mapj1]

Assuming by LV you mean ELV like 12 or 24V (415/240V is an "LV" in most power books) it likely to be OK, but perhaps a back box should be in the plaster or on the wall at each end of the tube, so that the cable has something to emerge into neatly, particularly if you think fiddly fingers might get to it.

For mains cabling the route should follow the line of least surprise, i.e. vertically or horizontally between inspectable points, unless you really can't in which case it needs to be protected by an earthed screen or conduit. (or within 6" of a wall corner or ceiling....)
It is possible to put a blanking plate over hidden corners to make this true, providing the change in direction of the cable can be deduced when you remove the covers, and this can be a handy 'rescue' for a dodgy cable route.

 

[Vogon]

Thanks, yes I mean 12V.

Vogon