How to hide these wires?

[ETFairfax]

Hi,

I'm in the process of decorating my dining room, and have some ugly plastic trunking coming from a single socket near the corner of the room.

I've uploaded a photo of the socket here....

http://flic.kr/p/aHGf8R

...as you can see I've removed the trunking, and am wondering what I can legally do to hide the wires.

The center of the socket is 400mm from the finished floor. The wires for the socket you can see run down from the ceiling. The exposed wires are going through to our kitchen.

Any advice appreciated.

Many thanks,

ETFairfax.

 

[sparkwright]

Assuming it's a brick/block wall, the cables shown in your picture can be chased in.

To do to the regs, where the cables come out of the wall, chase up in the corner within 150 mm from the corner till you are level with the socket.

Then chase horizontally to the socket, so (assuming you are chasing in a metal back box), the cable comes in the side of the box.

Use oval conduit or capping to protect the cable. Use a rubber grommet round the cable entry of the metal flush back box.

 

[ETFairfax]

Assuming it's a brick/block wall, the cables shown in your picture can be chased in.

To do to the regs, where the cables come out of the wall, chase up in the corner within 150 mm from the corner till you are level with the socket.

Then chase horizontally to the socket, so (assuming you are chasing in a metal back box), the cable comes in the side of the box.

Use oval conduit or capping to protect the cable. Use a rubber grommet round the cable entry of the metal flush back box.

Thanks sparkwright,

Just to confirm, is this what you mean?...

http://flic.kr/p/aHJ83z

Cheers,

ETFairfax.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Use oval conduit or capping to protect the cable.

From what?


ETF - does that circuit have an RCD?

 

[Adam_151]

Use oval conduit or capping to protect the cable.

From what?

Possible chemical effects of the plaster and the cement render, as well as careless plasterers!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As mentioned by sparkwright the cable entering the socket outlet on the horizontal, needs to be run in a prescibed safe zone.
//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:installation_techniques:walls
Or be mechanically protected.
So this cable would ideally be raised the 300mm (ish) to bring it in line with the accessory.
Then once chased back, clipped or fixed in place, can then be plastered.
Capping is not really needed, but if you wish to do so, to protect the cable from any trowel damage when plastering or to help keep the cable in place it is your choice.

 

[ETFairfax]

Use oval conduit or capping to protect the cable.

From what?


ETF - does that circuit have an RCD?

Hi ban-all-sheds,

As far as I know the circuit isn't on an RCD

Thanks,

ET Fairfax

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Possible chemical effects of the plaster and the cement render,

Is there evidence that these damage PVC?

as well as careless plasterers!

Ah yes - these mythical plasterers who care so little for the edges on their tools that they'll use them to hack at cables.

Try floating that idea here and see what people think.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As far as I know the circuit isn't on an RCD

Then you should not conceal the cables in the wall.

 

[Chri5]

As far as I know the circuit isn't on an RCD

Then you should not conceal the cables in the wall.

Seems a bit harsh to retro the 17th rules for simple reroute.

If the op doesn't discon the cable, keeps to safe zones and the rest of the system is pre 17th, does it really matter

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's not retroactive.

Those cables are not concealed, and he is proposing to change them so that they are.

I'm not saying he needs to fit an RCD because there are already other concealed cables.

 

[ETFairfax]

I will hide the wires in the safe zones as suggested.

I intend on doing the kitchen early next year, which will require the consumer unit to be upgraded. I assume the electrician will be able to put this circuit on an RCD then.

 

[Taylortwocities]

All circuits will be on RCDs then.

 

[Paul_C]

It looks as though the original horizontal run of those cables might have been concealed behind a baseboard, now removed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No - it was in ugly plastic trunking...