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- 29 Mar 2005
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Hi,
What is the general opinion of crossing cables (on different circuits) buried shallowly into a solid wall?
The current situation is this:
[code:1] |
|
wall light |
| |
spurred off C | | ring
| |
+---+ +-+-+ +---+
| A | want more sockets here | B | | C |
+-+-+ +-+-+ +-+-+
| | |
| | |
----+-------------------------------------+--------------+-----
concrete floor
[/code:1]
A is a socket spurred from C. The cable goes down from C into the concrete floor, across and then back up to A.
B is a silly socket (that I'm going to remove) wired into the lighting circuit
C is a socket on the ring
The wall is an outside brick wall and the floor is a solid concrete floor.
I want to add some more sockets where I've indicated on the diagram. As socket A is a spur, the only option I can see is to extend the ring from socket C. However, this means crossing the path of the lighting cable at B.
As explained earlier, B currently has a single unswitched socket faceplate wired into the lighting circuit (this was fitted by the former owner). It has a 35mm deep single gang metal pattress/backbox sunk into the wall in which all the gubbins resides. There are currently 3 lighting circuit cables coming into this pattress - the feed, the supply to the above wall light and the supply to another wall light (so I discovered today). I plan to replace this socket B with a blank faceplate.
Now, if I want to add more sockets as per the diagram, I see that I have 2 options.
1. extend the ring across from the socket at C, through the pattress at B that has lighting cabling in it and on to the desired area.
2. I tap into the ring as it drops down from the ceiling towards socket C and carry it across in the safe zone just below the ceiling before dropping down into one of the new socket positions between A and B on my diagram.
Going down into the floor is awkward because it's a concrete floor and I haven't a clue where the madman who wired up the wall lights buried the cables.
I don't really like option 2 because it just doesn't feel right. But then again option 1 doesn't feel all that great either.
The floor above the ceiling is our master bedroom and is nicely decorated with fitted carpet. Lifting the floor up is not an option for the sake of my wife's sanity (and mine).
The ring main is 30mA RCD protected but the lighting circuits are not RCD protected.
Any help will be much appreciaed.
What is the general opinion of crossing cables (on different circuits) buried shallowly into a solid wall?
The current situation is this:
[code:1] |
|
wall light |
| |
spurred off C | | ring
| |
+---+ +-+-+ +---+
| A | want more sockets here | B | | C |
+-+-+ +-+-+ +-+-+
| | |
| | |
----+-------------------------------------+--------------+-----
concrete floor
[/code:1]
A is a socket spurred from C. The cable goes down from C into the concrete floor, across and then back up to A.
B is a silly socket (that I'm going to remove) wired into the lighting circuit
C is a socket on the ring
The wall is an outside brick wall and the floor is a solid concrete floor.
I want to add some more sockets where I've indicated on the diagram. As socket A is a spur, the only option I can see is to extend the ring from socket C. However, this means crossing the path of the lighting cable at B.
As explained earlier, B currently has a single unswitched socket faceplate wired into the lighting circuit (this was fitted by the former owner). It has a 35mm deep single gang metal pattress/backbox sunk into the wall in which all the gubbins resides. There are currently 3 lighting circuit cables coming into this pattress - the feed, the supply to the above wall light and the supply to another wall light (so I discovered today). I plan to replace this socket B with a blank faceplate.
Now, if I want to add more sockets as per the diagram, I see that I have 2 options.
1. extend the ring across from the socket at C, through the pattress at B that has lighting cabling in it and on to the desired area.
2. I tap into the ring as it drops down from the ceiling towards socket C and carry it across in the safe zone just below the ceiling before dropping down into one of the new socket positions between A and B on my diagram.
Going down into the floor is awkward because it's a concrete floor and I haven't a clue where the madman who wired up the wall lights buried the cables.
I don't really like option 2 because it just doesn't feel right. But then again option 1 doesn't feel all that great either.
The floor above the ceiling is our master bedroom and is nicely decorated with fitted carpet. Lifting the floor up is not an option for the sake of my wife's sanity (and mine).
The ring main is 30mA RCD protected but the lighting circuits are not RCD protected.
Any help will be much appreciaed.