Premature cable collapse hysteria

sparkwright · 31 Jul 2021

I noticed on a job in an airing cupboard about a year ago someone had fitted a vertical 12 inch long piece of pvc mini trunking coming out of an immersion switch, and then from here a horizontal 12 inch long piece of mini trunking going to a new socket.

They used metal trunking clips inside the trunking for this, on both pieces.

Now is it is me, or is that ridiculous?

I mean, what's that going achieve?

Also, that silly boy on YouTube, Batman, seems to like chasing out solid plaster, fitting pvc oval conduit, and wrapping metal band round it and securing it to the brickwork, on vertical chases - in case of premature collapse.

Is this really needed?

AndyPRK · 31 Jul 2021

It’s in the regs. To save lives of fire fighters.

Batman isn’t using metal band on oval for this reason though. It’s just a neat/quick way to secure the conduit before plaster. he learnt it off someone else

sparkwright · 31 Jul 2021

Yes, but short bits on the walls of an airing cupboard?

Forgot to say the 12 inch bits of pvc trunking were in an airing cupboard, see above edited post.

Batman would find it quicker and easier to use clout nails either side of his oval conduit.

333rocky333 · 31 Jul 2021

Maybe not fitted for that reason, i have seen trunking distorted and not fitting flat to the wall, more so when secured with countersunk screws, the metal clips would also act like a flat washer possibly giving a flatter finish

Adam_151 · 31 Jul 2021

It does seem a tad silly in that situation, but I suppose hes just in the habbit of fitting the trunking clips regardless

As for batman, I did think it was a bit of good trick if if struggling to get a good fixing, but did think that perhaps screws might start smiling through the plaster eventually in the way that clout nails don't? Wonder if hes hard of crampets? He needs to be banned from buying PVC kopex though....

JohnW2 · 31 Jul 2021

sparkwright said:
... a horizontal 12 inch long piece of mini trunking going to a new socket. ... They used metal trunking clips inside the trunking for this, on both pieces. .... Now is it is me, or is that ridiculous?

I don't think it's you

AndyPRK said:
It’s in the regs. To save lives of fire fighters.

I wouldn't think that a 12 inch length of cable in mini-trunking is going to threaten the lives of any fire-fighters, is it?

As so often, a 'blanket' reg in BS7671 (I suppose designed for those who cannot think) falls short on embracing common sense.

Kind Regards, John

sparkwright · 1 Aug 2021

As for Batman, he should be banned from buying Kopex.

He should also learn how to drill behind coving, rather than cutting big slots all the way through coving - he does this on every re-wire where there's coving.

securespark · 1 Aug 2021

Yeah, I always find that odd. In my kit was a slightly bent brass rod which was used to hammer behind skirts and coves.

AndyPRK · 1 Aug 2021

There was an example on Artisan where several clout nails had gone thru T&E in the past. Kitchen.

what Batman does is put one screw near the top of the chase and one near bottom. Screw a bit if all round band to the screw. (This is like flexible mecarno)
bends it into the chase.
Then runs in the oval conduit.
Then bends over the band to slightly grip the conduit ready for plaster.

seams very quick and effective to me

sparkwright · 1 Aug 2021

Seems to me the oval tube isn't fixed as firmly with all round band than it would be with nails - the plaster may crack. I could be wrong though.

Clout nails going through cables - that would be due to carelessness of the installer - people not looking what they are doing in the usual race against time.

Adam_151 · 1 Aug 2021

sparkwright said:
He should also learn how to drill behind coving, rather than cutting big slots all the way through coving - he does this on every re-wire where there's coving.

I will admit to doing this on at least one occasion, a kitchen re-wire where a load of circuits had to come down in the corner of the kitchen together and the corner was right in the outside corner of the house and there was a low roof space and you couldn't get that close above and the whole room was being re-skimed. Yes, if worked at it, I would could probably made a big enough space and managed to fish everything. But in the end it turned out that because of how the timbers were in the roof and needing to get an angle on the draw wire it was a big enough pain to do it without coving in place!

But yeah, Generally I'd agree, its bad practice to cut the coving without having a good go to get it through without

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

Premature cable collapse hysteria

Similar threads