2.5mm sq twin and earth cable?

[Hl.house]

Hi all, with your help I have attempted DIY plastering. Got the 120x60cm boards and started insulating and boarding the ceiling. I need to to leave cables for 4 sockets and 1 pendant light. My plan is to have little holes in the plasterboard and pull the cables through it. When Sparky arrives he can connect it to the mains circuit. Can I leave two cables of 2.5mm squared for each fitting( 4 sockets and 1 pendant lamp) with a length of 3m from ceiling to floor and further 4m from ceiling to nearest junction box? Nearest junction box is about 2.4m away from the farthest socket point. DP/me will fit the sockets and lamp just not connect it to mains.
May be this product: http://www.screwfix.com/p/prysmian-6242y-twin-earth-cable-2-5mm-x-50m-grey/83956

Forgot to add, they are four double sockets sitting just above skirting level.

 

[John D v2.0]

I think the main problem is how will the sparky know you've fitted the cables correctly when he/she signs it off? I'd recommend agreeing all this before hand to avoid problems later when s/he wants to check all the wiring. Did you discuss with him/her before hand? She/He may be happy with photos.

 

[Hl.house]

Yes you are right. Wall will not be plastered soon so there is a good chance sparky will arrive before that. My only worry is he may not have full access from top of the ceiling as this is an extension bit which does not connect very well to the main loft space. But he can pull the wire from both ends and verify. Is it called wire snake? Photo is a good idea as well.
Another point, I am quoted £160 per socket and £150 per light&switch. So, by doing cabling I can save a bit.

Edit Reason: Apologies I clarified with electrician and he said it was £60 - 65 per point. There was some misunderstanding.

 

[securespark]

Sounds steep...

 

[securespark]

You don't want to use 2.5 for lighting.

 

[John D v2.0]

Yeah hope you're getting gold plated sockets for that money!

 

[Doggit]

Instead of taking 2 cables down the wall, take the first wire down, and then loop it back up, across the ceiling void, and then across to the next position; at the end of it, you then need to take the wire back to where you started from so that you have a complete loop. The wire you're looking at is correct for the mains, and you'll need metal capping to cover the mains wiring. You'll need to sink the metal back boxes into the wall, and use rubber grommets for where the cable enters the back boxes.

As to the ceiling lights, have you got access to a ceiling rose in the nearest part of the house. You'll take a 1.5mm twin and earth cable from there, and feed it through the relevant plasterboard panel, and then fit the plasterboard up; you also need to take a cable from where the ceiling rose is, to where the switch is going to be on the wall.

As John D has said, this should all be agreed with the sparks first, as your interpretation of this job may not be anywhere near the same as his.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Metal (or plastic) capping is not actually a requirement, and

1mm² T&E (max 16A) is more than adequate for a 6A circuit.

 

[Lectrician]

The light would be completely independent of the socket wiring.

To me it sounds like you do not know enough. How cables are installed are just as important as "connecting them to the mains".

Get a spark.

 

[securespark]

The light would be completely independent of the socket wiring.

It has just struck me that the light may be tapped off the ring final with an FCU. But you'd still need 1 milli for the outgoing.

 

[Hl.house]

Thank you for all your answers. No, I don't want to DIY this job. My problem is the 4 out of 5 electricians I contacted were busy till January and I need to finish off insulating and plaster boarding my room soon so we can move out of my child's room. It is very cold as it is down to bare brick walls and no ceiling. Any workaround suggestions?
The reason there is only one light and no sockets is because this room was a bathroom earlier.

 

[Hl.house]

Going more into electrics I think this will now become the main project if I want to do it ideally. As I understand jobs and quotes are:

1. Install 5 points in the bedroom + RCD at the fuse box (no fuse box upgrade) approx £450
2. Install 5 points + RCD + fuse box upgrade (he said bonding/earthing?) approx £990
3. Job 2 + moving fuse box to a different location(after SSE had moved meter out) approx £1200

Forgot to add, BC said I also need to have mains operated linked smoke alarms(3 -4) as I have open plan kitchen.

Are these quotes reasonable? I know it is up to me but what is the best way in short term/long term?


Do I just get a quote for full rewiring? Will it work out cheaper? Can it happen while we are living there? How long does it usually take?

 

[deadshort]

Get another two quotes.

DS

 

[Doggit]

At least s more quotes, definitely.

No 2 hasn't got much more work that No 1, but is over double the cost, and the new fuse box would have an RCD already in it. The earth may need upgrading (not much work to do that) but the earth bonding (normally to the pipes) isn't required any longer. The jump from 2 to 3 is a reasonable one, but still as overpriced as 2 is.

If they've got enough work to take them into January, then it almost seems as though they're saying you can pay the price, or I can get more work elsewhere.

I'm not sure how old you're existing fuse box is, but if you've got rcbs, then an RCD upgrade should suffice, but how many spare spaces do you have. Some BCOs tell you to wire the smoke alarms into the lights, so that if the lights go off, you know the smoke alarms won't work, but you can get cross interference between lights blowing setting off the smoke alarms.

Getting a full rewire will cost a lot more, take a lot longer, and create a lot more mess that then needs fixing, so it's only justifiable if the existing wiring actually needs doing, and whilst it can be done while you're living there, the upheaval would be great, and it'd cost a lot more because they have to leave the mains working each evening.

The met office say that it's going to be the coldest winter for 5 years, so maybe get no 1 in to show the wiring layout, and as he only then has to wire up the sockets, he may well be able to slot you in sooner if a job finishes early. And see what he'd charge for a consumer unit upgrade

 

[EFLImpudence]

but the earth bonding (normally to the pipes) isn't required any longer.

That depends which bonding you have in mind. Main Bonding is still definitely required.