Are bare cables on inside garage walls a good idea?

[greyspoke]

Apologies if I have missed the answer in my searches, a simple question.

I want to add an extra light and switch in my (long and dingy) garage. It has many wires in it that are just held to the bare bricks with cable clips (some added to feed the conservatory and second bathroom when they were added in the 1970s and 80s I think). There is one section of galvanised steel covering a drop to a socket in the conservatory (wire goes through the wall). Most of the wires are at quite a high level, but there are drops down to two 13A sockets and the light switch.

I know the strict wiring rules are not binding on me as a DIYer, but I want to do a pukka job if possible. I use the garage for DIY including using power tools so I guess there is a theoretical risk of a bare cable getting hit by something heavy.

Would plastic or metal trunking be advised in this situation, or are bare wires OK? The existing wires are PVC.

Thanks very much.

 

[comms]

Pvc or metal trunking/conduit would be a good idea if area is used as a workshop but nothing wrong with cables clipped direct.
Why not clip cable around garage at high level & just have the drop to switch enclosed within conduit or trunking.

 

[securespark]

How likely is it that the cable will be subject to impact?

IE from lifting stuff in/out.

 

[JohnD]

plastic trunking is easy and neat and gives slight protection. Metal trunking gives good protection but is expensive. Trunking is easy to install because it has a detachable lid. You have to protect the sharp edges at the ends or any holes though. It would be sensible to install metal sockets and switches too.

Metal conduit you might find difficult to install and it needs a bush at the socket or switch.

If you get the chance of any used metal trunking from a demolition or renovation it could be good value.

You are not supposed to bunch several cables together in one trunk but lighting cables are very lightly loaded so I wouldn't worry about them. If you have welding or machinery in your garage it needs to be calculated.

One approach is to surface mount cables above head height where they are less likely to be knocked, and run the drops in mini-trunking or conduit. In my garage everything below 1800mm is in mini-trunking and there is nothing below 1200mm where it might get kicked or bumped e.g. putting the lawn mower away.

p.s. I suppose galvanised metal capping is cheaper and might do the trick though it is not intended for this purpose and you would have to fabricate the joint with the socket or switch

 

[Cremeegg]

Round PVC easy to fit and gives adequate protection.

Not aware that Wiring Regs give any exemption for DIY work!

 

[greyspoke]

Thanks very much everybody, plastic trunking up to ceiling height looks like the way to go. It will give a manly industrial look to things anyhow.

Not aware that Wiring Regs give any exemption for DIY work!

Ah, I meant the IEEE Regulations as explained http://www.diynot.com/wiki/http:diy-electrical-work-and-the-law. Not really worth me getting a book about it as by the next time I need to do this sort of thing it will have all changed.

 

[chapeau]

I know the strict wiring rules are not binding on me as a DIYer....
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Thanks very much.

I think they are, DIYers are expected to do the same standard of work as yer qualified sparky. It's just that the DIYer can do a limited amount of things without telling anybody, but the work still has to be safe, and that means doing it to the standards expected in (currently) the Wiring Regulations, sixteenth edition, published by the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the British Standards Institution as BS 7671 (with amendments).