assessment help

[amy2480]

hi guys
im currently working as a mate and completing an apprenticeship and as part of a work assessment ive been asked to plan and quote for a domestic rewire. the house is a traditional terrace with the consumer unit in the living room. it is located in a small cupboard in an alcove, next to the old fireplace with another alcove on the other side. my problem is how and where to run the cables from the board. i can either run them straight up from a flush mounted board or from the corner of the alcove into a metal clad surface mount. i have a problem with both of these ideas as the first will prevent any pictures,shelves or future wall lights being installed, but the second leaves the cables exposed from the point where they leave the wall,into the board. i know they will be hidden in cupboard, but im unsure about this. any suggestions greatly appreciated?
thanks
amy

 

[ColJack]

2 x 2 stud wall in the alcove giving you a void to run the cables...?

 

[sparkwright]

the cables are best run in the corner in my opinion. they are less likely to get damaged.
how many cables will be in the cable drop? would they exceed the permitted cable zone for a corner?
if the cables are exposed in the cupboard at least someone will know where they are and that there are concealed cables above.
can you put the cables in trunking in the cupboard?

 

[amy2480]

i have 4 circuits, i was planning on putting 2 on one edge of the corner, then two on the other edge as I know the restriction is 150mm from each corner. my main worry is fitting a metal clad surface mount board and having the cables exposed, but i would prefer to run the cable in the corner. its just that all the boards i have seen fitted are all flush, but this doesn't really seem a viable option, as it will restrict anything being fitted above the board. i have been all through the regs but cant find anything that says i can't put in a surface mount board, and the current board is such. not had much experience with terraced houses, but the boards all seem to be fitted where this one is, so its obviously a common situation. if i put in trunking with a surface board will it have to be metal trunking?
cheers
amy

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

why do you intend to install a metal clad board?
whats wrong with an insulated one?
Assuming the majority of the cables that need to go up the wall are no bigger than 2.5mmT+E, i would have thought you could get them all within 150mm of the wall corner.
How wide is the alcove?
Would having a 'no nail zone' 150mm wide prevent a picture hook from being nailed in halfway across the alcove?
Surface mounted CU's usually have the facility to send the cables in rear entry (ooh, matron) so no need to have exposed cables.

 

[sparkwright]

plastic would be fine.

not entirely sure about the issue of using a flush board.

is the downstairs floor wooden?

would it solve your problem if the cables went down the wall in the corner;
through the cupboard in the corner (perhaps in trunking);
then under floor and along;
then out of the floor into the bottom of the board.

 

[amy2480]

the alcove is approx 1.5m wide, but the meter and service fuse is also in the cupboard so there is not a lot of room. there is just enough to put in a small 6 way board, the current one is squashed in as it is . there is not much room to get the cables under the floor then back up to the board.

 

[amy2480]

sorry i meant the alcove is 1.0m wide.

 

[sparkwright]

i take it rcd protection has been allowed for.

if you wanted a larger board you would have to replace the cupboard or situate it outside of the cupboard. only you know what is required here.

can you fit trunking in the cupboard, and notch out the end of it through the back. notch some plaster out; so the cables enter the board via the back.

why use a metal-clad board? are you planning to connect an swa cable to it as well?