Boxing in cables

[Ben565]

Hi, I have some cables running along the surface in trunking to my consumer unit. They are running along the top of the wall up against the ceiling. Regardless of how well installed it may or may not be, it still looks a bit unsightly and out of place.

Can someone tell me if it's a dumb idea or not to box in the trunking, same way as you would box in pipework? I could then skim it and paint to match the walls/ceiling.

I know there is regulations on hiding cables away inside plasterwork, and they have to be within certain zones etc. Not sure if that applies if they are inside trunking and then boxed in.

 

[xr4x4]

150mm of the ceiling

 

[Ben565]

It's comfortably within that

 

[OwainDIYer]

you could just paint the trunking.

 

[EFLImpudence]

or bury the cables.

 

[flameport]

or fit coving.

 

[Ben565]

There's quite a few cables coming down from upstairs, including a 10kw rated one for the shower. The electrician told me they can't be chased in, wouldn't meet regs apparently. Bearing in mind the walls were totally stripped back to bare brick when we discussed this, so it would have been real easy to just clip them to the wall and plaster over. I think there were too many cables to do it, it wouldn't have worked?

Painting them is an option, and would make the bright white plasting trunking look a little less out of place.

I thought about coving, not sure it would be deep enough to accomodate the trunking? may work. There are some awkward angles though as part of the ceiling slopes.

 

[Ben565]

Perhaps ought to have posted this in the decorating section, but wanted to know if there was any electrical wiring regulations I ought to be aware of before going ahead with anything.

 

[333rocky333]

Basically within 150 mm of ceilling you can do what you want.
Anywhere else they would need RCD protection unless over 50mm deep.
I personally would box them in and use beading to make a sort of feature/coving effect

 

[Ben565]

I wish I'd know that before having the wall re-plastered, ah well.

There is RCD protection on all circuits.

Plaster is still quite wet at the moment but I'll ask the decorator to look at boxing them in. Just annoying I could have clipped them to the brickwork and plastered over it. You'd have thought the electrician would have suggested it? I guess there must be some reason for not doing it that way.

Is it allowable to remove the plastic trunking and just let the cables run free within the boxing? they are quite tightly packed in the trunking so it would allow them a bit more space to breathe, just thinking of that heavy duty shower cable. The boxing would be 150mm width from the ceiling and a similar depth I suppose.

 

[securespark]

Ask the electrician why you can't bury the cables.

Tell him you are aware of the rules on safe zones and cannot see any reason why you can't do as you wish.

It would be interesting to see what he comes up with.

If the plaster is still damp, I would chop it out and get the plasterer to come back.

Otherwise it will annoy you every time you walk past it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The electrician told me they can't be chased in, wouldn't meet regs apparently. Bearing in mind the walls were totally stripped back to bare brick when we discussed this, so it would have been real easy to just clip them to the wall and plaster over.

Where on earth did you find this soi-disant electrician?