Cables in wall and behind wall mounted cabinet

[jus001]

Hello,

As I understand it, when running cables in walls, the regulations stipulate that only cables buried at a depth of less than 50mm require protection? Although it would of course be sensible to protect cables buried greated than 50mm too as screws are getting longer these days!

If a cable was running behind a wall mounted cabinet - cabinet is 600mm wide, depth is around 140mm and the gap between the back of the cabinet and the wall is about 20mm - would this be within regulations?

Thanks,

J

 

[Iggifer]

I don't really understand, are you talking about running the cable in-between the cabinet and the wall?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Although it would of course be sensible to protect cables buried greated than 50mm too as screws are getting longer these days!

You cannot bury cables more than 50mm. deep in most walls as The Building Regulations stipulate a maximum depth of one sixth horizontally and one third vertically of the leaf thickness (100mm. for block or brick)

If a cable was running behind a wall mounted cabinet - cabinet is 600mm wide, depth is around 140mm and the gap between the back of the cabinet and the wall is about 20mm - would this be within regulations?

If, as you said, you think it sensible to protect cables which are buried more than 50mm. deep, I don't really understand why you would not want to protect cables concealed behind a piece of hardboard.


Do you have in mind RCD protection or 3mm. thick steel protection?

 

[jus001]

I don't really understand, are you talking about running the cable in-between the cabinet and the wall?

Yes, there's a gap of about 20mm between the back of the cabinet and the wall.

Although it would of course be sensible to protect cables buried greated than 50mm too as screws are getting longer these days!

You cannot bury cables more than 50mm. deep in most walls as The Building Regulations stipulate a maximum depth of one sixth horizontally and one third vertically of the leaf thickness (100mm. for block or brick)

I have a timber stud frame in front of the brick over all but one wall with a good 100mm depth so cables are not buried in the brick.

If a cable was running behind a wall mounted cabinet - cabinet is 600mm wide, depth is around 140mm and the gap between the back of the cabinet and the wall is about 20mm - would this be within regulations?

If, as you said, you think it sensible to protect cables which are buried more than 50mm. deep, I don't really understand why you would not want to protect cables concealed behind a piece of hardboard.


Do you have in mind RCD protection or 3mm. thick steel protection?

It's not that I don't want to protect them it's more a question of whether the regulations require it?

Once my aging rewireable fuseboard has been replaced it will be RCD protected. In the meantime it would be fairly easy to screw a bit of 3mm steel bar or similar to the back of the cabinet where the cable passes underneath.

 

[ericmark]

Safe or comply with regulations? They are not the same. We have run cables for years without RCD protection and used sockets without RCD protection and likely it will not become dangerous not having RCD protection for the extra socket.

However the regulations say any new cable or sockets need RCD protection. You can fit a RCD FCU at origin of supply and so comply, but if you intend to fit a new consumer unit it would seem pointless even though it is required.

What should happen is consumer unit change then fit any extra sockets. I fitted RCD's to all circuits back in the 90's and I would not consider having any sockets without RCD protection. But I know my father-in-law has not got a single RCD in the house, he is 89 and has not killed himself yet.

No one is going to say today don't bother with RCD protection so pointless asking. Only you can decide if worth the risk. I will put it this way I would not consider fitting a socket without RCD protection in my own house or in any rented property or where there are small children or people with dementia. Which in real terms means I will not fit sockets without RCD protection.

 

[jus001]

Safe or comply with regulations? They are not the same. We have run cables for years without RCD protection and used sockets without RCD protection and likely it will not become dangerous not having RCD protection for the extra socket.

However the regulations say any new cable or sockets need RCD protection. You can fit a RCD FCU at origin of supply and so comply, but if you intend to fit a new consumer unit it would seem pointless even though it is required.

What should happen is consumer unit change then fit any extra sockets. I fitted RCD's to all circuits back in the 90's and I would not consider having any sockets without RCD protection. But I know my father-in-law has not got a single RCD in the house, he is 89 and has not killed himself yet.

No one is going to say today don't bother with RCD protection so pointless asking. Only you can decide if worth the risk. I will put it this way I would not consider fitting a socket without RCD protection in my own house or in any rented property or where there are small children or people with dementia. Which in real terms means I will not fit sockets without RCD protection.

Thanks for your response.

While I'm not an electrician, I am an electronic engineer and confident in what I am doing but have no access to the regulations (unless it's available online somewhere?) and am not familiar with what is considered best practice etc.

The reason I asked about cables behind a cabinet was it seems that it is fairly common practice to surface mount cables behind kitchen cabinets although as with all these things there are different opinions and interpretations of what is allowed and what is not and was after a bit of clarification.

In the end I managed to run the cables above the cabinet immediately below the ceiling so within permissible zones and what will be more than 50mm under the finished surface of the wall once complete.

I completely agree that being safe and complying with regulations are not the same thing. One can be safe and not comply with regulations and in some circumstances comply with regulations and not be safe.

If it wasn't for the fact that changing the consumer unit is notifiable I would have done it a long time ago. I figure it will be considerably less hassle to get someone in to do it than doing it myself and attempting to get it signed off afterwards but sadly the reality of limited finances and other things taking priority will mean it will have to wait as it is not unsafe as it stands so not a priority.

I totally agree that RCD protection should be a given and it will be there in due course but as it is not unsafe at present, there are no small children to worry about and I'm hopefully a while away from dementia it will unfortunately have to wait.

Thanks.