can you plaster over cables?

[mdbalson]

I have just started to change one of the lights on the landing to a two way system (as there are two lights on the landing, one at the top of the stairs, which is already on a two way system. And the other light is down the far end of the landing on a one system).

I am changing the light down the far landing, so that you can turn it on & off from both ends of the landing.

I have managed to feed the three core & Earth, behied the p;asterboard, that is on the wall at the top of the stairs (I did this by dilling four small holes in the wall, & one hole though the ceiling and into the loft, to help with feeding the cable up behied the plasterboard).

But down the other end of the landing the wall is plaster, so I have got to chase out the wall to be able to get the three core & Earth down to the switch, and then plaster over the chase.

So what I wanted to know is can you plaster over the cable , or do you have to put the cable into oval conduit, and then plaster over the conduit

thanks.

 

[JohnD]

You can plaster over cables, but the plasterer's trowel might nick them.

So it is usual to put then either in oval conduit, or cover with flat channel capping (which you can apply after the cables have been run) and plaster over that.

You need a much bigger chase for the capping as it is quite wide.

If you use the conduit it is not impossible to feed cable down it if you ever need to.

 

[mdbalson]

You can plaster over cables, but the plasterer's trowel might nick them.

So it is usual to put then either in oval conduit, or cover with flat channel capping (which you can apply after the cables have been run) and plaster over that.

You need a much bigger chase for the capping as it is quite wide.

If you use the conduit it is not impossible to feed cable down it if you ever need to.

Yes I thought that you had to put the cables in conduit or capping, insted of pastering over cables.

And is it ok to have cables running between pasterboard and the wall

 

[JohnD]

They must be vertical from the switch up so people have a chance of guessing where they are.

 

[mdbalson]

They must be vertical from the switch up so people have a chance of guessing where they are.

Yes that what I did, as the cable has to go up into the loft.

 

[mdbalson]

I have changed one of the lights on the landing to a two way system (as there are two lights on the landing, one at the top of the stairs, which is already on a two way system. And the other light is down the far end of the landing on a one system).

I am changed the light down the far landing, so that you can turn it on & off from both ends of the landing.

I managed to feed the three core & Earth, behied the plasterboard, that is on the wall at the top of the stairs (I did this by dilling four small holes in the wall, & one hole though the ceiling and into the loft, to help with feeding the cable up behied the plasterboard).

But down the other end of the landing the wall is plaster, so I had to chase out the wall to be able to get the three core & Earth down to the switch (in oval conduit), and then plaster over the oval conduit & the chase.

It was easyer to do the 3 core & Earth as two pieces & join them in the loft.


Here are some pictures of what I did

1) The switch at the top of the stairs (2 Gang switch) (The Plasterboard wall)

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PB250144.jpg


2) Close up of wires in the switch at the top of the stairs (2 Gang Switch)

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PB260146.jpg


3) Chase in Plaster wall at end of Landing (1 Gang Switch)

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PC040150.jpg


4) Close up of wires in the switch at the end of the landing (1 Gang Switch)

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PC040151.jpg


5) The 20A 4 Terminal JB in the Loft

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PC030147.jpg


6) Close up of the 20A 4 Terminal JB in the Loft

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PC040153.jpg


7) Finished 2 Gang Switch at the top of the stairs

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PC240001.jpg

This switch controls:-

1st Gang= the light at the top of the stairs, (Also controled by switch at bottom of stairs)

2nd Gang= the light at the end of the landing


8 ) Finished 1 Gang Switch down the end of the landing

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/PC240002.jpg

This switch controls the light at the end of the landing

 

[scousespark]

It looks like you haven't earthed the back boxes here and have fitted metal switch plates.

You should connect the earth conductors to the earth connector on the switch plates and connect the switch plate earth to the earth connector in your back boxes.

 

[mdbalson]

It looks like you haven't earthed the back boxes here and have fitted metal switch plates.

You should connect the earth conductors to the earth connector on the switch plates and connect the switch plate earth to the earth connector in your back boxes.

Yes I have connected the earth conductors to the earth connector in the back box and then connected the switch plate earth to the earth conductor in the back box. In both Switches.

 

[rlc]

It looks like you haven't earthed the back boxes here and have fitted metal switch plates.

You should connect the earth conductors to the earth connector on the switch plates and connect the switch plate earth to the earth connector in your back boxes.

Yes I have connected the earth conductors to the earth connector in the back box and then connected the switch plate earth to the earth conductor in the back box. In both Switches.

I understood the earth conductor should always come to the face plate and if the back box has minimum 1 fixed tab used to secure the face-plate then there was not requirement to earth the back box with a flylead.

 

[mdbalson]

It looks like you haven't earthed the back boxes here and have fitted metal switch plates.

You should connect the earth conductors to the earth connector on the switch plates and connect the switch plate earth to the earth connector in your back boxes.

Yes I have connected the earth conductors to the earth connector in the back box and then connected the switch plate earth to the earth conductor in the back box. In both Switches.

I understood the earth conductor should always come to the face plate and if the back box has minimum 1 fixed tab used to secure the face-plate then there was not requirement to earth the back box with a flylead.

At colege we get told if it is a metal socket or light switch, to always put in a flying earth link from the socket or light swich to the metal back box.