Conduit for running cable behind plaster

[Blitherer]

What kind of conduit is necessary for running mains lighting cable in plaster vertically upwards from a light switch to a point above the ground floor ceiling?

There will be three cables from a three gang switch for three separate lights in the room.

Can someone please provide me with a link (toolstation, screwfix etc), so I can see exactly the type required.

Thanks

M

 

[mongy1]

I used 20mm oval stuff from B & Q. Just protects the cable from the plasterer.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

Its not necessary to use conduit at all for the job you describe

 

[sparkticus]

You can use capping:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Accessories_Index/Capping/index.html#Capping_Pvc


Or conduit:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...l_Pvc_Tube_and_Clips/index.html#Oval_Pvc_Tube

Or nothing at all.

The main point of capping is to stop the plasterer from slicing the cable insulation with a trowel. There are no regulations as such that force you to place the wiring in conduit or capping for your particular application.

Conduit may help in a distant future rewire aiding a new run of cable but other than that no significant advantage.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What kind of conduit is necessary for running mains lighting cable in plaster vertically upwards from a light switch to a point above the ground floor ceiling?

Is the circuit RCD protected?

 

[Blitherer]

Is the circuit RCD protected?

No

 

[sparkticus]

Is the circuit RCD protected?

No

No RCD? Is this a new circuit that you are installing?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's new concealed cables.

522.6.6 A cable concealed in a wall or partition at a depth of less than 50 mm from a surface of the wall or partition shall:
(i) incorporate an earthed metallic covering which complies with the requirements of these Regulations for a protective conductor of the circuit concerned, the cable complying with BS 5467, BS 6346, BS 6724, BS 7846, BS EN 60702-1 or BS 8436, or
(ii) be enclosed in earthed conduit complying with BS EN 61386 and satisfying the requirements of these Regulations for a protective conductor, or
(iii) be enclosed in earthed trunking or ducting complying with BS EN 50085 and satisfying the requirements of these Regulations for a protective conductor, or
(iv) be mechanically protected against damage sufficient to prevent penetration of the cable by nails, screws and the like…

522.6.7 Where Regulation 522.6.6 applies and the installation is not intended to be under the supervision of a skilled or instructed person, a cable installed in accordance with Regulation 522.6.6 (v), and not complying with Regulation 522.6.6 (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv), shall be provided with additional protection by means of an RCD having the characteristics specified in Regulation 415.1.1.


Blitherer - if you don't put that circuit on an RCD then you'll have to bury the cables at least 50mm deep, or use the right sort of cable, or use earthed steel conduit etc or provide good mechanical protection.

Note - capping (even metal) or PVC conduit will not provide adequate mechanical protection.

 

[Blitherer]

Thanks ban-all-sheds. I guess this means I would be better off replacing my old fuse board with a new consumer unit with RCDs?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You should give it serious consideration.

As ever, personal recommendations are always the best way to find a reputable tradesman, but if you're having to go ahead without much in the way of those, or references, don't put any store by registration itself - sadly it is possible to become registered with woefully inadequate qualifications and zero practical experience. You don't have to spend long here to see people cropping up who are registered and "qualified", but who are clearly seriously incompetent in reality and who should not be charging for their services.

You are looking for someone to replace a CU, and it may surprise and dismay you to learn that it is quite possible to become a "certified electrician" without ever having done that before, and without having acquired any of the fault-finding skills needed to do it.

It's your money, £'00s of it, and you have every right to ask prospective tradesmen what their qualifications and experience are. Just being listed here is not a good enough guide. No genuinely experienced electrician, with the "full set" of C&G qualifications will mind you asking - in fact he will wish that everyone was like you.

I feel sorry for people who have been misled by training organisations and (shamefully) the Competent Person scheme organisers into thinking that a 5-day training course, a couple of trivial examples of their work and some basic understanding of how to use test equipment will make them an electrician, but not sorry enough to agree with them trying to sell their services to Joe Public.

 

[sparkticus]

It's your money, £'00s of it, and you have every right to ask prospective tradesmen what their qualifications and experience are. Just being listed here is not a good enough guide. No genuinely experienced electrician, with the "full set" of C&G qualifications will mind you asking - in fact he will wish that everyone was like you.

Exactly!

(shamefully) the Competent Person scheme organisers into thinking that a 5-day training course, a couple of trivial examples of their work and some basic understanding of how to use test equipment will make them an electrician

Absolutely agree.

My understanding is that the 5 day wonder courses are phasing out - being replaced by NVQ3?
The VRQ level 2 domestic installer course is apparently not recognised as of a few months ago.

Now will that improve standards? I don't know. Is that heading slightly in the right direction? Probably.

 

[JohnW2]

My understanding is that the 5 day wonder courses are phasing out - being replaced by NVQ3?

Does 'NVQ' still stand for 'not very qualified'?

Kind Regards, John.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Richard C]

I used 20mm oval stuff from B & Q. Just protects the cable from the plasterer.

If one more person says that

 

[sparkticus]

My understanding is that the 5 day wonder courses are phasing out - being replaced by NVQ3?

Does 'NVQ' still stand for 'not very qualified'?

It probably does but what is the alternative? Right now you have kitchen fitters, plumbers, carpenters even roofers all doing domestic electrics. Now most of them are very good at their primary job but have limited electrical knowledge but may well do the job (additional spur, modify lighting circuit etc) safely provided they have basic training.

Then you have the people that were accountants one day then went on a 5 day course (but likely a 3 - 7 week course) and call themselves electricians. Many of which are working alone as "self employed electricians" Many of these people get through the self certification process and become registered. Are they really electricians? Well it takes 5 years to get 5 years experience and it takes 10 years to get 10 years experience so absolutely they are not electricians yet.

If the training schemes and the self certifications schemes did not exist then how many of these people would still go off and do what they do? I suspect at least 70% of them. The system is a far distant from perfect but is it not better to train them and register them then let them run riot?

Actually I don't know what side I fall on. On one hand I think despite the system being imperfect it has some benefit. On the other hand as someone who did a recognised apprenticeship, spent over six years at college and continues to train and re-train it irritates me intensely that anyone dare call themselves and electrician, electrical engineer or electronics engineer on seven weeks training. Its not the seven week. Its the fact that most of them are oblivious of terms like RMS, Power Factor, Phase Angle etc, etc. They have vitually no electrical science training.

breath - breath - breath - deep breath---- OK I'm fine now


I doubt that NVQ 3 is very significant but it's a step up from VRQ level 2 with its 60 multiple choice questions. At least it includes some experience.


If I had my choice for youngsters I would bring back 4 - 5 year apprenticeships with day release at college. It worked - why was it ever changed ?

For adults I would insist on two years experience + C&G2391 minimum before they could register but that will probably never happen.