domestic garage & conduit. Only up to the ceiling?

[KevinPeters]

Hi all
I have recently replaced a single plastic socket with clipped 2.5mm T&E in my garage with 2 x metal sockets, 20mm conduit & 4mm T&E (very close to one another). This was changed as it was picked up on a PIR as non-compliant (no mechanical protection) and I wanted an additional socket.

I now require an additional double socket on the opposite wall.

By far the easiest way would be to continue the radial circuit up the wall, across the ceiling to the opposite wall and down to where I want the socket (about 1M up the wall, 2M across and 1M down again).

The ceiling is unfinished, and I believe that mechanical protection would not be required for the ceiling part - I understand that clipping to rafters will be fine (and running conduit up there would be a pain). But I will require conduit from the existing socket up to the ceiling and down from the ceiling to the new socket to maintain the protection

So, my question: How is the best way to cope with this transition from conduit to non-conduit?

I could just stop the conduit at the ceiling and continue the T&E out the top into the ceiling leaving a 'raw' edge. However, this seems like a bad idea - if there was a small leak it could drip down into the conduit slowly filling it up...

Seems like I would need something like this:
http://www.cable-connectors.co.uk/75007-size-2-cable-size-4.0-6.0-t-and-e.html (although annoyingly that is the only 4mm one I could find)

Mechanical protection seems very open to interpretation so it is difficult to find a definitive answer.

What should I do?

Thanks in advance
Kevin
p.s. I realise that one should should singles with conduits, however advice on these forums seems to be that for runs like mine T&E is acceptable.

 

[streetlighter]

You got 2x 4mm twin and earth cables inside a 20mm tube ? Well done for that, although i think the space factor of the conduit may be exceeded.
Cant understand why it was picked up on a PIR as non compliant for twin and earth cable to be clipped surface direct in a domestic garage, although not the way id do it theres nothing wrong with it in a low risk enviroment.

The last new build houses i worked on inside the garage the cable was clipped to the rafters and then the drops where done in mini trunking to plastic surface boxes.

 

[KevinPeters]

thanks streetlighter. No, only 1 x T&E 4mm - it's a radial circuit. So from what I can make out, space factor is fine.

I have read conflicting things about whether surface clipped is a problem or not. I read somewhere (forget exactly where), that anything below 2 metres should be protected, so I erred on the side of caution and did it as I was replacing the sockets anyway.

 

[bernardgreen]

non compliant for twin and earth cable to be clipped surface direct in a domestic garage,

No problem with it clipped to timber but not if clipped to a metal roof truss.

Personally I would use conduit to protect against accidental damage from careless moving of ladders etc that are often stored in garages.

 

[ericmark]

I wonder if some thing missed as many a domestic garage does not have mechanical protection. The building is designed to take a car nothing else. Not even designed so one can work on a car. But we all know often it becomes a store room. With a change of use there may be a case for more stringent protective measures. Mine from new has plastic consumer units with no method to isolate before the units. Rest of the estate is the same.

So before anyone advises on what is required what is needed is the reason why protection was considered as necessary. What is the garage being used for? To have a single socket in a garage to run a battery charger to keep the vehicle battery topped up would seem normal. After that the question must be asked why in a room designed for storing a car do you want more sockets?

I have extra sockets in my garage to charge the cordless gardening stuff. But I have been into a garage with a lath, grinder, and all other sorts of equipment and really it was a workshop not a garage any longer.

 

[KevinPeters]

Interesting point ericmark. My house is from the 1930s and the garage is far too small for anything other than a tiny car.

What is it used for? Like many people it is used for storage of tools, bikes, a (gas) tumble dryer and the occasional bit of light work in there - more heavy stuff is done outside.

Why do I need more sockets? Tumble dryer and drill charger use one permanently, the other is used when needed. I need a new set to plug in a transformer for some driveway lights.

That said, the PIR was done when the garage was completely empty (when the house was vacant).

 

[sparkybird]

The conduit box or elbow at the bottom of the conduit drop should have a drain hole drilled out in it to prevent water/condensation building up