Electric UFH and, er, electricity

[garysmi]

Long time reader, first time poster.

I'm installing UFH in my upstairs rooms - done two, just cracking on with a third. The room has four joist bays. Two of them have T&E running through them, two do not. Unfortunately, it's a case of the two with T&E are next to each other.

I'm reckoning that running UFH in close proximity to T&E cables is rather a silly thing to do. However, the UFH cabling (ie the bit that chucks out the heat) whilst hot, isn't amazing so.

So - is it safe to run UFH in the same bay as T&E?

Ta!

 

[holmslaw]

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[garysmi]

Yep, doing everything properly. The electrics that are in the place at the moment - well - when I moved in - are, shall we say, questionable at best. Lots of it has come out. I take pride in my work and would rather not be worrying about my house burning down.

(Examples of the comedy workmanship I've been removing - 16mm 3 core SWA running to an outside IP65 rated 13A socket terminating on a 13A plug, plugged in to the ring main. RCD? What RCD? Oh, and it runs *through* a brick barbecue. No, really. It runs through it. I've got photos.

T&E tails coming off the CU which just... stop. They're live, like. They just stop. No insulating tape, nothing. Nice touch.

The usual gaggle of lights running off the ring main.

The pump for the whirlpool bath connected to the ring main. RCD? What's that then?)

Anyway. Everything is getting done properly, by the book. Obviously, getting proper sparks in to do the actual wiring. The install guidance for the UFH doesn't specifically mention anything about proximity to cables, nor, oddly anything else apart from it needing to be 25mm away from itself (ie elements not touching itself). Unsurprisingly, the company I'm buying my kit from (who I'll not name) don't see an issue with it. As they're only really box shifters, I doubted that they'd have any real understanding of things like 17th ed and so on.

The layout of the room is such that there's a half bay which isn't suitable for UFH, but does have space to run T&E cabling in. Would it be considered notifiable work to move the cabling from one bay to the other? My understanding is that it isn't, so that's potentially an option.

The cabling running through the bays is:
o One run for a ceiling rose. Obviously this bay is totally out unless I move the rose.
o Two runs for a ring main. This goes through another bay, but could conceivably, as noted above, be moved to a half bay. I'd then have:

Half bay T&E for ring main
Full bay Previously T&E for ring main
Full bay T&E for ceiling rose
Full bay empty
Full bay empty

I could then just bridge across at the end where the T&E for the rose doesn't run... hmm. Penny for the collective's thoughts?

 

[holmslaw]

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[ban-all-sheds]

(Examples of the comedy workmanship I've been removing - 16mm 3 core SWA running to an outside IP65 rated 13A socket terminating on a 13A plug, plugged in to the ring main.

16mm² SWA (or any cable) terminated in a plug and a socket?

I don't think so, and it's worrying that you do.

RCD? What RCD?

Clearly something you don't have in your CU, and something that you really really should have for your socket circuits, possibly must have for the UFH, and will seriously struggle to do without for any new concealed cables installed.


So you should have an electrician replace the CU.

Everything is getting done properly, by the book.

Is it really?

You've been installing UFH. Did you apply for Building Regulations approval first? Or is that aspect of it not being done by the book?

Obviously, getting proper sparks in to do the actual wiring.

Have you already found one? Is what you are, and have been, doing been under his guidance and supervision?

If so, why aren't you asking him the questions you're asking here?

After all, you'll be expecting him to certify that he designed and installed it, won't you?

Or do you think that you'll be able to get someone in after the event, present him with your fait accompli, and have him gaily connect it up and certify that he did it all? If so you'll find it doesn't work like that...

Would it be considered notifiable work to move the cabling from one bay to the other? My understanding is that it isn't, so that's potentially an option.

Err - installing UFH is notifiable, so why are you concerned about moving cables?

Why would one additional notifiable task be important if you'd already notified the work as a whole, or were having it all done by an electrician?