Garage conversion help needed!

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Bedfordshire
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Doing a garage conversion, Build Regs guy told me that I have to fill the void in the ceiling that reaches out to the soffits, with expanding foam. However, electrician has since came in and used the same void to run a few electricity cables through, say 5 or 6 cables with max 1m length.

Am I ok to use expanding foam in there with cables.
 
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There will be some thermal insulation issues, which could mean the heat from the cables will not dissipate and the current carrying capacity will be effected. Do you know what circuits these cables are for?
The CSA of the cables?
The size of the MCB that are protecting the circuit?
and the depth and overall length they are within the foam?

General lighting circuits on 6A MCB run in 1.00mm Twin and Earth are okay, but you could have problems with power circuits for sockets!
 
I'll try my best to answer these.

We're upgrading our 16A cable running from our house to the garage, to a 32A cable. Our old garage MCB is 25A, though maybe changing it. Then it has new wiring for 4 double sockets, 2 lights and 2 electric heaters. All of these at least in part run through the void which I must fill - The void is about 8" x 8" and 2.5m length, 2 sockets, 1 light and 1 heater has cable running 1m through it. The others run for only about 8". All cables would be at the edge of the foam, maybe 1 or 2" in at most.
 
Unfortunately there is no such thing as a cable that is 32A, 16A or any other amp value!
Cables are rated by the CSA and cable type, they are rated at a maximum current which is then de-rated when variables are factored in.
I can take a guess at what your cable sizes are but I would be making assumptions.
For example the common type of domestically used cable is twin and earth.
1.00mm t&e will carry a maximum of 16A, when cable runs are within trunking/conduit and run through thermal insulation for lengths above 50mm then de-rating factors will be applied, they will differ depending on the length the cable is surrounded by thermal insulation, this can de-rate it's current carrying capacity, by differing values between 0.88 and 0.50.
So a 1.00mm (16A Max) could be de-rated by 50%(8A current carrying capacity) This can also be effected by the distance the cable is run and voltage crop will need to be calculated in to the factor.
Therefore there is no such thing as a cable that is 16A as when factors are applied, it no-longer can carry that current safely.
This applies to all cables.
So we really need to know the size CSA of the cable.
I assume the heaters are on circuit of there own? What output of power are they?
 
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I'm guessing the receipt would help, as I'm no electrician...

Cable Twinearth 2.5mm 50m Grey
M/T Rectangular Channel White 2mx13mmx8mm
4x GET 13A 2 gang switched
18x Cable 6mx1m 7/1 04 Black
GET Plateswitch 2 gang 2 way
GET Spur DP Switched Fused 13A

I asked my electrician, he said hmmm should be okay, but not exactly convincing enough for me to seal it up with foam and then hide with celotex, timber and plasterboard.
 
So you have nothing more than 2.5mm t&e.
This can carry a maximum of 27A, can be used on both sockets and lights but normal find lights with 1.00mm or 1.5mm then becomes difficult to fit in light fitting terminals.
So you state surrounded by 8x8 inch, so about 200mm.
A derating factor of 0.63 should be applied, so you are looking at 17A max.
For any circuit on the 2.5mm in this void.
Generally lighting circuits will be on a 6A device, sockets will vary between 32A and 16A(in this case you will be restricted to 16 max demand and your heaters will depend on the output value 3000w will be around 13Amps if you have two on a single circuit this could add up to 26A.
Does not seem to stack up as a good or safe design as it stands!
 
Also where is the garage is it connected to the house or Separate?
If separate, what cable has been used the route and how fixed also distance of cable route?
 
Separate garage. The power runs from our house main fuse box into the garage, distance of 5m, initially tacked round the side of the house, then 1ft underground and finally into the garage. This cable is currently being replaced, electrician said it was a "16" and being replaced for a thicker "32". Whatever that means, guessed Amps.
 
Your electrician is talking crap.
If I was running a cable from CU to garage over 5M, it would be at least 4.00mm steel wired armoured and buried at least 500mm deep or even 600mm if the garden is tooled in that area, should be marked by cable covers or suitable marking tape.
This can then be protected at CU end by a 32A MCB and then a septate garage CU fitted to distribute circuits for your sockets, lights and heaters.
I still have an issue with the heaters, need to know the output of these as that would change the design 3kW heaters will require 13A per heater, 2kW will require 9A per heater.
So the SWA cable could raise to 6.00mm and require a 40A device.
Who designed the installation?
Need a bit more info to give you precise calculation.
So need to know the type and size of the distribution cable from CU to garage and the rating of the heaters are these on a separate circuit.
Have you got a garage CU with RCD protection?
Is the electrician registered as competent?
 
The heaters havent been bought yet, only about to start converting garage to habitable building. Electrician said they would be low kw, and yes he's registered.

SWA sounds right, he did mention armoured a few times and i could see at its ends the 3 wires were steel. But not sure type and size of cable, 6mm looked about right.

Yes, garage has its own CU with RCB protection and MCB for lights and sockets
 
How big is the room space where the heaters are to be installed in cubic metres and to what degree is this space insulated?

For example a room that was 7mx4mx2.4m with a high degree of insulation would require about 3.5kW of heat.

Normally you would work out your design for the electrics, firstly taking in the consideration of what is required at the load side (garage)
Your basic requirements are lights, sockets and heating.
this could be divided in to two circuits if the heaters were plug in or three if they require a circuit of there own.
Also consideration would need to be taken for the use of the socket outlets, if you are using this as a workshop you may need a little more power to accommodate welders, lathe etc for machines with high current and inrush current demands.
So really depends what your requirements are?
If the cable is SWA three core, you will see that the cable is sheathed with black PVC and a protective metal braid/strips before a second inner PVC sheath then three conductor cores.
6.00mm can carry a max of 53A, so that could be protected at the cu by a 50A MCB, given you 6A for lighting 20A for sockets and 20A for heating circuit with two 2kW heaters on it.
As the derating of the cable is an issue for the power circuits, the cable could be in 2.5mm t&e and removed from any insulation routes or be of a higher CSA.
4.00mm t&e can carry max of 37A, derated by the 0.63 would allow 23A to be carried safely this can be protected by a 20A MCB.
Then the jobs a good one!
 
Build Regs guy told me that I have to fill the void in the ceiling that reaches out to the soffits, with expanding foam.

Why has he told you to fill the gap with expanding foam in the first place??
 

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