Hollow block chase

[Callismichael]

Hello

Does anybody know regulations regarding chasing of hollow blocks?

My electrician has chased out the hollow blocks for meter tails and as you can see from the picture the front face of the block has come away. It is however still supported by blocks below.

The hollow block is 100mm single skin thickness and voids have been drilled so accommodate the cable. My main concern is the vertical chase.

Thank you for your help.

Michael

 

[securespark]

What the heck?

There are regs covering the depth of chase, which I think your guy has exceeded.

A vertical chase can be up to 1/3 of the depth of the inner leaf, and a horizontal chase 1/6.

He would have to provide RCD protection for them unless he can provide additional protection (Reg. 522.6, from memory). And they would have to be in a safe zone.

Otherwise, he should not be burying these tails.

Is that PEB in a safe zone?

 

[Callismichael]

I know that because it has gone through the block wall it is deeper than 50mm but the taild does also cross a vertical 2.5 T+E cable aswell but the socket cable is mounted to the wall. However im not too chuffed with the fact that so much of the wall has been chased down. Yes I can brick up but because the tails are now in the way, this is easier said than done. Just a bit of a mess. Because these are hollow block then the actual face of the hollow blocks have split. the horizontal chases have been drilled through the voids. Not really sure on safe zones for pipes. I do know he is earthing from the consumer to the main gas meter.

 

[Iggifer]

Well they start off in a safe zone, but then whether or not they continue in one depends on the location of the consumer unit.

That entire section of missing block will need replacing. With blocks, not just muck and bits of rubble. It can be a nightmare chasing hollow block but that looks deliberate to me

 

[securespark]

A deliberate dog's dinner, you mean?

 

[Iggifer]

Yep! That was a total "I can't be bothered to work out what angle to drill these tails through, i'll just smash this corner out of the wall" moment

 

[Callismichael]

Consumer is here the drilling of blocks is fine it's the corner that's the issue. Suppose it's because the cable comes down and there may not have been voids there but it's a load bearing wall.

I know the house isn't going to come crashing down but getting smaller bricks where the face of the hollow blocks are split isn't going to be easy.

 

[Iggifer]

Any half decent bricky will be able to patch that up in no time at all. They'll just use full size blocks and break them down to size.

What happened to that great honking hole under the consumer unit? Did that get blocked up again? I'd be more concerned about that than the corner.

 

[securespark]

That PEB is not in a safe zone.

It needs moving to where it is.

 

[EFLImpudence]

It's already where it is.

 

[Callismichael]

That hole was where the old meter board was. Where should that pipe be installed? I've got enough holes haha. Building control never mentioned the pipe.

 

[Callismichael]

Surely that opening is fine as a meter box isn't load bearing?

 

[securespark]

Pipe?

I'm talking about the earth cable to the pipe.

It needs to be in a safe zone. This can easily be done by fitting an accessory box in line with the cable.

 

[Callismichael]

The electrician hasnt connected the earth to the gas meter yet so is it a case of bonding to that pipe, then from the pipe through the wall to the gas meter?

 

[securespark]

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by "that pipe".

The PEB cable should link the installation pipe leaving the gas meter to the Main Earthing Terminal.