Horizontal wiring

[SquareBoy]

Hi all,
I've just moved into a 1960 flat, floors and walls are all solid brick/concrete. I want to add some extra wall sockets. As I understand it normally you'd run the cable vertically down then under the floorboards and up at the new socket location. Now, having no floorboards, ideally I just want to chisel a channel in the wall horizontally to the new socket's position.

- Is this allowed?
- If it is do I need to protect the cable in any way other than putting it in a platic conduit and applying filler over the top?

 

[SquareBoy]

I've just found this: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.4.1.htm that seems to suggest that I don't need any extra protection.

Any comments?

Thanks in advance.

 

[breezer]

you will require "extra protection", its to stop you putting a nail in the cable

 

[SquareBoy]

Thanks for the reply, but I'm now confused, is the website I found wrong (or out of date) or am I just misunderstanding it?

I'm quite happy that I won't put a nail into the cable as it's only about a foot above the floor and I know where it will be, but I am worried about selling the flat in the future. Is it acceptable to expect the future owners to know that they ought to check for cables coming horizontally from sockets?

Also how should the cable be protected? I don't have a lot of room to play with in the cement layer (maybe 1.5 - 2 cm) and I'd rather not have to start chisselling bricks.

 

[breezer]

you cant just "plaster a cable into a wall" and if it is horizontal it would be nice if in steel conduit. but you can get steel capping

as for the other would you check for where a cable is? i think not

 

[SquareBoy]

I was planning on using some plastic conduit that I have seen (not just plastering it into the wall, even I'm not that stupid ), guess I'll have to look for some metal stuff instead.

Thanks for the help

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Thanks for the reply, but I'm now confused, is the website I found wrong (or out of date) or am I just misunderstanding it?

You are misunderstanding it - but it is not at all well written. It doesn't explicitly say it, but by implication the requirements are all there:

1) Cables in one of the acceptable zones or acceptable runs (which includes horizontal) and more than 50mm below the surface do not require protection.

2) Cables anywhere else, or cables in the acceptable zones or runs but less than 50mm below the surface do require protection.

I'm quite happy that I won't put a nail into the cable as it's only about a foot above the floor and I know where it will be, but I am worried about selling the flat in the future. Is it acceptable to expect the future owners to know that they ought to check for cables coming horizontally from sockets?

Given that it is perfectly acceptable, legal, BS7671 compliant etc for cables to run horizontally from sockets then yes, of course they should expect to check. IMHO, anybody who doesn't check anywhere that they are drilling or nailing no matter what the regulations say about the presence or protection of cables is a bloody fool.

Also how should the cable be protected? I don't have a lot of room to play with in the cement layer (maybe 1.5 - 2 cm) and I'd rather not have to start chisselling bricks.

Preferably steel conduit, failing that under steel capping.

Plastic won't do the trick:

 

[SquareBoy]

1) Cables in one of the acceptable zones or acceptable runs (which includes horizontal) and more than 50mm below the surface do not require protection.

2) Cables anywhere else, or cables in the acceptable zones or runs but less than 50mm below the surface do require protection.

Thanks for the clarification, that makes a lot more sense now.

 

[DavidH]

Interesting that in the DIYnot - How To section it says the following....

"Routing the cable behind plaster

The cable can be run horizontally or vertically but never diagonally - and cannot be routed through thermal plasterboard.
When running cable behind plaster it should be run in oval PVC conduit, this gives it some protection from screws and nails."

I don't understand why the regs dont state that metal rather than plastic should be used, then there would be no confusion.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

"some" protection? I find that an incredible claim.

NAILS - if you're banging on a nail hard enough to penetrate plaster, there is no way that it will get harder to drive in when it hits PVC conduit.

SCREWS - nobody screws directly into plaster, it doesn't work. You have to drill a hole and plug it first, and there is no way that you'll feel increased resistance when the drill bit (possibly hot by then) hits PVC conduit.


As for the regs - don't look for reason or logic there - that way lies madness.

 

[climberjim]

"some" protection? I find that an incredible claim.

NAILS - if you're banging on a nail hard enough to penetrate plaster, there is no way that it will get harder to drive in when it hits PVC conduit.

SCREWS - nobody screws directly into plaster, it doesn't work. You have to drill a hole and plug it first, and there is no way that you'll feel increased resistance when the drill bit (possibly hot by then) hits PVC conduit.


As for the regs - don't look for reason or logic there - that way lies madness.

Hi Sheds,

Where you quoting directly from BSxxxx. It seems to be at odd with the document I found here:

http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/C5-43.pdf

Although without access to its accompanying documents it's hard to be sure.

Is there anywhere that you are allowed to use plastic conduit?

Cheers

Jim

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Looks like I misread it as well, and interpreted it too rigourously.

NICEIC are unlikely to have got it wrong, so it's:

1) Less than 50mm deep = OK in one of the zones, but if not in a zone then needs mechanical protection

2) More than 50mm deep = OK anywhere.

So I guess it's OK to use PVC conduit anywhere if it's >50mm, or in a zone at any depth, to make cable pulling easier.

 

[il78]

Ban....thanks for using my own c*ck up to explain....just to let every one know, that this cable was run diagonally across my kitchen wall....even electricians can get it wrong

 

[supersparks]

why did you publish your cockup online lol

AR

 

[il78]

The picture was originally on a post about how crap plastic conduit/capping was.......then I went and drilled through the switch wire when trying to install a false ceiling.....and so the picture was born....