How to hide conduit trunking...?

[svouts]

Hello,
We had to install a new conduit trunking which runs externally in the front garden. Although it serves its purpose, we find it very ugly and especially the exposed part in the entrance can be damaged and become a safety issue.
How can we hide the conduit trunking so it is not visible and it is also safer, any solutions?
Many thanks!

 

[omega015]

What is the purpose of the conduit? where is it going to? The only real options are putting it underground away from accidental damage, or using some cable designed to be clipped to walls (but its still visible and ugly) or using some metal/galvanized conduit.

Perhaps there is an alternative route you can take indoors? maybe through the wall and under the floors? More destructive but maybe a better long term solution?

 

[OwainDIYer]

at the front door it should have been in steel conduit, have steel capping, or have been drilled diagonally through the wall behind the pillar.

Along the side brick wall it will be a lot less visble if you paint it.

 

[svouts]

What is the purpose of the conduit? where is it going to? The only real options are putting it underground away from accidental damage, or using some cable designed to be clipped to walls (but its still visible and ugly) or using some metal/galvanized conduit.

Perhaps there is an alternative route you can take indoors? maybe through the wall and under the floors? More destructive but maybe a better long term solution?

The consumer unit for the communal staircase lights is in an enclosure in the front garden. The conduit is for installing socket for hoovering in the communal staircase but later on we want to install a fire alarm system.

There is no other way around, it has to go through the main entrance.

Probably the cable can be buried in the front garden but the big problem is the main entrance.

 

[svouts]

Probably the cable can be buried in the front garden but the big problem is the main entrance.

Can we use something like skirting board trunking or 1/4 circle trunking?

I can see that there are many options for decorative trunking; can we use it for outdoor conduit?

 

[dannyboi2003]

Christ my Nan could have done a better job of that, the corner piece will be kicked off in no time! My advice - find a better electrician!!

 

[svouts]

Christ my Nan could have done a better job of that, the corner piece will be kicked off in no time! My advice - find a better electrician!!

I agree, that is why I am looking for a solution to the problem… the worst part is at the door frame it was used an electric chisel breaker…and silicone…

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What is the purpose of the conduit? where is it going to?

You wouldn't have had to ask that if svouts had responded to the requests for photos in his first topic about all this by putting them in that topic rather than starting a new one.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The consumer unit for the communal staircase lights is in an enclosure in the front garden.

Why?

Is that not the root of the problem, and route to a solution?

Where do the supplies for the flats enter the building? Where are the meters?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Also, who did this work, and who let them?

 

[svouts]

Why?

Is that not the root of the problem, and route to a solution?

Where do the supplies for the flats enter the building? Where are the meters?

I prefer not to discuss about the meters and all other things...we can rebuild the whole Victorian building and re-design its conversion to flats. what is done is done...and it could be a big project to change all these...the consumer unit is in the garden and we just want to have a socket for hoovering the carpet and a fire alarm...

I am just looking for a better solution to hide the conduit trunking so it looks better and make it more safe...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I prefer not to discuss about the meters and all other things

So - in summary you prefer not to be open to other ideas about solving the problem which you have.

what is done is done

Who did what is done? Who let them?

the consumer unit is in the garden

A pretty ridiculous place for it, IMO.

and we just want to have a socket for hoovering the carpet and a fire alarm...

And you will need an electrical supply for that socket.

Which has to come over a cable.

And that cable has to come from a CU outside the building, across the front garden and into the building.

There is no such thing as wireless electricity or magic wands to get around that fact.

I am just looking for a better solution to hide the conduit trunking so it looks better and make it more safe...

Dig up the front garden, bury the cable, and excavate through/under the footings so that it can be brought up into the building.

As you refuse to tell us anything about where/how the existing supply gets to each flat, I don't see what else people can suggest. If you don't bury the cable it will not be buried and it will therefore HAVE TO run along the walls as it does. If you can persuade the owner of the ground floor flat to the right of the front door to have holes drilled in his walls and the cable run through his room(s) then you could shorten the outside route a bit.

 

[svouts]

OK!
This is a Victorian House that is converted in to flats back in the 80s…The electric meters for the flats are outside in an enclosure in the front garden. The consumer units for each flat are inside the flats. The consumer unit for the communal areas is in the front garden enclosure next to the meters.

The consumer unit for the communal areas is used only for the electricity of 4 basic pendant lights in the staircase. The lights in the communal staircase area are operated by 4 retracted switches and a timer that is installed in the ceiling of the corridor. The timer was installed by an electrician 4 years ago and there is no trunking in the corridor at the moments, all cables are tidy hidden in the walls.

I bought the flat some years ago like this.

Now, we wanted to install a socket in the communal staircase for hoovering the communal carpet and also to install a fire alarm and safety lights.

We asked for an electrician to check how to do it and he told us that we need two things:

1. to upgrade the 40 years old consumer unit in the front garden.

2. to install new conduit from the consumer unit in the front garden to inside the communal staircase.

We have a property managing agency that got some quotes for the job. The property agency gave access to the electrician with the best offer and he installed this conduit tracking. When we got back from work in the evening we saw this ugly work and we did not like it.

We find the conduit trunking ugly and not so safe and we try to find a solution to hide the conduit trunking.

We intent also to put new tiles in the front entrance and make it nice so this ugly trunking will look even worst...!

Is there any way ti hide the trunking?

 

[JohnD]

yes, you can dig a trench and bury it.

I am bemused by the idea of a "40 years old consumer unit in the front garden"

 

[endecotp]

There is no magic solution.
My preference would be to run it under the floor of the ground floor flat.
Is there a cellar?