How Would You Chase This Cable Into The Wall?

[ILikeDIYS]

A good amount of this wall will be removed but there is an annoying cable in conduit leading to a double socket next to the fridge.

Black line near ceiling shows the end of the yellow wall (first pic), so the conduit is slightly to the right of the black line.

I need to get the cable to the corner where the stairs are (about 10cm to the left of the black line - second pic) so I can chase down to where the plug socket will be (red rectangle - might change a bit).

Of course the easiest way would be to drill diagonally right at the top of the wall and fish it through - is this permitted and is there an easier way to do it? Thanks.

 

[chivers67]

Is this part of a ring? If you put it in steel conduit and give it mechanical protection then it will be fine.

 

[ILikeDIYS]

Also a couple more quick questions...

Q1. I need a light in that area under the stairs. Am I right if I run a 2.5mm cable through to the other side of the wall from the new double socket (red rectangle) straight into a fused switched connection unit, replace the 13A fuse in the FCU with a 5A fuse, then run a 1.5mm cable to the lamp?


Q2. I need a socket for the washing machine. Can I take any 1 leg from the (red rectangle) double socket, crimp it to extend wrapping insulation tape around the crimped joint, run it to the washing machine socket, then run another leg back to the (red rectangle) double socket to complete the ring? It is OK to just leave a crimped joint like this under the floorboards?

Cheers.

 

[ILikeDIYS]

Is this part of a ring? If you put it in steel conduit and give it mechanical protection then it will be fine.

Is steel conduit mandatory or just good practice? I noticed the cables already there were done in steel rather than plastic. Yes fairly new (10 years) ring and RCD protected.

 

[mwatsonxx]

I'm assuming you don't have the skills or specialist tools to install steel conduit. The rule for this situation is that flush cable is vertical and straight from socket into the ceiling above.

 

[chivers67]

Is steel conduit mandatory or just good practice? I noticed the cables already there were done in steel rather than plastic. Yes fairly new (10 years) ring and RCD protected.

If cable is ran outside of safe zones and not 50mm deep it needs mechanical protection to comply with the current regualtions

 

[ILikeDIYS]

One sec... so the only "unsafe zone" here is the bit at the top of the wall - or the whole route? And yes the cable will be chased vertically above the double socket.

When I said the wiring had been done in steel conduit I actually meant oval metal conduit (black) and not the circular industrial stuff.

And if it makes any difference the wall is non-load-bearing with plasterboard between wall and joists.

 

[EFLImpudence]

https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:walls

 

[rsgaz]

There is nothing wrong with chasing the wall down to the socket like this...

It doesn't have to be dead centre of the the socket, the whole width of the socket is the 'safe zone'.

And if you look at a double gang galvanised back box, you'll see there isn't a knockout in the middle anyway.

the wall is non-load-bearing with plasterboard

I don't understand this bit, it's clearly a brick wall from the first photo?

Gaz

 

[ILikeDIYS]

Thanks Gaz, that's what I meant - I just spent 10 mins reading EFL's link getting confused as I designed this route to be IN the safe zone. The only part I was unsure of is the bit right at the top of the wall (which is outside of the safe zone) since I've never had to push cable through like this. So from what I can see I only need steel conduit at the top then plastic conduit down to the socket

The bit about the plasterboard... the ceiling was plaster boarded before the wall was put up. So on top of the brick wall is a layer of plaster which obviously helps when drilling the cable through.

 

[rsgaz]

part I was unsure of is the bit right at the top of the wall (which is outside of the safe zone)

The top 150mm of a wall IS a safe zone, all the way round, in any room. I personally don't like it though, someone in the future could get a nasty surprise when drilling there.

The steel conduit idea doesn't work for your situation, it has to be earthed steel conduit, so scrap that idea, it's just getting over-complicated for what you need.

Pull up a floorboard upstairs, pull the cables(s) up from the wrong side and feed them back down on the correct side into the new chase you'll be cutting.

Gaz

 

[rsgaz]

then plastic conduit down to the socket

Do you mean surface trunking like you have now, or plastic capping that goes into a chase?

I don't mean to be a stickler (I'm going to regret this probably, some members will be on my case!!!), but while trunking and capping are technically types of conduit, it gets confusing to use that term for all of them. In normal usage 'conduit' means the round tube type, in either steel or PVC.

If you are going to use surface mounted trunking, the rules about safe zones become completely irrelevant, you could zig-zag it diagonally down the wall if you wanted to. They only apply to concealed cables.

Gaz

 

[deadshort]

you could zig-zag it diagonally down the wall if you wanted to\''


Like the council do !

DS

 

[ILikeDIYS]

Nope it's all going to be inside the wall. I mean the plastic oval conduit which you would normally use for chases but with metal conduit right at the top (since someone brought up mechanical protection).

I did pull up a floor board but I still think I'll have to weave the cable around a bit hence the question. It's probably unlikely anyone would even drill up there in the future TBH.

It's just that there's a mishmash of materials in that corner (brick walls off-center to each other, wooden panels for staircase, ceiling plaster etc...).

Originally I was asking if I can drill diagonally at the top of the wall to run the cable to the chase location (green line you drew). Metal conduit only came into the discussion as someone above mentioned it.

 

[winston1]

Also a couple more quick questions...

Q1. I need a light in that area under the stairs. Am I right if I run a 2.5mm cable through to the other side of the wall from the new double socket (red rectangle) straight into a fused switched connection unit, replace the 13A fuse in the FCU with a 5A fuse, then run a 1.5mm cable to the lamp?


Q2. I need a socket for the washing machine. Can I take any 1 leg from the (red rectangle) double socket, crimp it to extend wrapping insulation tape around the crimped joint, run it to the washing machine socket, then run another leg back to the (red rectangle) double socket to complete the ring? It is OK to just leave a crimped joint like this under the floorboards?

Cheers.

1. OK. You only need 1.0mm cable to the lamp. What is this obsession with oversized cable for lighting?

2. I wouldn't leave it under the floorboards. Why can't it remain in the double sockets back box? I would prefer to solder it than crimp, and use self amalgamating tape not insulation tape. Some say you shouldn't crimp solid cables.