Light supply cable found in wall crossing a horizontal cable

[FiveKnuckleShuffle]

Morning all,
I've removed a door and frame splitting a hallway in two. This has revealed the supply for the light switch running vertically as normal but it is behind a cable that is running horizontally.

Is this acceptable? Its an old sand stone terrace property.

Both cables are insulated but don't they heat up?

Its obviously been like that for a long time with no issue and I'm not wanting to cause too much disruption.

I can take a photo and post on my return to the house this evening.

thanks in advance

 

[ebee]

Well.
So long as both cables are run in a "zone of protection" (permitted zones) and one is not going to derate the other at any crossover point (which is probably extremely unlikely.
Then I do not consider it to be much of a problem.

 

[FiveKnuckleShuffle]

Well.
So long as both cables are run in a "zone of protection" (permitted zones) and one is not going to derate the other at any crossover point (which is probably extremely unlikely.
Then I do not consider it to be much of a problem.

Ah right. Its the first time I've come across it in a property is all and looked strange to me

 

[EFLImpudence]

Lighting cables are so hugely oversized that they will not get hot nor be put at risk if the other cable gets hot - which it won't.

What is the other cable supplying?

 

[FiveKnuckleShuffle]

Lighting cables are so hugely oversized that they will not get hot nor be put at risk if the other cable gets hot - which it won't.

What is the other cable supplying?

I think it's mains running to main fuse box

 

[SUNRAY]

Is that horizontal cable black rubber. If so it's overdue for renewal.

 

[securespark]

It would be helpful to see a picture of the inside of the light switch box, but I don't want to encourage you to do that in case the cable is rubber and moving it damages the insulation.

 

[stem]

I discovered something that looked like that once. A property had been rewired and short lengths of the old cable had been cut and nailed to the adjacent mortar courses and across the new cable it to hold it in place whilst the wall was plastered.

Fooled me for a bit when I first saw it. I'm not saying that is the case with yours though.

 

[ebee]

It is amazing how you can use wire,plastic, wood straps to plaster/half plaster util dry and holding a cable in position, see it done many times and also been there, done it and got the tee shirt.

 

[FiveKnuckleShuffle]

Everyone thinking it's nothing to worry about though. Yeah?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes. It doesn't matter.

 

[ebee]

Conversely, I have seen an installtion that looked like recent-ish wiring, modern-ish consumer unit, T & E cables, modern switches and sockets etc etc.
pull a few floorbords up and a plethera of junction boxes joining the a few metres of T & E to the older rubber cables.
A comestic con job 5 years earlier to help sell a house, I thought.

 

[securespark]

Sister's gaff was like that.

On moving in day, we arrived to find several light fittings missing and no replacements, all the switches and sockets were shiny new with rubber behind every one and the gas fires had been ripped out. The lead pipes were not capped off.