Make your own....Trunking

[ban-all-sheds]

The ones you highlight are of particular interest as they will have an effect on the placements of outlets and the maximum usage permitted.

No they won't.

Notably, if the cabling is done as per recommendations/specs of my electrician, can I manufacture my own trunking to use instead of him buying the off-the-shelf ones currently available.

Ask him - he is the one with design responsibility, he is the one taking liability, he is the one signing the EIC, and he is the one certifying that he did it all and it complies with the Building Regulations.

Nothing that anybody says here is of any use to you - his opinion is the only one you can go by.

So get off your high horse

I'm not on one.

You had given absolutely no indication that you were using an electrician, so I was trying to stop you going off and attempting something beyond your current level of competence.

 

[dextrous]

The ones you highlight are of particular interest as they will have an effect on the placements of outlets and the maximum usage permitted.

No they won't.

Safe areas imply there are unsafe areas, which is where I may have wished at least one outlet to go. Derating power usage implies less current usage may be available. But you're the expert, and a little clarification here would be appreciated.

Notably, if the cabling is done as per recommendations/specs of my electrician, can I manufacture my own trunking to use instead of him buying the off-the-shelf ones currently available.

Ask him - he is the one with design responsibility, he is the one taking liability, he is the one signing the EIC, and he is the one certifying that he did it all and it complies with the Building Regulations.

And if I wanted to replace the trunking he uses with timber, is it unacceptable or unsafe. He may, or may not know, but some of the professionals on here may, hence why I'm asking

Nothing that anybody says here is of any use to you - his opinion is the only one you can go by.

There's nothing wrong with asking for some opinions on a hypothetical- that's partly what this forum is for

So get off your high horse

I'm not on one.

You had given absolutely no indication that you were using an electrician, so I was trying to stop you going off and attempting something beyond your current level of competence.

There was never any indication that I wasn't going to use an electrician.. However, thanks for the intention of keeping me safe.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Safe areas imply there are unsafe areas, which is where I may have wished at least one outlet to go.

• http://www.voltimum.co.uk/files/gb/attachments/niu/l/attachments/c5-43.pdf
• http://web.archive.org/web/20061110111450/http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/concealedcables.pdf
• IEE article
• IEE Article on 17th Edition requirements for concealed cables.

Derating power usage implies less current usage may be available. But you're the expert,

So is your electrician, and he will design the circuits so that they meet your requirements. If correction factors affect cable size then he will take that into account.

And if I wanted to replace the trunking he uses with timber, is it unacceptable or unsafe.

Again, ask him. You are paying him to design, install, test and certify. What's the point if you are then going to potentially invalidate his EIC, break the law, and turn what was a safe installation into a dangerous one?

He may, or may not know, but some of the professionals on here may,

He's also a professional, and you are paying him for his professional expertise.

There was never any indication that I wasn't going to use an electrician.. However, thanks for the intention of keeping me safe.

When you come to a DIY site, ask questions like yours and make no mention of using an electrician the only reasonable conclusion is that you plan to DIY.

 

[dextrous]

Safe areas imply there are unsafe areas, which is where I may have wished at least one outlet to go.

• http://www.voltimum.co.uk/files/gb/attachments/niu/l/attachments/c5-43.pdf
• http://web.archive.org/web/20061110111450/http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/concealedcables.pdf
• IEE article
• IEE Article on 17th Edition requirements for concealed cables.

Thank you

There was never any indication that I wasn't going to use an electrician.. However, thanks for the intention of keeping me safe.

When you come to a DIY site, ask questions like yours and make no mention of using an electrician the only reasonable conclusion is that you plan to DIY.

Not really. Noone else on here seemed to have jumped to that conclusion. Those that "know" me on here are well aware that I don't do DIY electrics (indeed you yourself are aware //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=184520), and seem more than willing to provide specific answers to specific questions.

 

[ericmark]

not T+E, but there's firetuff and FP200 and so on..

There are quite a few of the Ali-tube cables now on the market and I would have thought BS 8436 Guardian, Earthshield, Flexishield, or Afumex were more suitable for general wiring FP200 is more for supply to fire alarms although some cables comply with both FP200 and BS 8436.

However I am uncertain if a cable designed to run at 90 deg C rather than 70 deg C really helps as it is not the ability of the cable to work when hot that is the problem it is the ability of the trunking to take the heat. And de-ratting to current used with twin and earth would of course reduce the heat but I would have thought Ali would be a better conductor than PVC so likely to run cooler anyway!

As to permitted zones what has that got to do with surface mounted cables? Just thought you would throw in a red herring!

But to original question non-metallic trunking or ducting should comply with the BS EN 50085 series of standards, or the BS EN 61386 series of standards.

To use non-sheathed cables the cable trunking system needs to provide at least the degree of protection IP4X or IPXXD.

It will cost around £92 to buy the BS EN 50085 spec and then you may have to have some type testing so in real terms no you can't make your own.

However I am not sure that you need it anyway?