Hi there
I live in an oldish (100 years) upper floor maisonette. The consumer unit is by the front door in the hall (on the ground floor - as it's a maisonette it has it's own entrance). It's quite old, and only has five breakers. Although the place is about 100 sq.m, it is only 7 metres wide for the front two rooms, then narrows further to 5 metres. I think around 25 metres long in total! Sounds odd I know, but it seems to work.
Anyway, the kitchen is nearer the back, and while I'm doing a complete refurb, I thought it would make sense to put it nearer the kitchen (where I will need high current circuits for both an electric oven and an induction hob), plus numerous kitchen sockets, not to mention outside light for back garden and fused connections for boiler, fridge, dishwasher etc, plus a new ensuite. The front of the property has much simpler requirements, just a socket and a lighting circuit for a bedroom, living room, and main bathroom.
So I have a few questions:
1) Is it possible to run a wire+conduit of some sort (SWA + earthed pipe?) about 20 metres, in places running under floorboards, in partition/stud walls, and over ceilings? I'd rather not have surface mounted conduits. Obviously, the idea is to make it safe enough to not drill/hammer into a 100A unfused wire, and to provide enough cross-sectional area not to cause too high a voltage drop or heat output. I read somewhere that this should be fine so long as some kind of break is installed after the meter (to minimise the chances of killing someone). I read conflicting reports over is whether the SEC has to do this, or whether any qualified sparky can do it.
2) To save costs, I plan to physically fix the CU in place, and run the cable myself, but not connect either end. Then hopefully a qualified person can visually inspect the course of that cable through the building, possibly do some tests with a meter etc (continuity, resistance etc), and then make the connection, thereby saving the cost of what's essentially the physically work of chasing out etc. I would then proceed with most of the post CU wiring myself, and finally get it inspected by building control at various stages. Does that sound like a plan? I'm degree educated in electronics (which I completely understand is a different kettle of fish in terms of lethal current!) - this isn't to boast or because I think it's special - just as a bit of background. I'm pretty methodical, do my research, and like all DIYers, love the challenge and reward of it.
3) The only aesthetically pleasing places I can think for the new CU in the refurbed area is either above the back bedroom built-in wardrobe (essentially a void, so you'd just see a hatch, not a box), or just a metre further up, in the attic. The building regs man said that in the attic would be passable, but obviously if something trips it means opening the hatch. However, above the wardrobe would require a little step ladder anyway, so thinking I might as well just pop it in the attic, right near the hatch, with one of those push button battery operated night lights. Thoughts/opinions welcome.
Anyway - my first post, so hello, whatever the answers!
Marcos
2)
I live in an oldish (100 years) upper floor maisonette. The consumer unit is by the front door in the hall (on the ground floor - as it's a maisonette it has it's own entrance). It's quite old, and only has five breakers. Although the place is about 100 sq.m, it is only 7 metres wide for the front two rooms, then narrows further to 5 metres. I think around 25 metres long in total! Sounds odd I know, but it seems to work.
Anyway, the kitchen is nearer the back, and while I'm doing a complete refurb, I thought it would make sense to put it nearer the kitchen (where I will need high current circuits for both an electric oven and an induction hob), plus numerous kitchen sockets, not to mention outside light for back garden and fused connections for boiler, fridge, dishwasher etc, plus a new ensuite. The front of the property has much simpler requirements, just a socket and a lighting circuit for a bedroom, living room, and main bathroom.
So I have a few questions:
1) Is it possible to run a wire+conduit of some sort (SWA + earthed pipe?) about 20 metres, in places running under floorboards, in partition/stud walls, and over ceilings? I'd rather not have surface mounted conduits. Obviously, the idea is to make it safe enough to not drill/hammer into a 100A unfused wire, and to provide enough cross-sectional area not to cause too high a voltage drop or heat output. I read somewhere that this should be fine so long as some kind of break is installed after the meter (to minimise the chances of killing someone). I read conflicting reports over is whether the SEC has to do this, or whether any qualified sparky can do it.
2) To save costs, I plan to physically fix the CU in place, and run the cable myself, but not connect either end. Then hopefully a qualified person can visually inspect the course of that cable through the building, possibly do some tests with a meter etc (continuity, resistance etc), and then make the connection, thereby saving the cost of what's essentially the physically work of chasing out etc. I would then proceed with most of the post CU wiring myself, and finally get it inspected by building control at various stages. Does that sound like a plan? I'm degree educated in electronics (which I completely understand is a different kettle of fish in terms of lethal current!) - this isn't to boast or because I think it's special - just as a bit of background. I'm pretty methodical, do my research, and like all DIYers, love the challenge and reward of it.
3) The only aesthetically pleasing places I can think for the new CU in the refurbed area is either above the back bedroom built-in wardrobe (essentially a void, so you'd just see a hatch, not a box), or just a metre further up, in the attic. The building regs man said that in the attic would be passable, but obviously if something trips it means opening the hatch. However, above the wardrobe would require a little step ladder anyway, so thinking I might as well just pop it in the attic, right near the hatch, with one of those push button battery operated night lights. Thoughts/opinions welcome.
Anyway - my first post, so hello, whatever the answers!
Marcos
2)
