New electrical cables in wall not in conduit

[sparkwright]

i'd rather drill through the noggin not go left of the box as technically it starts to go out of the safe zone but it should be deep enough and not on show?

1) I don't think this cable will end up >50mm from the surface

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2) Safe zones are created by accessories for cables connected to them, not passing nearby.

This highlights how rubbish safe zones are, because one could run any cable within 150mm of an internal corner or below a ceiling, WITHOUT any accessory needed - yet apparently you can't run a cable in line with an unrelated accessory.

Is that right?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

'tis what the regs say.

 

[sparkwright]

How would one run in a new house, say, the lighting feed up to the loft?

20 years ago when I did new houses I always ran the lighting feed through the studwork in line with the landing light switch.

The cable would probably have been slightly less than 50mm from the wall surface. Also the cable was not run through the switch box (dry-line box).

Never worried about it then, yet not technically correct...

 

[SimonH2]

To that I'll add - how does one run a conduit from the loft down to the lounge (or other rooms) for TV aerials etc ? That's assuming a house with lounge downstairs.
In the lounge it will have a safe zone above the socket, but upstairs it's going to have to go from wall to ceiling - and probably where nothing else is needed.

 

[Iggifer]

Within 150mm of a corner, or clipped surface through the airing cupboard - that's how my parents upstairs lighting circuit is wired.

Or the way we do it is, L+N to the first switch from the floor, L,+N + SL+N out from there to the loft, we basically never 3-plate lighting circuits anymore.

If you were 3 plating, then you'd have to use the corner safe zone, which personally I think is gash. But I suppose the buidling regs POV is that if you remove that switch at a later date, the safe zone has gone.

 

[Iggifer]

To that I'll add - how does one run a conduit from the loft down to the lounge (or other rooms) for TV aerials etc ? That's assuming a house with lounge downstairs.
In the lounge it will have a safe zone above the socket, but upstairs it's going to have to go from wall to ceiling - and probably where nothing else is needed.

Well, you don't need to put coax in a safe zone, so you could zig zag it across the room if you wanted to.

If you wanted to safe zone it, again 150mm from the corner is the answer, then zip across under the floor to where you want the drop

 

[sparkwright]

More importantly than tv aerial cables, is running the upstairs smoke detector cable.

Back in the day I did these on a dedicated circuit, and again I used to run in the studwall in line with the landing (or bedroom if easier) light switch.

Even if it was wrong to do so, still seems safer than in an empty corner.

Of course I do feel cables are safer in a studwall than a solid wall.

Which brings me to another point - usually safer not to clip cables to studwork as this can bugger up the safe zones.

 

[Iggifer]

Which brings me to another point - usually safer not to clip cables to studwork as this can bugger up the safe zones.

One of my bosses says 'best not to clip to the studwork, if somebody drills it unclipped, the cable will move out of the way'

I suppose TO AN EXTENT, this is true, more so than if it was clipped/pulled tight. Not sure the cable would escape undamaged though

 

[sparkwright]

Which brings me to another point - usually safer not to clip cables to studwork as this can bugger up the safe zones.

One of my bosses says 'best not to clip to the studwork, if somebody drills it unclipped, the cable will move out of the way'

I suppose TO AN EXTENT, this is true, more so than if it was clipped/pulled tight. Not sure the cable would escape undamaged though

Yes I agree. By not clipping it you can get it a safe zone, less likely to get screwed through, and even easier to rewire if needed.

Which then brings me to another point - insulation in a studwall on non-lighting circuits...

 

[rsgaz]

Not sure the cable would escape undamaged though

With a masonary bit through plasterboard I'd expect virtually no damage at all from hitting a loose cable. Unfortunately homeowners are being told to use flat spade bits when hanging stuff nowadays...

That'll snarl up any type of cable good and proper, whether loose or fixed!!

Especially the way some inexperienced DIYers insist on pushing against a cordless drill like they are trying to push start a tank, the rule needs to be changed so cables are buried more than 150mm from the surface!!!!!!

Gaz

 

[ban-all-sheds]

How would one run in a new house, say, the lighting feed up to the loft?

In 50/75mm galvanised trunking behind a removable panel or panels.

 

[rsgaz]

EDIT - scrap this post, Iggifer mentioned it already.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Then there's the supply to the shower switch, the A/C units for the bedrooms, ....

 

[rsgaz]

Sorry BAS, had edited/took my post away before you'd posted, but yes, I don't have an electric shower or air-con but the interconnected smoke alarm cable must get up there somewhere too.

Gaz

 

[sparkwright]

Yes, but in my case 20 years ago new houses commonly were wired in 3-plate.

So if you can't run a lighting feed straight through a light switch, this would also mean you couldn't have a ring circuit in one length of conduit, with one of set of cables connecting to the socket terminals, with the other cable running through the box uninterrupted. This would also apply to buried round conduit with singles.

Please feel free to point out where I may have gone wrong here.