Reaching outside lights within safe zones

[ivixor]

Hi,

New extension being built, and I am doing the first fix.

Does anyone have any ideas how to wire up the outside lights from the inside and still have the cables within safe zones?

I really don't want to have blanking plates halfway up my walls.

 

[flameport]

If the wires really must be on the internal wall and there is no switch there, then put them in steel conduit.
Otherwise find some other location for the wiring, such as conduit in the cavity attached to the outer leaf.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

New extension being built, and I am doing the first fix.

When you applied for Building Regulations approval what did you say, or by default allow them to assume, would be the way that you would ensure compliance with Part P?

Because the only answer to this:

Does anyone have any ideas how to wire up the outside lights from the inside and still have the cables within safe zones?

could well be "your electrician".

 

[ivixor]

This work is non-notifiable.

 

[davelx]

This work is non-notifiable.

So you haven't notified Building Control that you are having an extension built?

If you have, the electrical work is part of that and BC will need to be happy with the method you are going to use to show BR compliance, of which Part P is just one aspect.

For your own sake, you should confirm with BC what they are expecting to see regarding BR compliance before you do anything that will complicate matters later on.

 

[ivixor]

Of course building control know about the extension. The electrical work is non-notifiable according to Part P.

 

[davelx]

You may be missing the point - the electrical work is PART OF THE OVERALL WORK so it is all notifiable - unless BC have explicitly told you otherwise, in which case OK.

If you are sure it's not an issue, then it won't do you any harm to get that confirmed in writing by BC, will it?

 

[ivixor]

Do you have a source for that?

 

[davelx]

Just search the extensive discussions on this forum where people have fallen foul of this before. As I said, if you are confident it's not a problem, then why not check with BC? What do you have to lose?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This work is non-notifiable.

New extension being built

1. Non-notifiable work still has to comply with Part P.
   
2. Work which is not notifiable in its own right will be of interest to Building Control.
3. When the time comes for a completion certificate they wil want to know that all the work they are certifying complied with the Building Regulations.
4. If at that stage you start going "errrr...." when they ask about the electrical work you must be neither surprised nor disappointed if you end up with an extension without any Building Control sign-off

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you are sure it's not an issue, then it won't do you any harm to get that confirmed in writing by BC, will it?

if you are confident it's not a problem, then why not check with BC? What do you have to lose?

 

[sparkwright]

Hi,

New extension being built, and I am doing the first fix.

Does anyone have any ideas how to wire up the outside lights from the inside and still have the cables within safe zones?

I really don't want to have blanking plates halfway up my walls.

Often an outside light is near it's switch, so that could help form a zone, and then drill at angle.

Same if you run the cable within 150mm from from an internal corner, and again drill the hole at angle.

This only works if the walls aren't very long!

Running the outside cable in the same cable run as a carefully positioned socket could be better than nothing.

I'm told on this site this can't be done, as the lighting cable can't be associated with the socket cable.

But that said, look at the minefield of cables that can be put within 150mm from a corner or ceiling - there's no way at all of predicting those.

 

[ivixor]

Just search the extensive discussions on this forum where people have fallen foul of this before. As I said, if you are confident it's not a problem, then why not check with BC? What do you have to lose?

I've just checked with BC and they have confirmed in writing that they are not interested in the electrics at all. Their certificate will not cover them.

 

[ivixor]

1. Non-notifiable work still has to comply with Part P.
   
2. Work which is not notifiable in its own right will be of interest to Building Control.
3. When the time comes for a completion certificate they wil want to know that all the work they are certifying complied with the Building Regulations.
4. If at that stage you start going "errrr...." when they ask about the electrical work you must be neither surprised nor disappointed if you end up with an extension without any Building Control sign-off

Well one out of the 5 points above is true in this case. Never a good idea to mix opinions and facts.

 

[ivixor]

Thanks to those who provided advice. It seems that if the cable is at least 50 mm deep in the wall, it's considered safe. As I'll be having 25 mm of dot dab and skim, I only need to chase the cable in by 25 mm.