Routing a Cable

[Munroast]

Some thoughts would be appreciated on the following, our electric supply (meters etc) are in the cupboard under the stairs which are in the centre part of the house. Need to run a heavy cable (solar panels / car charging) to the outside. I am wanting to run the cables above the cuboard door then above the ceiling in the hall.

My question is how difficult will it be to get from the cupboard to the inside of the ceiling ? once into the ceiling I have easy access to pulling the cables through. But if I take the plasterboard down in the cupboard, will their be restrictions at A & B (there is certainly a joist to get through at "B" but what will I find at "A"

 

[securespark]

That bit of ceiling marked AB is on the angle with the stairs above it.
Chances are there won't be space to run cable above.
You may have to take down that part of the ceiling, run the cable in and reboard.
If you have a borescope, you could make a hole in the plasterboard and see what's behind.

 

[jj4091]

What sort of floors do you have, is it possible to go down & under the floor instead of up.

 

[Munroast]

What sort of floors do you have, is it possible to go down & under the floor instead of up.

Not really, we've had quite a nice floor laid in the hall and we're not disturbing that. Wife is giving a big thumbs down to solar if floor or anything in hall is disturbed. Has to be done from within cupboard.

 

[joe384]

There may some space between the supporting joists for the stairs and the stair treads I would have thought. Do you have a stud detector you could try on the ceiling in the cupboard?
I am currently in the process running lots of cables for various stuff and have been using a combination of a cheapy amazon stud detector (to check for joists/metal/AC wiring) and using a cheap boroscope (drilling exploratory holes where I can get away with it)

 

[securespark]

You say the cupboard is central to the ground floor space. So I guess it is not close to an outside wall?

Is there an underfloor void?

Could you run the cable down under the floor (inside the cupboard) then along in the void to the outside wall?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Could you go through that wall on your left once in the cupboard, up and then into the hall ceiling?

Under floor is always easier/less disruption, if there is a void and access.

 

[Munroast]

Could you go through that wall on your left once in the cupboard, up and then into the hall ceiling?

Under floor is always easier/less disruption, if there is a void and access.

No, I dont think so, its a solid wall.

That bit of ceiling marked AB is on the angle with the stairs above it.
Chances are there won't be space to run cable above.
You may have to take down that part of the ceiling, run the cable in and reboard.
If you have a borescope, you could make a hole in the plasterboard and see what's behind.

I think this is my way forward, providing the regs allow it (could a 4mm twin and earth be pressed up against the bottom of the tread risers by plasterboard?)I could create a channel throgh the plasterboard to get past the bottom of the stair rises, then just reboard over the top, if a good job can then be made of the plastering you would never know that angled bit of ceiling was 12mm lower.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

could a 4mm twin and earth be pressed up against the bottom of the tread risers by plasterboard?

No reason why not, providing it is not trapped too tight..

Add a draw wire, to allow for additional cables in the future.