Shower cable protection

[xAlex]

Guys, I'm fitting a shower to a new studded wall. The studded wall will be fixed to a brick wall. The cable will obviously run up the gap between. The question is: Does the cable still need to be protected and is the galv capping the right stuff to use, and if so, does the capping need to be bonded?
Additionally, in the real world, do you guys always clip cables at the recommended intervals even when running under floorboards/in lofts etc, where this would require a greater number of boards being lifted to enable this?
Thanks,

Alex

 

[davy_owen_88]

Capping does not provide mechanical protection, earthed or not. Will the cable end up being more than 50mm from the finished wall surface? If so it does not require any protection, if it will be closer than 50mm then it either needs to be run in a safe zone, within earthed metal conduit or be a cable type that incorporates it's own earthed sheath such as SWA.

 

[xAlex]

Davy,

I'm unsure about the final distance from the finished surface yet. Assuming that it will be <50mm, and capping is not a suitable protection, could I ask if, and why capping is used on brick walls and then plastered over? Also, when you say that the conduit should be earthed, would the earth run back to the CU or a socket etc?

 

[mikeyd]

Capping is used under plaster just to protect the cable from the plasterers trowel, and should always be run in safe zones.

Can your shower cable not go in a safe zone such as horizontaly or verticaly from the shower?

 

[xAlex]

Capping is used under plaster just to protect the cable from the plasterers trowel, and should always be run in safe zones.

Can your shower cable not go in a safe zone such as horizontaly or verticaly from the shower?

...Yes the cable will go vertically from the shower. Are you saying that it will not need any protection in this case?

Thanks

 

[Adam_151]

Thats correct, the assumption is that people will see the shower, and know there is a cable nearby and check whether it goes up, down, left or right before drilling to install a soap dish.

Capping is to protect against a plasters trowel and also holds the cable in the wall while it is plastered, saving having to use clips that might have ungalvonised nails

Plastic conduit (while not providing any protection, other than agaisnt the trowel again) has the advantage that it enables slack or even a new cable to be drawn through should the need arise, 10mm² T+cpc will fit in 25mm pvc conduit

 

[xAlex]

OK, thanks Adam. I was aware of safe zones but was always told by the lecturer to use mechanical protection anyway. Obviously this is not alway practical.