Wiring Sockets on an exposed stone wall

[JohnW2]

I wouldn’t. But, it could so long as it was really obviously feeding a socket and not being a pipe but you wouldn’t get 2x2.5 down a 15mm pipe so you’d need a 22 which is obviously bigger than 20mm conduit.

I admit that I've only ever done it with single cables. One 2.5mm fits fine into a 15mm pipe, and 1mm (perhaps also 1.5mm) into a 10mm pipe.

On top of that, you would struggle like crap to make the tube off into the socket. And you’d need to Earth it

There are various ways it can be done with plumbing fittings. I only seem to be able to find a compression one of these, but a solder (and less battered - sorry about the one I found!) version of this looks much better and, with an appropriate nut (albeit it screwed tightly into a 20mm knockout!), does the job (and solves the earthing issue) ...

[See missing photo in next post!]

I've even been known to do it with a modified SWA gland, but that (like the compression fitting) is not too pretty.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

... and here's the missing photo (it was too big) ...

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

What was that compression fitting made off with?!

And what holds it into the socket? I didn’t realise they did ‘locknuts’ for them

 

[JohnW2]

What was that compression fitting made off with?!

Dunno - that's the state I found it in, in my box! (and it 'self-tapped' it's way so firmly into the 20mm knockout that I couldn't turn it any more to hide that mess from the camera )

And what holds it into the socket? I didn’t realise they did ‘locknuts’ for them

I think it's a 15mm 'tank connector', but it may just be a copper-BSP connector. If it's a tank connector, it's probably meant to have a locknut on the inside (usually plus a plastic/fibre/rubber one, when used for the intended purpose!), but that was missing from the one I found.

I'll try to find a more complete one, in a better condition, and maybe even the solder version.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I wouldn’t

But, it could so long as it was really obviously feeding a socket and not being a pipe but you wouldn’t get 2x2.5 down a 15mm pipe so you’d need a 22 which is obviously bigger than 20mm conduit.

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/upstairs-lighting-re-route-of-cable.292985/page-3#post-2768829

 

[ban-all-sheds]

you wouldn’t get 2x2.5 down a 15mm pipe

Use singles.

3 x 2.5mm² gives you a 22% fill factor

 

[JohnW2]

I think it's a 15mm 'tank connector', but it may just be a copper-BSP connector.

It was the latter and, for fairly obvious reasons (of installation), solder versions are few and far between. In fact, in terms of compression fittings, the same can be achieved, slightly more neatly, using a standard 15mm compression coupler (see right hand one below) - and if one does not have a suitable backnut, one can simply take a hacksaw to the unused one from the compression fitting ....

A 15mm tank compression fitting looks like this ...

... and (with a little of the inner flange filed/ground off, if it fouls the back of the box), looks like the one on the right here ...

... and, if one is forced to use compression fittings, the aesthetics can be improved a bit (for any of the above approaches) by using a boot (e.g. from an SWA gland ...

If a 15mm straight compression-to-solder fitting existed, that would probably be ideal, but I certainly don't have one.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If a 15mm straight compression-to-solder fitting existed...

...it probably wouldn't look very different from one you could make with a minimally short length of pipe in one end of a solder fitting.

Aesthetics? Chrome plated or stainless pipe & fittings could be used.

 

[JohnW2]

...it probably wouldn't look very different from one you could make with a minimally short length of pipe in one end of a solder fitting.

If you're talking about using a minimal length of pipe to join a solder coupler to a compression one, then that would defeat the point I had in mind, which was the avoidance of the bulky 'backnut' of a compression fitting being visible. The sort of thing I had in mind (if one exists) would look something like the mock-up on the right here ....

... which I personally find more aesthetically pleasing than the one on the left with a visible compression nut. If such animals are not available, I suppose I could turn my 'mock up' into a usable item!

Aesthetics? Chrome plated or stainless pipe & fittings could be used.

Agreed. However, since we were talking about a stone wall in a house, I think many would regard copper/gold colour (as with pyro) as being more aesthetically pleasing. If they were happy with the appearance of chrome/stainless, they might well also be happy with the appearance of galvanised conduit (which is the appearance that pyro and copper pipe seek to avoid).

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

15mm end-feed to ½" BSP

 

[JohnW2]

... 15mm end-feed to ½" BSP

OK - so, as I suspected, it does exist. The photo is a bit deceptive (at least, to me) - since I would have said that if it takes 15mm tube, that the other end looks smaller than ½" BSP.

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

that the other end looks smaller than ½" BSP.

½" is the internal diameter.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And the OD of the thread makes it a damn good fit for a 20mm KO

Yes, it's a tad over. But so, IME, are 20mm knockouts.

 

[JohnW2]

½" is the internal diameter.

If that's a male ½" BSP thread, it should have a major diameter of 20.955 mm, nearly 6 mm greater than the (15 mm) OD of 15mm copper pipe, as illustrated here ...

Maybe it's just my eyes, or a 'trick of the camera', but the relationship between that thread and the 'socket' for 15mm OD pipe does not seem to correspond with what it should be (as above). ... it looks like a 22mm x ½" BSP coupler to me.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

And the OD of the thread makes it a damn good fit for a 20mm KO

Indeed ...

.... it 'self-tapped' it's way so firmly into the 20mm knockout that I couldn't turn it any more to hide that mess from the camera ...

... but I still suspect, for reasons I just mentioned to flameport, that the pic you posted was probably of a 22 mm x ½" BSP coupler.

Kind Regards, John