Conduit for wall lighting - plastic or steel?

[Roger R]

Advice please.

The plan is to fit round pin socket outlets just above the skirting for free standing uplighters instead of the present wall lights.

The idea is to extend the cable from the wall light by chasing down to the socket location, fitting conduit and plastering over. The question is whether the use of oval plastic conduit is ok in this situation, or whether it needs to be the steel type which would seem a bit over the top, if only in physical size, for a lighting circuit.

The property is fairly modern 80's type, the wall in question being grey block finished with plasterboard.

Roger

[Owain]

Provided the cable is running horizontally or vertically from a visible accessory (or within the corner of a wall or wall/ceiling), but not a skirting) no conduit is required at all.

Owain

[Christian McArdle]

If it is descending vertically from the current light location directly to the new visible socket, with no sideways element at any point, then technically you do not need any form of conduit or capping at all. You could bury the cable directly in plaster. If you wish to use conduit or capping, you may do so and may use any type you fancy.

However, if there is any horizontal component to the run you can't just bury. Also, if you are removing the original fitting and its supply was chased in horizontally, rather than directly up from the floor or down from the ceiling, then you may now have a problem with its supply line being non-compliant, if it has no physical protection.

Christian.

[Roger R]

circuit.

directly to

Thanks, All cable runs are going to be vertical, so looks like no problems.

One further point, if the orginal wall fitting is not to be retained, and the cable joint placed in the wall behind a face plate, ok to use chocolate block for the connections?

Roger

[chris French]

In message , Roger R writes

Yep. As long as it reaming accessible. You could bury the joint in plaster if you want to - but then it would have to be crimped or soldered.

[sparkydude]

It's fine to use choccy blocks as long as they are 'accessible', if you wer to plaster over them you should use a permanent connection such as a soldered or crimped connection in something like a 'chocbox'

Dude

[Chip]

On 31 Oct 2005 12:19:17 -0800,it is alleged that "sparkydude" spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

Just another comment to the OP.. if you are leaving blanking plates where the original fixtures were, this (to my way of thinking) is an electrical accessory and you shouldn't have to worry about whether the original fixture wiring is protected mechanically. Having said that however, IF you can get to the wiring upstairs under the floor, simply replacing the whole length may be simpler in the long run. This would avoid having blanking plates on the wall, and you'd be able to comply with the 'mechanical protection' rules easily, plus you wouldn't have the fault liability of a joint in the wiring in an inaccessible place. (as crimps buried in the wall would be)

[chris French]

In message , Chip writes

It would.

It wouldn't matter even if there was a hidden joint, as the cable is going to be continuing a vertical run.

>

[Roger R]

Thanks for all the replies.

The flooring in the room above is large MDF sheets. However a border has been cut around the room for central heating pipes that certainly gives access to the points above the wall lights, but whether that will provide access to the whole length of the existing cable run remains to be seen.

Roger