Electrical regulations

[Steve]

Now that I have all the floor up, it is time to add extra sockets.

The ring goes through our lounge so it is easy to put in extra sockets and wiring as an extension/ rewire of that part of it.

Presently, cables are laid lying on the sub floor, the only support being the floor and where they are chased up to the fittings and encased in plaster.

Is this OK? Or should they be clipped to joists?

Personally, I can't see a problem as this is how houses have been rewired for years but some nagging feeling tells me that I should clip it all up otherwise fall foul of a regulation or other and find out only when new floor is laid!

Thanks for advice.

Steve

[Owain]

I think clipped looks a lot neater, but having to follow the joists can mean having to use more cable.

AFAIK as long as the cable is supported and not hanging it's OK.

Owain

[Pete C]

Hi,

If the cable gets rodent damage then it'll be easier to pull a new one through using the old one if it's unclipped.

If I clipped it I'd leave pull wires (eg steel fencing wire) in some handy locations just in case, may be useful for other wires too.

cheers, Pete.

cheers, Pete.

[John Rumm]

Sat on the sub floor seems quite common...

[Steve]

Thanks, there is enough so that the cable will rest on the sub floor and not hang.

As long as I am not breaking some regulation or other, this is my preferred option.

Cheers

Steve

[John Rumm]

It is the way many places with suspended floors will end up getting rewired at least. It does however increase the risk of rodent damage.

Depending on what access you can get, and the available space down there you may find it your only option in some cases.

[Richard Conway]

Out of interest, would it be okay to lay a junction box on the sub floor (presuming of course that there it is accessible)?

[John Rumm]

The problem there is the typical junction box includes no strain relief on the cable entry, so it depends on the cables being clipped to something to achieve this. Otherwise the normal thermal cycling of the cable (and hence expansion) could work the connections loose.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I always fix them higher, so that in the event of a flood (or even just spillage), they're clear of the lowest horizontal surface.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd not be too happy with that. Cable itself is waterproof whereas a junction box isn't. And under certain conditions a sub floor may get damp or even wet.

I'd personally fix the cable to the joists as well to raise it off the sub floor. If space is too tight to use ordinary cable clips on the underside of the joists staple cable ties to the side of them at the bottom.