Tricky mains install

[W.Warburton]

Hi, I'm trying to improve a fairly dangerous mains install (insufficient sockets run from the ring upstairs!) but have a problem with part of a room that has a concrete floor, making running a ring main underneath challenging... It's oddly shaped, too, so chasing a horizontal course or installing trunking would be very difficult and involve chasing behind some plumbing. The expedient solution would be to put the cables behind the skirting, which is deprecated (I read the archived threads on the topic), however I see there's a provision in the wiring regs for horizontal runs from a visible fitting. Would installing visible fittings on the skirtings where the cables are routed be a dangerous bodge (following the letter but not spirit of regs) or an elegant solution- a good way of warning some future installer that there's a potential problem?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Cheers, W.

[John]

I'm not a leccy but I know that working sockets on skirtings is a no-no. Maybe you could just cut a hole in the skirting and put a blanking plate on the front. The blanking plate

would give the indication of cables in the vicinity, if they took the plate off they could see the cable behind the skirting, and, AFAIK, no regs broken :o)

[Lobster]

The usual solution would be to run the downstairs ringmain above the ceiling and drop chases down to the sockets - can't you do it that way?

David

[Peter Parry]

Replace the skirting board with :-

[W.Warburton]

I've just checked (should have done before I posted last night... sorry) and every room in the house (a Victorian stone lump) has sockets in the skirtings...! The kitchen and utility/scullery are the only place where they are elsewhere.

plate

give the indication of

That seems like a balanced solution, now I've checked the rest of the place... I'm not going to rewire the whole house and that ought to make it clear what's going on.

Peter- I like the trunking idea but it wouldn't suit the house; Lobster, dropping from a ring above is probably the ideal solution but would require a huge amount of work upstairs, as the layout's different (hence only part of the floor is concrete) and there's even more plumbing to work around.

Cheers, W.

[meow2222]

Lots of houses had sockets put on skirting boards. Its now verboten because an electrical fault can generate a lot of heat, and putting thin wood next to it increases the fire risk a little. Don't know if you'd want to cut out a bit of skirting the width of the pattress and put socket in there. Another option is mount them above and chisel behind with a cranked sds chisel.

Sometimes a goodly thinking period punctutated with a few viewings is enough to cause some unexpected route to pop up, avoiding lots of work. One minor wiring job was a total pain, and only next day I figured out how I could have avoided most of the work!

NT

[Tony Bryer]

It was done because it saved redecorating, but AIUI the reason for it not being allowed is because it invariably forces a tight bend on the flex given the limited clearance from the floor. Also, surface sockets

- another favourite of 1960s rewires - are very prone to being damaged by vacuum cleaners.

[Andy Wade]

Correct - regulation 553.1.6 (17th edition) refers. Also the general reduction in the width of skirtings in newer houses would make it difficult to fit anything much bigger than a 2 amp socket.

[<me9]

I think the 13th edition recommended 6" above surfaces so that washing of the surface (floor) didn't wet the fittings.

With some victorian skirtings you could still fit a socket and get the 6" clearance.

[Ian]

On a similar point...SWMBO is fancying the area above the kitchen worktop to be timber boarded rather than the more usual (and present) ceramic tiling. There are some flush double sockets in the wall/tiles at the moment. I had already wondered whether the fitters were going to object to the idea of sockets set in wall/timber for this very reason. They have not indicated this is likely to be a problem. Should I bring to their attention? Please reply to group - email address is not monitored Ian

[ac1951]

I don't believe that running cables behind the skirting board should be a problem. Providing that they are no more than 6" off the floor they fall within allowable safe zones. However, do not put sockets on the Skirting board, you should chase out vertical runs to a suitable height above the skirting.

Andy

[Andrew Gabriel]

There is no safe zone along the bottom of a wall. Only up corners and between walls and ceiling.

[Owain]

There should not be a problem if the non-combustible backing boxes come right up to the front surface of the boarding.

Mentioning that behind such boarding is an ideal hidey-hole for cockroaches and other nasties might help convince her that retaining the ceramic tiling is the way to go.

Owain

[Ian]

I like your approach, young man! Ian Please reply to group - email address is not monitored Ian

[Owain]

Easy, tiger!

Owain