Burying Electrical Cables in Walls - Do I Need Conduit?

[marcus]

Hi,

I'm running some cable for some new socket outlets. I've channeled out the appropriate walls and run the cable, wired up and tested the connections.

I'm now ready to start making good. Should the cable be in conduit before I plaster over it or is it OK to just plaster right over the bare PVC cable? The cable has a number of turns (it has to go around a door frame!) that I'd never be able to pull new cable through if I needed to repair or redo so I'm not sure I need to bother with the conduit. However, I wasn't sure if it was acceptable from a safety or regulations viewpoint to just plaster over the uncovered cable.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.

Marcus

[Bob Eager]

It sounds as if you have run the cable outside the 'permitted zones'; there are areas where unprotected cables can be buried in plaster. Take a look here:

they are outside the zones, conduit or similar is a must. Also, those turns are meant to have a minimum radius to avoid insulation dmage; the value depends on the cable and its orientation. Same site will have info.

Slightly worrying; I wonder what else you've done? Do you know that new wiring like this comes under Part P of the Building Regulations, and must be installed/tested/supervised by someone who is qualified?

[Lurch]

On 14 Apr 2007 15:59:59 GMT, "Bob Eager" mused:

Earthed conduit I believe if cables are outside permitted zones.

[EricP]

Are you saying that all household wiring must be done by an electrician, not just kitchens/bathrooms?

[Lurch]

On Sat, 14 Apr 2007 17:10:02 GMT, EricP mused:

Depends, some does, some doesn't. Part p is very messy atm, but if you are in the sligHTest bit unsURE IT"s best tO Just geT SOmeone in. Basically, replacing like for like is OK but once you get into adding things it GETS A bIT RandOm on the cAn you|CAn't you.

Also, THis KeyBOArD is knackered, I'm fed up of hitting it to try and stop the shift key sticking.

[OG]

If you're running windows, start up OSK.exe (On Screen Keyboard) and do everything with the mouse.

[Lurch]

On Sat, 14 Apr 2007 19:01:54 +0100, "OG" mused:

Well, I never knew that was there! That might come in handy for another app I've got in development.

Trifle annoying though as I use the keyboard for everything and avoid usinng the trackpad doobrie on the laptop as much as possible. Time to break out the touchscreen for a play I think. ;)

[John Rumm]

No. Some wiring comes under the scope of part P[1], and thus ought to be either done by someone who is a member of a trade organisation that allows them to self certify the work (competence in the true sense of the work is not required), or alternatively you need to notify building control who will provide a completion certificate at the end. The may or may not wish to test/inspect your work along the way.

[1] Adding complete new circuits would count, but extending an existing one would not.

[EricP]

Thanks for the explanation.

Another one to add to the vast amount of meaningless and largely ignored legislation this gov has issued.

[John Rumm]

Very much so! ;-)

[Bob Eager]

No....but I said "new wiring like this"....it is presumably 'new' wiring, not replacement or extension.

[Clive Mitchell]

In message , Lurch writes

I thought you were just being expressive. :)

[Lobster]

Useful if you need to access anywhere sensitive on a less than secure keyboard (eg online banking from an internet cafe if you really have to...) - this enables you to enter passwords while bypassing the keyboard and any logging hardware or software which might have been installed.

David

[marcus]

Thanks for this. I'm pretty sure that as I'm extending an existing circuit I don't have to worrry about Part P (Thank God!) and I'm running all of the wiring inside "Permitted Zones".

So, coming back to my original question, should I be running the cable in conduit and then plastering over it or can it be run without conduit and plastered over directly into the wall?

The reason I ask is that I have already roughly run the cable and made and tested my connections and now I need to know whether I need to go back and put the cable in plastic conduit before I plaster or if I can plaster over the cable without conduit.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Marcus

[David Hansen]

On 15 Apr 2007 01:02:51 -0700 someone who may be [e-mail] wrote this:-

This bit from your original posting seems to be at variance with the assertion above, "I'm now ready to start making good. Should the cable be in conduit before I plaster over it or is it OK to just plaster right over the bare PVC cable? The cable has a number of turns (it has to go around a door frame!)"

Are there really several accessories dotted round the door frame with the cable running between them horizontally and vertically?

[marcus]

On 15 Apr, 09:20, David Hansen wrote: (it has to go around a door frame!)"

No, I'm extending need to put a socket in a part of the rrom which happend to be on the other side of a door frame. The olnly way I can get to the location from the existing ring main is to go around the door frame. Hence my question - is it OK to just bury the cable in the plaster or does it need conduit? All runs from the existing socket are horizontal and vertical to get around the door frame to the new location.

Marcus

[marcus]

No, I'm extending the ring as I need to put a socket in a part of the room which happend to be on the other side of a door frame. The only way I can get to the location from the existing ring main is to go around the door frame. Hence my question - is it OK to just bury the cable in the plaster or does it need conduit? All runs from the existing socket are horizontal and vertical to get around the door frame to the new location.

Thanks,

Marcus

[Lobster]

How can that be? David

[Bob Eager]

They may be horizontal and vertical, but are they in the permitted zones (top of wall, or vertical in the angle made by two walls) or do they have a socket or other accessory at every 'corner'. Sounds not. Can you do a picture?

If they *are* in permitted zones, then the answer is that no conduit is necessary.

[Grumps]

How far from the ceiling is your horizontal run?