Instead of the grey copper cable behind one OSB wall I have white flex.
Will it be legal to use it or must I rip the wall coverings off?
If not, would it be legal if I put a plug on one end and call it an extension lead?
George
Depends on the rating and what load it sees.
I have a suitable stash in the loft (just in case ..)
Definitely flex?
I have purchased white T&E from Wilko in the past.
Nick
Well what sort of flex? Is it three core, in this house we found old wall lights had been fitted at one time and just below a skim of pollyfiller was two core flex of the type used on tv 2 core mains lead. Perfectly functional in its day, but rather dangerous if left connected and the ends covered in tape as ours were!
Brian
You can use it, but will need to make sure its adequately protected...
(for example if it were 1.25mm^2 flex, then its current handling capacity would be too low to directly form part of a ring circuit, but it could be safely used on a 13A fused spur)
If you can work out what CSA the conductors are then you would need to go through the design exercise specified here:
wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Calculating_A_Cable_Size
A FCU would be a little more elegant.
There's no requirement to bring old wiring upto current standards, unless it's a rental.
NT
There's no requirement to set your house on fire either, so its worth going to the effort of making sure you are not abusing the flex.
Ive been reading all the comments and thinking on it. I dont like having FCUs and fuses in strange places, they get forgotten about.
Originally there were 3 old fuseboxes around the house, now I have 3 new ones all by the back door.
I'm going to tape some grey 4mm twin and earth to the white cable and try to pull it through behind the OSB wall. If that fails rip the wall down and put the twin and earth behind it.
[george]
Now I have been doing a lot of EICRs for landlords. No way am I suggesting that they have to have their 17th edition plastic CU swapped. It's a code 3.
as I said, 'unless it's a rental'
NT
tension lead?
ss it's a rental.
Safety checks are warranted, including checking wire used is within ratings . Where flex is used it's generally on 5 or 6A lighting circuits. If not th at would be a concern. Easy enough to find out. The fact that flex is used does not inherently make wiring unsafe, though finding it certainly increas es the risk of who knows what iffies in the system.
NT
The government guidance certainly expects a normal EICR with the usual Codes under the new regs. But the regulations do /seem/ to require more. They require landlords to "ensure that the electrical safety standards are met during any period when the residential premises are occupied". And they define " ?electrical safety standards? means the standards for electrical installations in the eighteenth edition of the Wiring Regulations...". So they appear to require wiring to be brought up to the 18th. But this was pointed out in response to the draft regs so I assume the official view is that the plain words don't mean what they seem but somehow plug into Chapter 65.
And even if it /is/ a rental property to which the new regulations apply then the Government guidance has made clear landlords aren't required to carry out investigations or work not required by an EICR. I think it would have been better if the regulations had been revised to make that clear. But IMO the guidance gives landlords "legitimate expectations" that would protect them from fines.
Fair enough, although you have not actually said what the flex is being used for. That will have a big impact on your options.
For example, if its feeding a fixed load where there is no possibility of it being overloaded, then you may not need the FCU either. The only requirement being that it has fault protection. In many cases there is a reasonable chance that even a B32 MCB it will be able to provide that - however you would need to do the sums to prove it.
So work out the impedance, and thence prospective fault current at the end of the flex, and stick the result into the adiabatic equation. That will tell you if there is enough CSA of copper in the flex to withstand a fault.
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