Insulation and cables

This is a 200yr old farm cottage - stone built and with probably excessive under floor ventilation, which is being looked at as another project.

But - the electric meter is mounted externally in a box set into what was originally a small window, and the CU inside in the 'window' cavity. There is insulation between the stone walls and the plasterboard throughout the house except at his point, and there is a fairly hefty flow of cold air goes up passed the CU.

In order to make wiring access easy, the inside wall facing at this point is a top and bottom 3/8" ply panel (18" wide) and a hinged access door to get at the CU. None of these have any insulation so are cold spots.

I rescued some Kingspan from a skip the other day with one of its uses being to address this.

The question is this - some dozen cables go upwards to the attic from the CU; should I bundle these loosely and create a slot in the insulation for them or just leave then sandwiched between the insulation and the stonework - the distance is about 18" ?

Many thanks Rob

Reply to
robgraham
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Clip each of them to the wall, spaced out by at least a cable thickness. That will give you the heatsink of the masonry, and not introduce further derating factors due to grouping. Then cover with the insulation.

Reply to
John Rumm

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Hi John - I nearly posted you directly as I guessed you might have the answer!! Many thanks.

That's the reasonable answer, but how am I going to clip a dozen cable to a hard stone wall ? Unfortunately the stone in the area is a basalt locally known as whin.

The logic of that does still apply though but I will just do it without the clips as the insulation will hold the cables against the stone. Another alternative is a dab of No Nails or the likes just to act as a clip ?

Rob

Reply to
robgraham

Get a strip of material, preferably metal but most people will probably find wood simpler. Draw a line about 1/4" in from one edge. that will be the finished edge that goes against the wall when complete. Drill a series of holes to suit the number, diameter and spacing of the cables so that the edge of each hole just touches the line. Now saw down the marked line, then open up each hole into a U shape. You now have a single clip that will hold all the cables in place, properly spaced. You could hold that to the wall with a couple of screws or an adhesive. Ideally, make two and use one either side of the insulation.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
Nightjar

If you want to use proper clips, then get some "pin plugs" - Tower do them to go with their cable clips. These are really like very small wall plugs with a very slim central hole. Drill a 5mm hole (with SDS if required) pop plug in, then nail a clip into it like normal.

Well the clips are not in themselves important... really what you want is the cable in contact with the stone (i.e. so that it does not end up surrounded by insulation), and spaced out so they are not all bunched together. Most of the spacing may be possible simply by carefully dressing the cables. Blobs of an appropriate building adhesive may do the rest for you (pick one that is safe on the PVC insulation)

Reply to
John Rumm

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Thanks guys - that will get the task going.

rob

Reply to
robgraham

Stonework acts as a heatsink. Just ensure no air path bypasses the insulation. I see no reason to clip any cables.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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