Need to up size my shower cable

[BIGEYE]

I need to up the size of my shower cable from 6 to 10mm. The existing cable seems to run in the wall cavity from dist. board up to the loft (don't know if it is in conduit), then across the loft to a DP switch. I intend to join the new cable to the old one by crimping the conductors together, then pulling it down to the dist board. Can anyone give me any tips on how to make this an easy exercise, or things to be wary of before undertaking the cable change. TIA

[Cejay]

Hi Bigeye It used to be common practice to drop cables down the cavity but now the practice has been outlawed under current reg's. That said you will probably find the cables are just hanging in the cavity if your property is less than 40yrs old as conduit was rarely used after the

60's. Either way when joining the new cable to the old ensure that there are no sharp edges; bind the joint with tape to ensure a smooth transition down the void. Also get someone to guide the new cable into the cavity and report if it snags. Finally don't pull the cable directly into the consumer unit unless it is remotely isolated by a separate 100a DP switch. Oh and always pull down (let gravity do the work) and if it snags ;pull it back up a foot or two and try again. Good Luck. Bigyun

[Lurch]

On Wed, 21 Apr 2004 21:16:53 +0100, in uk.d-i-y "BIGEYE" strung together this:

You mean the cavity between the inner and outer skin of brickwork?

Don't use crimps, they'll pull off halfway down!

If it is in the cavity as above then it should be fairly simple, feed it in from the top. Strip back the PVC and fold the conducters back around each other to form two adjoining loops and twist the together, then wrap it all in copious amounts of tightly wound tape. And try to make the tape smooth any rough edges likely to snag, eg the shoulder of the outer insulation.

[Trevor Smith]

Better still solder them. Trevor Smith