New Electrical installation help

Im currently doing the donkey work ie running cables for the ligh

switches and Sockets for a complete house re-wire as all the wire have currently is lead encased stuff which runs externally and look awful. I have a friend who is a qualified sparky and he says to cu down costs this is the best option (he is doing the actually wiring o the consumer unit etc). The quotes I got were astonomical and im no prepared to pay that much for someone who won't give a toss about ho they do it, at least im gonna be doing it more carefully.

I need some advice from you guys as you are a 2nd opinion as to how i doing. See the attached pics of some of the light switch boxes which have chased out and placed new 1.5mm Wire in, the regs state that if am 50mm deep it is ok to depense with protection do you think this wil make the re-plastering easier also?.

will post some more pics soon as Im about to tackle the ring main next.

Basically Im doing 2 lighting circuits and 2 ring main circuits spli between upstairs and downstairs

+------------------------------------------------------------------- |Filename: IM001083.JPG |Download:
formatting link
Reply to
Dazkb
Loading thread data ...

Firstly I am no sparky but you have made hard work of this!

If the wire is running above, below or horizontally to an accessory bo such as a light switch then it DOES NOT need protection! Apart fro plastic capping to protect the wire whilst plastering.

If the wire is running say diagonally then it needs to be either 50m deep or capped with steel capping, which also needs earthing!

I have found this, which may help you-

'permitted zones

formatting link

Reply to
weekendwarrior

50mm in from the wall I just need some piece of mind to see if what have done looks ok thats all, I have a book which shows all the reg and Im well aware of what is required ie 50mm as a rule of thumb to b away from in walls and on joists etc.

thanks for your link though. Do you think im on the right track wit what I have done so far

-- Dazkb

Reply to
Dazkb

Hi, Dazkb

you do not need to sink the wire 50mm deep, that is why you are makin it hard work, it just needs sinking below the surface!

You can save yourself lots of work by not sinking the wire so deep!

Good luck mat

-- weekendwarrior

Reply to
weekendwarrior

Looks ok so far. No need to go to 50mm depth unless you are running a cable in an unexpected location (i.e. anyware that is *not* horizontally or vertically inline with a visible accesory (switch, socket etc), or

*not* within 150mm of a corner or wall to ceiling joint).

To make life easier in the future you may want to use some oval conduit in the vertical chases since this will allow replacement of cables should it be required without chasing out again.

You ought to have a rubber grommit on the metal back box entrance hole to prevent any danger of damage to the cable on entry.

HTH

Reply to
John Rumm

Also, if you channel 50mm deep everywhere you want a wire, you may significantly weaken some structural walls.

If you are doing a whole house, you should buy or hire a powered wall chaser. You set this to the width of whichever oval trunking you need (which will be different for different cable runs), and the depth to around 5mm deeper than the thickness of the trunking.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

It should not weakned walls that much as they are 2 skin cavity wall and im only sinking in the switch runs nothing else so in all it only per room, All im doing is complying with the regs the switch boxes als do not need gromets in as the entry to them is rolled back steel (se attached pic which shows the cable entry and the rolled back entr point on the box) and has no sharp edges to chaff the cable as i enters the box.

thanks for the advice guys keep it coming, will post more soon whe ring main is done

+------------------------------------------------------------------- |Filename: IM001087.JPG |Download:
formatting link
Reply to
Dazkb

The inner leaf is the load-bearing one - the outer leaf is mainly for weather protection.

But the regs don't require you to cut that much out of the walls - you can run them under a few millimeters of plaster.

Reply to
Rob Morley

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.