I have a 15mm copper pipe which will be made redundant. It runs from the ground floor to the loft. It is ideal for running a flex cable inside, which will save me some stress. I would imagine it will have a number of elbows along the way. Is there a mouse or pull cord that can be sucessfully fed down a 15mm pipe, the cable attached and pulled through. Is this possible?
TIA
It really depends on the route the pipe takes, and what youre putting down it. A straight pipe is straghtforward, and some bends are usable with thin flex eg speaker wire. No way can I see you getting mains wiring of any kind round >1 corner, nor 2.5 cable round any corner. All one can say is try and see, just use the thinnest flex you can.
NT
I guess an important question is whether it is safe to hide a flex inside a copper pipe? Sometime in the future someone may find the pipe and cut through the pipe not knowing that there is a potentially live cable inside it.
At least if someone comes across a conduit they expect to find a cable inside it; but a presumed redundant copper pipe wouldn not set off any warning bells.
Personally I wouldn't
Just a thought.
It will be a thin flex 0.5 or so. Is there a flex pull cord that can be fed down such a pipe? If this can go down the pipe then pulling through the cable should be easy enough if greased.
On or around Sun, 13 Nov 2005 18:10:28 -0000, "OG" mused:
There's also the fact that unless this cable is low voltage then the OP shouldn't be running a 0.5mm flex through 2 storeys of a house in place of fixed wiring.
Use string, and suck it through with a vacuum cleaner.
DOn or around Sun, 13 Nov 2005 19:07:59 -0000, "Vortex" mused:
Or do the job properly...... This isn't uk.lash-it-up.
Why not ? Can't see how it is any less secure inside a 15mm copper pipe than nailed down...
nailed down...
Flex is for appliances, not fixed wiring.
nailed down...
Cable is preferred for fixed for 2 reasons: its cheaper, and doesnt sag. Its perfectly safe to use flex in fixed wiring, and its standard practice on immersion heaters, storage heaters, pendant lights, machine shops, etc.
0.5 is on the small side for a power feed though, and woul need suitably fusing. I'd also earth the pipe.The downside is if you run 0.5 flex in waterpipe, it will be obvious its a non-standard job, and any buyer or inspector would look at your whole install thriugh paranoid eyes.
NT
than nailed down...
That's true - fortunate really, as I've used it in a couple of places myself :-)
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required