Conduit Needed?

JOHNPT

I wish to add another socket in a room. The walls are solid walls and are bonded and skimmed. I intend to chisel out a channel from an existing socket down to skirting then behind skirting and up to the new position.
My query is does the 2.5 cable have to be in conduit? Its about 12 inches down to skirting. Its new house so thats reason i want to do as little disruption as possible. Is it ok to plaster over the 2.5 cable without the conduit.

Thanks in advance for any replies

davelerave

it needs conduit .don't think i've ever buried a wire behind skirting.i would use nym anyway.

djyay

get some flat plastic conduit from your local hardware.it is NOT okay to plaster over a 2.5mm cable in a wall chase. the chase will need to be deeper for the conduit,but youll have to plaster it anyway so whats the harm in doing it proper:)

2011

As the others have said it needs conduit.

JOHNPT:

I intend to chisel out a channel from an existing socket down to skirting then behind skirting and up to the new position.

Although you are permitted to have a cable cross the skirting board, you are not allowed to run a mains cable behind it. You should really go under the floor boards and then back up again to a new position.

JOHNPT

thanks

bertie1

Any pvc cable in a wall has to be in conduit. There is a chemical reaction between the pvc sheath & plaster so you have to put it in conduit . The new regs say it has to have mechanical protection as well unless it is within 150mm of the corner. Plastic conduit is not mechanical protection

JOHNPT

Very interesting

So what would be classified as mechanical protection then if plastic conduit not allowed

davelerave

Galvanised steel capping i would guess .

JOHNPT

Thanks

arse..biscuits

bertie1 wrote: »

Plastic conduit is not mechanical protection

Are you sure about that? I think it is.

enmac

bertie1 wrote: »

The new regs say it has to have mechanical protection as well unless it is within 150mm of the corner. Plastic conduit is not mechanical protection

this statement is misleading - installing the cable in plastic conduit is perfectly acceptable if the conduit is vertical or horizontal and is ran from a switch or socket or another electrical point

diagonal runs etc. should be installed in steel conduit or else should be limited to within 150mm from corners and ceiling.

2011

installing the cable in plastic conduit is perfectly acceptable if the conduit is vertical or horizontal and is ran from a switch or socket or another electrical point

Yes this is correct

diagonal runs etc. should be installed in steel conduit or else should be limited to within 150mm from corners and ceiling.

+ 1
Also if a mains voltage cable is passing verticaly within a wall (from floor to ceiling for example), but is not passing through a visable electrical point (such as a switch or socket) it must then be in a steel conduit.

This goes back to my point that mains cables are not allowed to be installed running horizontally behind skirting boards.

bertie1

The origional poster was not doing a straight run he was going down the wall across skirting & back up to a socket ( chased into the solid wall )
Chapter 522.6.4
Therefore the cable needs to be protected by an earthed metal screen, armouring , metal conduit or trunking therefore plastic will not do and I assume it is more than 150mm from the corner.

CaptainSkidmark

bertie1 wrote: »

The origional poster was not doing a straight run he was going down the wall across skirting & back up to a socket ( chased into the solid wall )
Chapter 522.6.4
Therefore the cable needs to be protected by an earthed metal screen, armouring , metal conduit or trunking therefore plastic will not do and I assume it is more than 150mm from the corner.

M sentiments exactly.

cant take the risk of driving a nail through it

enmac

bertie1 wrote: »

The origional poster was not doing a straight run he was going down the wall across skirting & back up to a socket ( chased into the solid wall )
Chapter 522.6.4
Therefore the cable needs to be protected by an earthed metal screen, armouring , metal conduit or trunking therefore plastic will not do and I assume it is more than 150mm from the corner.

I agree completly Bertie - I was just pointing out that your earlier post suggested that all PVC cables in wall needed to be mechanically protected which is not the case.

The new regs say it has to have mechanical protection as well unless it is within 150mm of the corner

bertie1

I was answering the origional posters question ( he wanted to plaster 2.5 into a wall with no protection)