Electrical Wiring vs Plumbing

[Suet33]

Thanks to everyone for help with my last question - here's the next one!!

Having our 1930's flat re-wired and re-plumbed. Floors and ceilings are concrete - so wires and pipes are all being chased into walls!

Radiators are currently set very high and have asked for them to be lowered to a standard height - however the electrician is putting the wiring around from socket to socket at a height of approx 10-12 cm and I'm uncertain how the plumbing will be set. Has the electrician left room for the pipes to be set below the wiring - otherwise the rads are not going to be very much lower - unless there is a way of doing this!?!? Can someone help me with the logistics of this - I don't know how everything works!!!

Also - the wiring is being covered with metal capping - I'm guessing this is safe just below/behind a radiator and close to heating pipes??

 

[Andy78]

So the electrician is not bothering running wiring in prescribed zones then ?

That aside, buried cables under capping and plaster should not suffer greatly from the effects of being close to a radiator.

 

[Suet33]

That's what I thought!!! Isn't it supposed to be 150mm from floor, ceiling or corners??

Is this likely to cause any issues?

 

[Andy78]

Where cables of that type are buried less than 50mm from the surface they must be installed in zones that are formed by the corners of walls and ceilings or in horizontal and vertical zones from accessories. The diagram in the link shows it better.
Where zones are not used the cable (of this type) can be given mechanical protection suitable to prevent nails and screws penetrating. The metal capping used does not provide this protection.

All that said I can't see there being many problems in the future with accidental cable damage, but the runs on walls with no sockets are probably the biggest hazard.

Cables Concealed in Walls or Partitions: The Case for Additional Protection by Residual Current Devices

BS 7671: 2008 (2015) Requirements for Electrical Installations contains recommendations that a cable installed in a wall or partition must, in many cases, be provided with additional protection by mea

professional-electrician.com

 

[telectrix]

what andy says. horizontal cables must be fixed directly in line with the sockets. (not down, across , and up).


even then. wet-pants will be sure to drill them.

 

[Suet33]

OK - so, where there is a socket on the wall they can go horizontally across the wall at that height - but on a wall with no socket they need to go up, across near the top and then down again - is that correct?

If they are in
[automerge]1569064650[/automerge]

Where zones are not used the cable (of this type) can be given mechanical protection suitable to prevent nails and screws penetrating. The metal capping used does not provide this protection.

What should they be using for this wiring where they have put it?

 

[Andy78]

OK - so, where there is a socket on the wall they can go horizontally across the wall at that height - but on a wall with no socket they need to go up, across near the top and then down again - is that correct?

Yes

What should they be using for this wiring where they have put it?

Not entirely sure as I've never done that, but I'm certain that products exist

I bet your sparky hates this forum by now.