Extending/adding concealed cables?

[CRAIGNEWHAM]

Evening
I know the regs say that cables buried less than 50mm in a wall or partition need to be mechanically, or rcd protected, but if these circuits arent rcd protected what does everyone do when they extend a circuit?
Add RCBO's? or mechanically protect the added cable?
Not just for sockets either? lighting etc
And do cables in narrow hollow walls come under this reg (where the cable is free to move)
Cheers
Craig

 

[Octopus]

RCD or RCBO for extending cables.

 

[CRAIGNEWHAM]

Doesnt it make it expensive if all the customer wants is an extra light switch?
Having to quote for an RCBO too?

 

[Octopus]

It would be useful to have more information. I.e the type of room, type of existing fuseboard etc.

 

[CRAIGNEWHAM]

I'm just talking in general really, the electrician I worked with would just add cables, and I always thought this was wrong. So just thought I'd ask the proffesionals

 

[Deleted member 26818]

You can use cables that incorporate an earthed sheath, one of the names is flexishield. A bit more expensive than T&E.
Otherwise, it's some kind of mechanical protection or eatherd conduit or trunking.

 

[CRAIGNEWHAM]

This must be quite a common situation (adding to a cicuit that isnt RCD protected) and I was just wondering what the majority of electricians did about it to keep costs down?

 

[robsparky1975]

Doesnt it make it expensive if all the customer wants is an extra light switch?
Having to quote for an RCBO too?

It does make it more expensive for the end user,but its the IEE who come up with the regs and then we have to try and justify why adding a light switch in some circumstances might mean for instance upgrading main bonding,adding rcbo protection etc etc,testing,certs that will be £--- please mrs smith,they might think we are out to fleece them but we are only keeping to regs,thats all we can do,if they dont like the price then we have to walk away.

 

[brucelee]

i here they are also changing it in the amendment so that for a additional socket to a existing will not you will not need to provide because of this very reason i believe i read it somewhere in here in the last week
But as it stands now it has to be RCD/RCBO protected or 50 mm deep mechanically protected and yes it adds to the cost but has to be done

 

[CRAIGNEWHAM]

Which means cowboy joe bloggs offers to do it for mrs smith at half the cost, not following the regs, and gets the business