High and Low Voltage Wiring

[spanner_monkey]

Hello,

I recently had my flat rewired and requested that all wires be chased into the walls. Because my walls are made of a very hard brick and to save on mess and noise, some of the power cables for plug sockets were run along the bottom surface of the walls, to be hidden by skirting boards.

As well as have all the electrics replaced, I took the opportunity to have a network installed and data cables were run with the power cables along the bottom of the wall. In some places the data cables are cable tied to the power cables.

Before I put new skirting boards in, I was going to put in speaker cable as well so, that I can have 7.1 sound in the living room.

In researching this, I have been told that I cannot put low voltage speaker cable next to high voltage power cables but, if that’s true then how come it’s ok to have the data cables in there?

I’ve no reason to think that my electrician has done a dodgy job. He has given me an EIC installation certificate and he has even asked me if he could use my property for his annual EIC check. The man from EIC came round and signed off his work with no issues.

So, can I put my speaker cables in there or not?

Thanks

 

[westward10]

Data cables should not be installed with low voltage cables unless they are insulated to the highest voltage present which is not likely.
It should be noted the mains wiring in your house is deemed low voltage and not high voltage.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Oh, and power cables behind skirting board is not permitted. Not unless the sockets are actually ON the skirting.

 

[spanner_monkey]

Data cables should not be installed with low voltage cables unless they are insulated to the highest voltage present which is not likely.
It should be noted the mains wiring in your house is deemed low voltage and not high voltage.

Did you mean to write:

Data cables should not be installed with HIGH voltage cables

because I thought data cables were low voltage?
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Oh, and power cables behind skirting board is not permitted. Not unless the sockets are actually ON the skirting.

Why not?

And if it isn't allowed, why was it signed off as ok?

 

[westward10]

Low voltage in the UK ignoring DC voltages is between 50 and 1000v. High voltage is anything above this.
Extra-Low voltage is not exceeding 50v AC or 120v ripple-free DC.
What you have is LV and ELV.

 

[spanner_monkey]

Are you saying that my current set up is not right?

 

[westward10]

Are you saying that my current set up is not right?

It is not. You have two issues, no separation of Band I and II cables (mains and data) and circuits installed in non safe zones behind the skirting.

 

[spanner_monkey]

So, both my electrician and the man from EIC don't know what they are doing?

 

[westward10]

So, both my electrician and the man from EIC don't know what they are doing?

I could only comment upon that if I met them.

 

[spanner_monkey]

It would seem unlikely to me that they would both independently get it wrong, especially as one of them is supposed to be expert in checking electrical set ups.

 

[westward10]

Seeing as the skirting is not in place some pics would be interesting.

 

[spanner_monkey]

I'll post that later when I get home from work.

 

[David Prosser]

Google safe zones for cables, that should give you an idea of the problem. If the skirting has not yet been fitted then you could try Skirting trunking this will keep all your cables separate but must have the sockets fitted into them.

 

[spanner_monkey]

If you can hide the cable in trunking then why would you not be able to hide behind skirting boards? And why does rebated skirting board exist if you cant put cables in it?

 

[Bobster]

If you can hide the cable in trunking then why would you not be able to hide behind skirting boards? And why does rebated skirting board exist if you cant put cables in it?

You could, if the sockets or electrical items were installed also in this skirting board.

 

[telectrix]

cables are not hidden in trunking. trunking is visible and it's obvious use is to carry cables. shirting board is not. how would a new owner, several years down the line, expect cables behind skirting.

 

[spanner_monkey]

It's too late to put sockets in the skirting, they are already in the wall and the walls have all been plastered
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cables are not hidden in trunking. trunking is visible and it's obvious use is to carry cables. shirting board is not. how would a new owner, several years down the line, expect cables behind skirting.

How would future owners know there were cables in the wall, they would also be hidden?

 

[telectrix]

It's too late to put sockets in the skirting, they are already in the wall and the walls have all been plastered
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How would future owners know there were cables in the wall, they would also be hidden?

but they are ( or should be) within prescribed zones., where you'd expect them to be. however, plumbers, joiners, and builders have an uncanny knack of finding them with nails or drills, even though the zones are freely available in the internet for anyone who can read. see here. the blue areas are "safe" zones.:

 

[DPG]

It's too late to put sockets in the skirting, they are already in the wall and the walls have all been plastered
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How would future owners know there were cables in the wall, they would also be hidden?

You need to Google cable zones.

 

[spanner_monkey]

I was referring to the suggestion that the plug sockets would need to also be put into the skirting if that is where the cable runs.