Discuss Suspended ceiling - how do you run lighting calbles ? ? ? in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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mikex79

Hi I need to run cables in a suspended ceiling (grid made of aluminium tees and mineral fiber ceiling tiles, suspention wires are fixed directly to the concret ceiling so there are not wooden beams that I could clip the cables to) the luminaires are already fit so what I need to do is just run the cables. What I have always seen was twin and earth PVC cables laid directly on the ceiling tiles and grid but I just have a feeling that this practice is not right there is something that is telling me that if there is an insulation fault even due to cable rubbing the main beam and tees the whole grid will become live.
My question is if there is any special method of suspending the cables so they will not touch the metal grid od should I clip them directly to the concret ceiling and just drop the cables to the luminaires? do the grid have to be earthed?
all suggestions would be much appreciate
 
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Hi,

Im not in the commercial sector, so I dont have any experiance of this sort of thing? But how about conduit mounted on the girders/ the concrete ceiling (Im assuming there is a concrete ceiling) and then use Kliks fo each of th lghts?

Just off of the top of my head, although I dont know if this is excepted practice?
 
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you should be looking at a hilti type nail gun and cable fixings just tack the cables on to the floor section above. This is what everyone is doing now. Very easy and very quick
 
you should be looking at a hilti type nail gun and cable fixings just tack the cables on to the floor section above. This is what everyone is doing now. Very easy and very quick
the main ceiling above is a solid concret ceiling so nailing with a hammer and clips is not that easy but i have not tried a nail gun though
 
sounds rough i still have a bit of pride in my job. Besides what do you do if you want to change the layout of the lights?? with my method its unplug move lights then plug in.
 
sounds rough i still have a bit of pride in my job. Besides what do you do if you want to change the layout of the lights?? with my method its unplug move lights then plug in.

All the big companys do it, if you want to make money you have to throw it in unfortunately the days of hyper neat working that is not going to be on show is over. at least in commercial anyway. If you think thats rough you want to have a look above the ceiling in some shops!!!!!
im working at a school for bk's i will take a couple of photos of whats above the ceiling there, its a modular installation. Those of you that have worked on this type of install will know what i mean!
 
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Why all the fuss, just loosely zip tie the cables to the nearest suspended ceiling hangers fixed into the concrete, at least they're independantly supported above. What the eye does'nt see the heart does'nt grieve !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If the cost and time is someone else's problem then light gauge 50mm wide budget tray makes for a neater job.
 
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Hi.

Do you have a design spec for this job?? It will nearly always be trunking+conduit, and tray work. As has been said the only way to go.
 
Hi.

Has the job been designed by a company or architect, or is it just private to yourself??

Also are you quoting for the job or do you have the job in the bag??
 
Hi.

Has the job been designed by a company or architect, or is it just private to yourself??

Also are you quoting for the job or do you have the job in the bag??
i am just wiring the job, the buiders already fit the luminaires i have to do the wiring. it's a little grocery shop and i need to give a quote. i have to do a separate circuit just for this lighting but it is alright after all this advices i already know what to do, many thanks for everyone that repilied to my thread
 
Most of the wholesalers now carry a bang in plastic fixing, drill a hole correct size, bang it in, cable tie your cables up, you can install klik boxes if the budget allows
 

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