Tv socket extension

[AllyJ]

Hello,

Can anyone please help us on our matter below:

I've had a bit of a discussion with my work colleagues (all electricians more experienced than myself) about a job we were asked to do for one of our tenants in commercial office premises.

Basically they want to install a new TV hanging from a ceiling so the idea is to run a new radial circuit from their distribution board to a single socket which is compliant with regulations and all.

But because they want a cheaper and quicker option someone came up with an idea to run the cable to the socket at high level in trunking and plugging it (13A Plug) to a nearest floor box.

Will this breach any regulations?

 

[Spoon]

Are you suggesting running the TV mains lead at high level, in trunking, and plugging it into a floor box on the floor above the TV?

Regs suggest that "Effective means, suitably placed for ready operation, shall ve provided so that all voltage may be cut off from the installation....." (132.15.1)

 

[AllyJ]

Thank for your reply Spoon.

Apologies if my explanation wasn't quite clear.

The point was to fix single socket to the wall, run a cable down in trunking and instead of wiring it as a spur socket, fit a 13 amp plug and plugging it to the near by existing floor socket.

Hope that clears it.

 

[driverman]

Thank for your reply Spoon.

Apologies if my explanation wasn't quite clear.

The point was to fix single socket to the wall, run a cable down in trunking and instead of wiring it as a spur socket, fit a 13 amp plug and plugging it to the near by existing floor socket.

Hope that clears it.

Sounds like you mean basically an extension lead. Baggy way of doing it. however if you mean using proper cable then NO. You can not connect a 13 amp plug top onto a cable.

 

[Spoon]

You may also have to consider if the TV room & room where you are going to plug the TV into are on different phases.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Hello,

Can anyone please help us on our matter below:

I've had a bit of a discussion with my work colleagues (all electricians more experienced than myself) about a job we were asked to do for one of our tenants in commercial office premises.

Basically they want to install a new TV hanging from a ceiling so the idea is to run a new radial circuit from their distribution board to a single socket which is compliant with regulations and all.

But because they want a cheaper and quicker option someone came up with an idea to run the cable to the socket at high level in trunking and plugging it (13A Plug) to a nearest floor box.

Will this breach any regulations?

Ok, do you mean:

1: You are going to fit a socket on the wall next to the tv?

2. Are you going to wire this with flex down the wall to a socket at floor level in the same room as the tv?

3. Is this flex going to be protected by trunking?

 

[AllyJ]

Sounds like you mean basically an extension lead. Baggy way of doing it. however if you mean using proper cable then NO. You can not connect a 13 amp plug top onto a cable.

Thanks for your reply driverman

It is a baggy way of doing it and it is basically an extension lead, and by cable I mean 3-core flex (2.5mm2) run in trunking.
One of my mates says it can be treated like normal shop bought extension lead, I'm a bit puzzled.

can please support your answer with some regs.

 

[AllyJ]

Ok, do you mean:

1: You are going to fit a socket on the wall next to the tv?

2. Are you going to wire this with flex down the wall to a socket at floor level in the same room as the tv?

3. Is this flex going to be protected by trunking?

Hi Geordie thanks for your reply.

1. Yes socket will be on the wall next to the TV.

2. Yes the 3-core flex (2.5mm2) will run down the wall and the floor socket is in the same room by the wall about a foot of a distance away.

3. Yes the flex will be protected by trunking.

Any suggestions on this method being wrong?

 

[Richard Burns]

As said above the solution is a very poor approach.
If you are running flex in trunking and taking it to the television, then why can you not just run a spur (or branch) circuit from the floor box (in trunking if you must) to a ceiling mounted socket.

You cannot run a 2.5mm² flex in the way you describe because a 2.5mm² flex will not fit safely into a BS1363 plug.
However you could run a 1.5mm² flex from plug to a trailing socket on the ceiling for the TV, cheap and nasty but it would be OK.

 

[AllyJ]

As said above the solution is a very poor approach.
If you are running flex in trunking and taking it to the television, then why can you not just run a spur (or branch) circuit from the floor box (in trunking if you must) to a ceiling mounted socket.

You cannot run a 2.5mm² flex in the way you describe because a 2.5mm² flex will not fit safely into a BS1363 plug.
However you could run a 1.5mm² flex from plug to a trailing socket on the ceiling for the TV, cheap and nasty but it would be OK.

Thanks for the reply Richard.

It is a poor approach and my idea was to spurred it off from the floor box the other of my colleagues wanted to run a new radial from a DB which is some distance away but the third one of us came up with the plug idea and the argument between us was about the plug idea being against the regulations.
All that sparked a heated debate, we all agreed with the plug idea being poor, dodgy and all but decided to reach out for third party opinion otherwise it would turn nasty.

So from what we understand here there is no regulation against the dodgy plug idea.

 

[jaypp]

Thanks for the reply Richard.

It is a poor approach and my idea was to spurred it off from the floor box the other of my colleagues wanted to run a new radial from a DB which is some distance away but the third one of us came up with the plug idea and the argument between us was about the plug idea being against the regulations.
All that sparked a heated debate, we all agreed with the plug idea being poor, dodgy and all but decided to reach out for third party opinion otherwise it would turn nasty.

So from what we understand here there is no regulation against the dodgy plug idea.

If I was your 'colleague', I wouldn't do it like you're proposing. If the t.v. is mounted on the ceiling it could be seen as a fixed appliance. Regs or not, it's DIYish and what some might consider 'bad practice'.

 

[Engineer54]

Thanks for the reply Richard.

So from what we understand here there is no regulation against the dodgy plug idea.

You could even just use a wall mountable extension lead run in PVC trunking!! Not exactly best practice, but it's not exactly dodgy either!!

I certainly wouldn't run a separate radial circuit from the DB some distance away, just to supply a TV/monitor, ...not unless the existing local socket circuit was at, or near it's operational limit!!

 

[Geordie Spark]

Hi Geordie thanks for your reply.

1. Yes socket will be on the wall next to the TV.

2. Yes the 3-core flex (2.5mm2) will run down the wall and the floor socket is in the same room by the wall about a foot of a distance away.

3. Yes the flex will be protected by trunking.

Any suggestions on this method being wrong?

I have seen exactly this thing in my GP's surgery waiting room and in my local hospital waiting area too. Hope that helps.

 

[rapparee]

Thank for your reply Spoon.

Apologies if my explanation wasn't quite clear.

The point was to fix single socket to the wall, run a cable down in trunking and instead of wiring it as a spur socket, fit a 13 amp plug and plugging it to the near by existing floor socket.

Hope that clears it.

I have done this before, it wasn't my finest hour but.......... it saved tracking walls