Cable Routing help required.

[Richlizard]

the boys are write strip and rip ,by the time you rip the laminate flooring and the original floor board, if not I bet you wish you had.
looking at the picture with under floor boards is It a original ring .
did your mate test to see if it a ring.r1&r2
you say you mate got 30years under his belt and now saying get a more experienced spark in.

I will try to explain better. My mate has said yes he will do the consumer unit. That is it. He has seen or tested nothing at all. I had 20 minutes max to look around where much of that was to disconnect an outside light that had already been sold on Ebay and disconnect a spur which they had been literally pulled off a wall and had it just hanging loose in a corner - still connected!

My experienced mate is now out of action until end of January which I mentioned in a previous post. As there seems to be some doubt as to whether I should even change a single socket, I suggested a more experienced electrician look at it - more experienced than ME!

Hope that explains it.

 

[Octopus]

The words that spring to mind are "can", "of" and "worms"

I would be VERY careful touching that lot - yeah, move a few sockets but how do you know they aren't spurs off spurs etc?

And as for introducing RCD's - that could be a disaster too.

Your mate needs to do a thorough EICR........... simples

 

[westward10]

From your picture where the cables pass through the joist they almost definitely drop down to a chase. Take the "tiny" socket off and see if there is play on them, there maybe if they are in capping. There is no reason why you couldn't pull them back and divert them to the other side using suitable jointing methods and a bit of fishing through the joist on the other side of the breast, these things can be done with some perseverance. Double check wall alignment as what you see downstairs isn't always mirrored upstairs. Just take a step back and consider your options.

 

[Richlizard]

The words that spring to mind are "can", "of" and "worms"

I would be VERY careful touching that lot - yeah, move a few sockets but how do you know they aren't spurs off spurs etc?

And as for introducing RCD's - that could be a disaster too.

Your mate needs to do a thorough EICR........... simples

I am new but know how to check for spurs off spurs.

But agree with your sentiments of possibly a can of worms.

 

[Richlizard]

From your picture where the cables pass through the joist they almost definitely drop down to a chase. Take the "tiny" socket off and see if there is play on them, there maybe if they are in capping. There is no reason why you couldn't pull them back and divert them to the other side using suitable jointing methods and a bit of fishing through the joist on the other side of the breast, these things can be done with some perseverance. Double check wall alignment as what you see downstairs isn't always mirrored upstairs. Just take a step back and consider your options.

Thanks. Are you saying to try to run the cable along the joist? Which I would assume passes through the chimney breast? Won't this be a heat hazard if within the chimney breast, albeit behind a joist?

But even if I manage that... there is no 'other side' from upstairs. Take a look at the bathroom image.

I may be misreading you here.

 

[The Ghost]

Well you will have to route your cables in the hallway then.

 

[Richlizard]

Well you will have to route your cables in the hallway then.

Sometimes the simplest option are the most obvious once pointed out

This is where my own inexperience shines through. So bring it down from upstairs hallway and chase into downstairs hallway at height? Then drill through into lounge at height and chase along and down to the corner? Obviously I can't go across in the void as I can't get through the bathroom tiling.

 

[The Ghost]

I think youre beginning to think. Of course it does depend on what way the joist run sometimes miraculously you can rod a cable through. I would be careful about where you locate the socket as it can be a pain trying to plug things in where that one is now.But at regs height it will be better. Depends where they are going to put equipment. But if they want to sell later then both alcoves will benefit. And usually there is a lot of sockets needed due to the plethora of equipment people want to plug in. Draw a plan of the whole ground floor and where sockets are needed then join the dots with your cable and work out the route.

 

[Andy78]

You could of course just chase within the room using permitted zones.

 

[buzzlightyear]

I hope he got l/b insurance of this job, Working on his mates place

 

[sparksburnout]

With respect, would you not be better knocking this job on the head, and seeing if you can get some work with a local sparks as a mate? I know your friend is ill but if he is "going to change the CU" he should have done some basic tests first, 30 years exp or not. Even house bashing can be quite testing if you don't know your way around! You can't keep asking very basic questions every time you meet situations like this, you need to get some experience.

 

[westward10]

Thanks. Are you saying to try to run the cable along the joist? Which I would assume passes through the chimney breast? Won't this be a heat hazard if within the chimney breast, albeit behind a joist?

But even if I manage that... there is no 'other side' from upstairs. Take a look at the bathroom image.

I may be misreading you here.

Think I am misreading your pics, I thought the picture showed the cables dropping down to the "tiny" socket.
I don't think I have ever fitted one of those "tiny" MK sockets.
Shame you can't get some on site help from one of us, well maybe not me so you can bash some ideas about.

 

[telectrix]

surprised this has not been suggested. if flooring above is tiled/laminate/whatever , not to be damaged, cut the bloody ceiling. easy repair and a muck=spreader to skim after.

 

[hightower]

Haven't read every post. But there's two ways to do this as I see it. The first is what @telectrix suggests - open the ceiling up. The second is chase around the top of the wall - within the 150mm zone - to get where you need to be, and then down to the accessory. There's no doubt a mess needs to be made one way or another.

 

[westward10]

Haven't read every post. But there's two ways to do this as I see it. The first is what @telectrix suggests - open the ceiling up. The second is chase around the top of the wall - within the 150mm zone - to get where you need to be, and then down to the accessory. There's no doubt a mess needs to be made one way or another.

You then have the problem of jointing the cables because they won't be long enough.

 

[Richlizard]

I think youre beginning to think. Of course it does depend on what way the joist run sometimes miraculously you can rod a cable through. I would be careful about where you locate the socket as it can be a pain trying to plug things in where that one is now.But at regs height it will be better. Depends where they are going to put equipment. But if they want to sell later then both alcoves will benefit. And usually there is a lot of sockets needed due to the plethora of equipment people want to plug in. Draw a plan of the whole ground floor and where sockets are needed then join the dots with your cable and work out the route.

Haha, well yes believe it or not I have given it tons of 'think'. Bloody keeps me awake at night.

But I am still confused how you can rod your way along the beam which runs into the chimney breast as it will surely give a heat issue?

And when it gets to the other side of the breast, I cannot actually access it as it is in a blocked off area in the bathroom as shown in the bathroom image.

Downstairs is simple once the cable is in place. Two sockets the other side of the breast and a double socket diagonally across the room. I would probably persuade them to keep the existing socket in fairness as it makes no sense to remove it. So both alcoves would have power... one day!

 

[Richlizard]

Haven't read every post. But there's two ways to do this as I see it. The first is what @telectrix suggests - open the ceiling up. The second is chase around the top of the wall - within the 150mm zone - to get where you need to be, and then down to the accessory. There's no doubt a mess needs to be made one way or another.

I have made it very clear it will be a total building site.

Presumably you mean to chase all the way round the 150mm zone and not across the top of the chimney breast? So almost a full lap of the room?

 

[The Ghost]

Ok you can not go through a chimney breast end of, there is no beam in a chimney breast you are going to go around it somehow.

 

[Octopus]

You need your experienced mate all the way..


You may be desperate for work but this could be as complete and utter nightmare.

And if it's going to be a compete building site why don't you just recommend a compete rewire...It's probably for the best

 

[Richlizard]

With respect, would you not be better knocking this job on the head, and seeing if you can get some work with a local sparks as a mate? I know your friend is ill but if he is "going to change the CU" he should have done some basic tests first, 30 years exp or not. Even house bashing can be quite testing if you don't know your way around! You can't keep asking very basic questions every time you meet situations like this, you need to get some experience.

I do lots of work with two local electricians. For over a year now. I also work for myself but survive on basics.

This would have normally been classed as 'basic' when I agreed to help him. Now it seems there is a lot more to it and I appreciate all the comments. In a way, it is probably a good thing the bathroom is blocked off or I would have already got stuck in [blush]