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Hi. Just joined after coming across this site and seeing more good advice on here in a few minutes than spending many many hours of searching the web..Great forum..I am a very keen DIY'r and an engineer by trade..

I am currently project managing and part building a conservatory..Before the new regs came out(many years ago) i installed sockets and lights into many conservatory..normally either spurring off the ring main or extending the ring main..Lights were always supplied from a fused spur off the ring main..

The thing I am struggling with is where to route the cables from the house into the conservatory.. previously I used to route through the conservatory cavity however I believe this is no longer acceptable.

Internally I will be using thermal blocks with plaster board dabbed on...Do I run the cables behind the skirts then vertical to each socket? Also should they run in flat or oval conduit or simply clipped to the wall?

I am also looking at 3 sets of lights, downlighters internally, centre ceiling light internally, also 4 x wall lights external,probably all LED.. I am also looking at installing electric underfloor heating which is less than 2kw.. Can all these be fed from the ring main?

I want to do as much of the work myself if I can..

Thanks in advance of any help.
 
Clipped to the block work or capping over cables are fine as the walls are getting dot n dabbed but please don't run cables behind skirting boards as they will be out of zone.
Underfloor heating would be fine off the ring if below 2kw but personally would try to keep the lighting on the existing lighting circuit only or perhaps a new circuit.

Struggling to picture how you would get downlights(spots?) in a conservatory ceiling?
Or is it just an extension?
 
Hi. Just joined after coming across this site and seeing more good advice on here in a few minutes than spending many many hours of searching the web..Great forum..I am a very keen DIY'r and an engineer by trade..

I am currently project managing and part building a conservatory..Before the new regs came out(many years ago) i installed sockets and lights into many conservatory..normally either spurring off the ring main or extending the ring main..Lights were always supplied from a fused spur off the ring main..

The thing I am struggling with is where to route the cables from the house into the conservatory.. previously I used to route through the conservatory cavity however I believe this is no longer acceptable.

Internally I will be using thermal blocks with plaster board dabbed on...Do I run the cables behind the skirts then vertical to each socket? Also should they run in flat or oval conduit or simply clipped to the wall?

I am also looking at 3 sets of lights, downlighters internally, centre ceiling light internally, also 4 x wall lights external,probably all LED.. I am also looking at installing electric underfloor heating which is less than 2kw.. Can all these be fed from the ring main?

I want to do as much of the work myself if I can..

Thanks in advance of any help.
Welcome, and they aren't called ring mains any more Ring Final Circuits RFCs for short, I'm in a pedantic mood today, sorry:p
 
Gazza, Stoke is on my patch. be happy to advise in person any time. Happy to oversee your work and test on completion.
 
Clipped to the block work or capping over cables are fine as the walls are getting dot n dabbed but please don't run cables behind skirting boards as they will be out of zone.
Underfloor heating would be fine off the ring if below 2kw but personally would try to keep the lighting on the existing lighting circuit only or perhaps a new circuit.

Struggling to picture how you would get downlights(spots?) in a conservatory ceiling?
Or is it just an extension?

Thanks for the advice Ian. Greatly appreciated. I was looking at some capping today, plastic 25mm which I take it will take 2 x 2.5mm cables side by side, also a 12mm in metal which I take it is for 1 x 2.5mm cable? Is there any benefit to either?

The lighting I would struggle to take off the existing light circuit as I do not plan to plaster the main house wall in the conservatory also there is no cable near by easily accessible which is why I was looking at a fused spur.

When you say new circuit that would mean running a new supply from the consumer unit around the external wall into the conservatory. If I did this and this one cable supplies all the lights where would be the best place to locate the junction boxes I would need to split out each light circuit? Would this go behind the plasterboard?

The conservatory is more of an orangery with brick pillars and the roof is a bit of a hybrid, looks like a glass conservatory roof from the outside but has an internal pelmet to make it look like an orangery. This is where the lights will mount. I hope to put a 3 way switch in the room to select the relevant light option.

Regarding the socket feeds, I will steer clear of behind the skirting however is there a recommended position for routing / clipping the cable along a 600mm dwarf wall?
 
Gazza, Stoke is on my patch. be happy to advise in person any time. Happy to oversee your work and test on completion.
Thanks Telectrix...I might take you up on that yet as things progress..If I needed a quote how would I go about it?
 
Regarding lights yes I meant a new circuit from db.
Wire it to your switch then switch live and neutrals out to your lights so you could have say a 3 gang switch for different lighting points.
All connections would be behind the switch plate and be accessible.

Either metal or plastic capping is acceptable plastic is probably easier to install.

Cables for sockets buried less than 50mm from surface must be in prescribed wiring zones that is from point to point horizontal or vertical(accessory to accessory).
150mm from top of wall,150mm in the corner of 2 adjoining walls
 
Thanks Telectrix...I might take you up on that yet as things progress..If I needed a quote how would I go about it?

To be honest, you'd be better off getting Telectrix in to advise you before you start running cables. He may spot a way of running for example, the lighting that you hadn't considered.
Having tel there, He can show you the safest & most economical cable routes and could end up saving you money.
 

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