Safe working in the loft

[Lawrence TE]

Hi,

I'm sure this is the wrong forum so apologies in advance but I wonder if anyone would be kind enough to advise on a safety issue concerning the installation of loft insulation. (this isn't the usual one about buried cables, luckily!)

I've been roped into insulating my mother's bungalow but I'm also thinking about doing my own house. It seems straightforward enough and all the stuff about cable ratings, etc. being reduced makes sense so I'm ok there but after reading half a thousand articles on fitting loft insulation I haven't read anything yet that mentions isolating the electric in the loft before any works take place.

Perhaps there's no need but I'd like to hear an electrician's opinion before proceeding - it seems very strange – am I supposed to be loving about and working in the loft when there’s live cables loose underfoot?

I think my loft will have just the lighting circuit and shower - so I assume I can simply isolate those circuits at the consumer unit and I'll still be able to run an inspection lamp from the sockets? I don't want to turn off everything because of the server I run and the sky box doesn't like being turned off.

The bungalow makes me wonder, though. All the circuits will be in the loft space so how can I run an inspection lamp if I have to turn off the sockets circuit? It'd be a pain having to work with torches.

Since nothing I’ve read mentions turning off the electric maybe I’m being overly careful but with electric...

Many thanks for any help that anyone can offer.

 

[topquark]

For your own house, isolate the upstairs circuits and run an extension for a work light from the downstairs ring. As you'll most likely be lifting cables to install the insulation.

 

[telectrix]

i think you are being overly careful if the wiring is in good condition with no bodged work. i would have a good look round the loft and if the wiring has been installed decently, there's no problem.

 

[Lawrence TE]

Ok. Electric is tricky stuff so I don't mind being accused of being too careful! It's always good to hear from someone who knows about these things so I'll check for any obvious damamge and take it from there.

For my own house I'll do what topquarck advises.

 

[grimysparks80]

For your own house, isolate the upstairs circuits and run an extension for a work light from the downstairs ring. As you'll most likely be lifting cables to install the insulation.

And if theres only 1 socket circuit i find a couple of candles usually do the trick

 

[Lawrence TE]

I'll check the insurance policy before resorting to candles!

 

[telectrix]

For your own house, isolate the upstairs circuits and run an extension for a work light from the downstairs ring. As you'll most likely be lifting cables to install the insulation.

how do you isolate the upstairs on a bungalow??????? LOL.:77:

 

[topquark]

how do you isolate the upstairs on a bungalow??????? LOL.:77:

His mate's is the bungalow and his own is a house, that's why I said on his own house ... have another beer Tel

 

[Lawrence TE]

Can I just ask for clarification on this? (no matter how many articles I read about fitting loft insulation there's barely ever a mention of isolating the electric!)

1. Is it good practice to isolate the electric whenever working in the loft but not an absolute safety requirement?
2. Where to do so would require turning off the entire supply (i.e. bungalow or flat with concrete slab ceiling) the supply may remain live providing the cabling appears sound?

Can I say that in a bungalow only certain circuits would need to be isolated (there's a sat box that I can just imagine going wrong), and which would they be? (if I could keep the sockets that would do the job but obviously those cables are in the loft space).

Insulation is quite tricky it seems! (the ventilation requirements are nuts)

 

[James Sheehy]

i dont think any insulation contractors would be too concerned about cables in attics as u so drive on

 

[Lawrence TE]

yes, I'm reading bad things about insulation contractors but I suppose it's always the complaints that get shouted the loudest.

 

[James Sheehy]

make sure its not a hot day when u tackle this job

 

[Lawrence TE]

No need to wait for a hot day - I've been advised to use candles so it'll get plenty hot enough plenty quickly!

 

[mickys86]

No need to wait for a hot day - I've been advised to use candles so it'll get plenty hot enough plenty quickly!

Make sure u use the safety candles in case they fall over hahaha

 

[truckster]

For your own house, isolate the upstairs circuits and run an extension for a work light from the downstairs ring. As you'll most likely be lifting cables to install the insulation.

Yeah....right!

 

[1shortcircuit]

I personally would take a peak at the condition of the loft space and decide on a plan.

Are you able to take photos and post them on here? There may be concerns that need rectifying before you lay the insulation.

I'm not sure if you have seen my thread regarding Insulation of lofts?

:thumbsup

 

[Lawrence TE]

I haven't read that one - will search for it in a moment.

I had a look at both lofts (no pics, sadly). My house looks pretty easy: what look like the lighting circuits (3mm cables?) strewn all over the place but I can safely cover those. The shower cable I can channel the insulation round quite easily.

The bungalow is a bit different. The cables, (and some of them look as though they could be 6mm thick (oblong cables so I imagine they're measured at the greatest width?)) are affixed to the joists. I'm not sure if they should be lifted and laid above the insulation or the insulation channelled round them (there are quite a lot of them so not sure about that). I read somewhere that that the joists act as a heat sink so a little uncertain.

Also, there's some boarding in the bungalow with a thickish looking cable running beneath. I assume it'll be ok to insulate over the top of the boarding (supposed to fill in the ends with insulation) as the cables'll still have plenty of air round them - albeit not exactly open to the atmosphere?

As with all these simple jobs it's becoming tricky to get right!

 

[1shortcircuit]

I've saved you the search