cable routing / perscribed zones

[lister]

Found this whilst altering a kitchen - couldnt resist a photo

 

[Mac]

Great photo mate.Should be in the hall of shame.Did you take the capping off the cable before you took the photo.Ha Ha

 

[lister]

No capping, you can tell this by the chisel marks on the cables !!

 

[sparks1234]

Capping, an interesting point, I have always installed capping, i questioned it when Billy Burns of DIYSOS fame clipped his cables down the walls and they were plastered over and he was NIC approved, after a few questions I was told it wasn't a regulation, any comments

 

[electricAl]

Ah, thats what they meant by a ring circuit !

As to the capping question, there is no reg as such - much like not routing cable in cavities - its more a case of good practice - lost on some folk i`m afraid.

Plus you gotta trust the plasterer has an inkling that digging his trowel into the sheath isn`t a good thing.

Keep fitting the capping lads

 

[Spudnik]

Its not a regulation.

The original idea to use capping was to protect the cable from the spreads trowel.

But that was in the days of render and finish. Now all the walls are plasterboard there is no risk of trowel damage.

I still use it as its easier than trying to clip the cables, especially in thermal blocks.

 

[sparks1234]

For the cost of it I find it so quick and easy particularly as I use metal capping, you can almost put a nail at the top and one at the bottom and job done

 

[Spudnik]

For the cost of it I find it so quick and easy particularly as I use metal capping, you can almost put a nail at the top and one at the bottom and job done

How do you earth it?

 

[sparks1234]

How do you earth it?

Why would you earth it

 

[Spudnik]

Because the regs say it should be?

 

[sparks1234]

Because the regs say it should be?

Have alook at this from the NIC


Subcategory - 1. BS7671 - Voltimum UK - Electrical Installation Products and Contracting

 

[The Truth]

thats , there is no regulation saying steel capping should be earthed. its neither an exposed conductive part nor an extraneous conductive part. an old wives tale
MOD EDIT:NO SWEARING IN THE FORUM PLEASE

 

[electricAl]

Ummm. I may agree or otherwise, but you`re hardly in a position to swear at the person that works hardest to make this forum so good.

I suggest you tone it down or maybe this forum aint for you.

Thats THE TRUTH.

 

[Modernelectric]

if the capping is used as mechanical protection then it should be earthed.

 

[supasparxs]

Because the regs say it should be?

I understood the reg about earthed metal containment only applied if you were attempting to avoid the use of RCD/RCBO.

If the RCD/RCBO was being used then it is optional whether you used plastic, metal or no capping over the cables.

Personally I use capping as it holds the cables back out the way while all the making good is being carried out. also it will protect the cables from the plasterers trowel as previously stated.

Richard

 

[The Truth]

Dont confuse things here...

metal capping is not classed as containtment, is not in the same category as conduit or trunking and is not classed as 'mechanical protection'. its sole purpose is to protect the already mechanically protected cables from the plasterers trowel.( its optional but good practice ) For this reason its not specifically mentioned in the regs.

capping does not need to be earther because the cabels beneath are T/E. ( insulated and mechanically protected ) trunking and conduit must be earthed because there ARE the mechanical protection with single core cables inside.

Ref. the avoiding the RCD usage? only SWA / SY / etc. Steel conduit / trunking ( all earthed ) can be used in that respect.

The truth appologises for foul language used earlier

and gooooood luck trying to earth 100 lengths of steel capping with 4mm G/Y cable?!

 

[mrloy99]

Yous boys get away with some shoddy workmanship over there.I've yet to see capping in use over here (N.Ireland) We ALWAYS use conduit tracked into the walls.. I couldn't believe the stuff I saw
in London---just like the o.p.'s photo.

 

[ian.settle1]

Have alook at this from the NIC


Subcategory - 1. BS7671 - Voltimum UK - Electrical Installation Products and Contracting

Dated 4-11-2006 therefore does not apply as that was for the 16th and not 17th.

 

[sparks1234]

Okay, been onto the 2 biggest governing bodies and both tell me that metal capping need not be earthed, it is unexposed metalwork. That basically tells me all I need to know but you are welcome to discuss the matter as long as you care to.

Yous boys get away with some shoddy workmanship over there.I've yet to see capping in use over here (N.Ireland) We ALWAYS use conduit tracked into the walls.. I couldn't believe the stuff I saw
in London---just like the o.p.'s photo.

You dont think it may be because we have moved on a bit over here then?

I worked for a while in Ireland and found standars there rather low, above suspended ceilings it was like a spiders web, cables on the ceiling etc etc, and as for the distribution boards, they were a fire hazard in the making

 

[mrloy99]

I worked for a while in Ireland and found standars there rather low, above suspended ceilings it was like a spiders web, cables on the ceiling etc etc, and as for the distribution boards, they were a fire hazard in the making[/quote]

Seen some rough stuff myself alright--At least we make the effort and use 1.5 twin brown for switchdrops.Last time I asked for it in London they looked at me like I'd two heads.

 

[sparks1234]

I worked for a while in Ireland and found standars there rather low, above suspended ceilings it was like a spiders web, cables on the ceiling etc etc, and as for the distribution boards, they were a fire hazard in the making

Seen some rough stuff myself alright--At least we make the effort and use 1.5 twin brown for switchdrops.Last time I asked for it in London they looked at me like I'd two heads.[/quote]

Oh no, 2 heads thats terrible, LOL sorry, good job we don't work in India I guess

 

[supasparxs]

I worked for a while in Ireland and found standars there rather low, above suspended ceilings it was like a spiders web, cables on the ceiling etc etc, and as for the distribution boards, they were a fire hazard in the making

Seen some rough stuff myself alright--At least we make the effort and use 1.5 twin brown for switchdrops.Last time I asked for it in London they looked at me like I'd two heads.[/quote]

many years ago I worked on a Bank called Nomoria in St.Martin Le Grande in central London.

The Irish electrical contractors we were working for set some really..... Impressive employment standards
on a Friday afternoon if your clock card was still in the rack after 3pm you had a job on Monday.


MF Kent are no longer around but with top quality companies like that what difference does it make whether you use twin brown or blue brown (and identified brown brown) switch lines.

two days before the main entrance opened to the client the fire office snagged the halogen up lighters being able to be touched by anyone passing, the heat resistant cable being rated up to 85 degrees and the heat at the fitting was 115 degrees. All the cables were seized up in the conduits and we had to rewir it with 1500 meters of Pyro.

You are right there are some really impressive standards in Ireland.

I almost forgot MF Kent went bust over guys hospital where someone left the Chlorine tables in the fresh water tank without flushing them out resulting in £1.5 million worth of plumbing to replace the damaged copper (not including the remedial works to expose the damaged copper, and the delays caused for the hospital opening several years late)

but your right there are great stanards in Ireland

Richard