Discuss Can Wiring to Wall Socket be Laid Horizontally Along Wall at Near Floor Level? in the Electrical Wiring, Theories and Regulations area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Novice12

Hello,

I have had my 2 story house rewired and one of the low level wall sockets on the ground floor is wired with wires that run horizontally along the wall at floor height and then travel up the short distance to the socket from underneath it.

My question is whether this is good practice.

The ground floor is concrete and the 1st floor wooden joists and floorboards. I think other low level wall sockets on the ground floor have had the wiring run down from above and I would have thought this socket would have been done like this too. I think maybe the builder forgot about it so it was an addition, would this explain why he has wired it like this?

The wall the wiring runs along will be part of the kitchen so kitchen base unit for a sink will cover it up to some extent although I am leaving spaces for a non-built-in washing machine and dishwasher along this wall too.

Any advice would be very much welcome.

Thanks,

A
 
Hello,

I have had my 2 story house rewired and one of the low level wall sockets on the ground floor is wired with wires that run horizontally along the wall at floor height and then travel up the short distance to the socket from underneath it.

My question is whether this is good practice.

The ground floor is concrete and the 1st floor wooden joists and floorboards. I think other low level wall sockets on the ground floor have had the wiring run down from above and I would have thought this socket would have been done like this too. I think maybe the builder forgot about it so it was an addition, would this explain why he has wired it like this?

The wall the wiring runs along will be part of the kitchen so kitchen base unit for a sink will cover it up to some extent although I am leaving spaces for a non-built-in washing machine and dishwasher along this wall too.

Any advice would be very much welcome.

Thanks,

A
Safe zones for electric cables - DIYWiki - http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Safe_zones_for_electric_cables
 
Is the wiring run on the surface, either clipped or in trunking, or is it sunk in and plastered over ?
Hi,

At the moment it runs on the surface and then goes behind the plaster (not plaster board just the plaster I think). I think he might leave like that as will be partly behind base cabinet.

I have attached a photo.

Thanks,

A

Can Wiring to Wall Socket be Laid Horizontally Along Wall at Near Floor Level? 20161120_122243 - EletriciansForums.net
 
Assuming this is a kitchen installation:
He would have ran the cables surface mounted like that so the kitchen fitter doesn't screw the units to the wall and hit the cable BUT he should have ran them the same height of the sockets horizontally to comply with Zones prescribed in Regulation Group 522.6

Reference: Cables in walls - IET Electrical - http://electrical.------.org/wiring-matters/54/cables-in-walls/index.cfm

Also do you know if he placed either metallic or plastic "capping" over the cable?
And is this circuit covered by A RCD?
 
If the cables are to be left like that, ie with kitchen cupboards in front, then they are OK. They do need some support though, so should be clipped to the wall.

@Jamchiv01 why are you asking about capping. Do you think it might be necessary?
 
Thanks for replies so far.

Would it not have been best to just run the cables down from above like he did for other sockets?

@Jamchiv01 Pardon my ignorance but what is capping? + It is a new fuse board so I think will have RCDs.

A
 
@Taylortwocities Best to describe what I mean with a image.

Can Wiring to Wall Socket be Laid Horizontally Along Wall at Near Floor Level? {filename} | ElectriciansForums.net


Allways place capping over the cables for mechanical protection. (Mainly from the plasterer and the plaster itself)


@Novice12 Capping looks like this:

Can Wiring to Wall Socket be Laid Horizontally Along Wall at Near Floor Level? {filename} | ElectriciansForums.net
 
Could he have run the wires vertically instead?
From a socket the only recognised routes for cables are vertically or horizontally. A dog leg or diagonal route is not allowed.
See figure 3 in this informative document
Cables concealed in a wall or partition - IET Electrical

NOTE: the routes apply to cables that are concealed (eg plastered over). So, if there are to be kitchen base units in front, you could simply chop away the plaster on the short distance that the cable is covered horizontally along the floor level to reveal the cables underneath.
That would leave the short vertical cable drop covered. That is OK because it is run in a permitted cable route.
 
@TaylortwocitiesAllways place capping over the cables for mechanical protection. (Mainly from the plasterer and the plaster itself)

I thought that PVC cables are no longer affected by plaster. Thought I read it somewhere on this forum. I could be wrong...
 
Cables are not affected by normal plaster. They often are affected by the plasterer himself!

Background materials containing corrosive salts can be a problem - slaked lime mortar, perhaps.
 
I often run my cables (surface) at this point just above the floor on kitchen refurbs, as they are in the service void (plinth area) of floor units, whereby none of the floor units vertical panels will need to be notched to accommodate the cables. This also puts the cables in a place less likely to attract mechanical damage from the fitters installing the kitchen. Unfortunately, electricians work is normally carried out before the plasterer and, as what looks to have happened here, the plasterers move the annoying electrical cables, cos they're getting in the way of their plastering efforts. I would have used more clips, and often use mini trunking for this very reason.

Prescribed zones are all well & good, but it seems that only electricians know about them. Whilst the installation of the horizontal run to the socket is incorrect, a bit of artistic licence should be applied IMO. After all, the horizontal route of the cables could of been left un-plastered and then covered by the skirting.

OP if you are at all concerned, you could get your electrician to chase & install the 'dog leg' the other way or run horizontally from the socket to & behind the floor unit, and then get you plasterer to make good. Or you could leave as is!
 
Taken from BS7671:

A cable concealed in a wall or partition at a depth of 50mm from a surface of the wall or partition shall:

(iv) be mechanically protected against damage sufficient to prevent penetration by nails, screws and the like or

(v) be installed in a zone within 150mm from the top of the wall or partition or within 150 mm of an angle formed by two adjoining walls or partitions. Where the cable is connected to a point, accessory or switchgear on any surface of the wall or partition, the cable may be installed in a zone either horizontally or vertically, to the point, accessory or switchgear. Where the location of the accessory, point or switchgear can be determined from the reverse side, a zone formed on one side of a wall of 100mm thickness or less or partition of 100mm thickness or less extends to the reverse side, or

Summed up this means: If the vertical cable run has no capping, it is okay as it is inside a zone, however as the cable runs at the bottom of the wall horizontally it is outside of the zones and needs to be mechanically protected.


Can Wiring to Wall Socket be Laid Horizontally Along Wall at Near Floor Level? {filename} | ElectriciansForums.net
 
Ten years later Bob's son is called to install new kitchen units, and drills through the cable directly below the socket, he even had his drill plugged into said socket. Moments earlier he had removed the skirting his Dad had installed 10 years earlier, revealing the cables in the incorrect zone, so he used no nails to fix the new skirting :)

Prescribed zones are a good thing, but only sparks know about them. Not sure of any capping that would mechanically protected cables, apart from conduit of course.
 

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