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S

Spangled

Hi

I am new to the site as a poster but read regular and find it very informative.

Domestic Rewire

3 core cable for top of stairs 2/way light drilled behind skirting board "standard" then instead of chased to 1200mm switch box and capped, there is an existing conduit system that cannot be used. electrician cuts into conduit and pulls up 3 core 700mm then out and into 16mm switch box.

Thoughts please on whether you think this is totally lazy and potentially dangerous even though protected by 30ma split load board. Electrician when asked about it, said there is no legislation or requirement to earth the conduit he pulled the 3 core through. by the way the conduit is not attached to anything now just 700mm in the wall.

I asked what if the 3 core cable got caught being pulled up the conduit and the sheath got damaged and exposed one of the cores to the conduit without being exposed to the earth within the 3core??? I find it lazy, bad practice and potentially dangerous.

Regards
 
I believe one needs to get in the real world. Pulling up old conduits is standard. Yes mrs customer you have a conduit in your wall I could pull up but I won't I'll chop it out instead. Mmmmmmm me thinks not. Just have to pull it in carefully. It's only the same as pulling cables under boards whilst rewiring because honestly you really have no idea what's its going round under the floor if your completely honest. That's why we test afterwards.
 
It was a full rewire and all chased out and capped apart from where the conduit was used. the twin to the top of stairs light was chased. By the way when you test will your results show the conduit live if it did get caught in the manner i suggested? what happens if the exposed cable was the slave? how would you know a problem existed?
 
It was a full rewire and all chased out and capped apart from where the conduit was used. the twin to the top of stairs light was chased. By the way when you test will your results show the conduit live if it did get caught in the manner i suggested? what happens if the exposed cable was the slave? how would you know a problem existed?
If the conduit was earthed then yes it would show up but the cable tests would show any damage to them
 
The conduit does not meet the definition of an 'exposed conductive part' as it is not exposed. Youa re are also using t+E in it it, you could use t+e in surface steel conduit without needing to earth the steel conduit.

There are a lot of old wives tails i've heard from people on site with regards to not using old conduit, they are all untrue.
 
It all sounds a bit slapdash to me
I would have cut into the conduit under the floor,rather than butchering the wall to make the cut there lol
 
On a domestic rewire i guess it is good practice to remove the old installation where applicable, without tearing the boards and walls apart. Maybe it is just me but i would not personally use any old bit of conduit i came across to pull a wire through knowing when it came out the other end i only had to chase the wall anyway to get to my destination. I would neither pull down old capping's "taped on" "tied on" metal and not even plastic for the sole reason of making sure the client got a brand new installation with everything included, ie new boxes, capping. You cant rewire an house without causing most rooms to be redecorated anyway so using easy short-cuts serves no purpose.

Maybe its just how i would approach the job.
 
Your right you will make a mess whilst re wiring, but needless mess is not helpful to anyone, I would use old conduit and I would pull up old capping and as for new boxes etc i wouldn't hesitate to use an old back box if it was in good condition.
 
On a domestic rewire i guess it is good practice to remove the old installation where applicable, without tearing the boards and walls apart. Maybe it is just me but i would not personally use any old bit of conduit i came across to pull a wire through knowing when it came out the other end i only had to chase the wall anyway to get to my destination. I would neither pull down old capping's "taped on" "tied on" metal and not even plastic for the sole reason of making sure the client got a brand new installation with everything included, ie new boxes, capping. You cant rewire an house without causing most rooms to be redecorated anyway so using easy short-cuts serves no purpose.

Maybe its just how i would approach the job.

If i were the customer, I would rather you got the cables to wherever without chasing the walls if possible, I.e less damage of structural integrety of the wall (think smashed bricks etc.) less plaster falling off and loosened from the walls etc, who cares about a stupid bit of placcy in the walls being new, if it causes £100 more worth of work? Once the cables in the wall the capping is pretty much irrelevant anyways.
As for boxes with the old placcy lugs, You have a good poin t there, most are well past there sell by date and should imo be replaced.
 
Never look a gift horse in the mouth!

If its there I will always have a crack at pulling up/down.

Time is money, if a chase in a wall can be avoided ...............


The labourers had a touch !
 
It's known in this age as recycling :lol:
 
Your right you will make a mess whilst re wiring, but needless mess is not helpful to anyone, I would use old conduit and I would pull up old capping and as for new boxes etc i wouldn't hesitate to use an old back box if it was in good condition.

Would you price for a full rewire?
 

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