Capping

Talk Electrician Forum

Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

D Brennan

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 22, 2008
Messages
415
Reaction score
0
Just a bit of information if poss, been speaking to a few other elecis today and we got onto the subject of capping as you do:D, some were saying they dont cap and some do... went into an arguement..

Are required to cap or not??

cheers

 
i was under the impression the capping was only to protect the cable from the plasterer, we do it sometimes but mostly we dont bother.... bosses orders lol

 
I certainly would not do install cables on a wall that is to be plastered without some protection. If wall is to be dry lined I probably would still cap but it probably is not neccessary.

Batty

 
Don't forget now that if cables are less than 50mm deep they have to be protected by a earthed metal plate, if not they have a RCD on the circuit.

So it will be sayanora soon to capping soon.Guiness Drink

 
You certainly don't have to cap...

providing it is sufficiently protected from any known risks of mechanical damage..

e.g. Impact 522.6, Other mechanical stresses 522.8

AND

it is vertically or horizontally in line with an accessory, (safe zones) ;)

Which in your average domestic property whilst the wall is waiting to be covered, the only probably impact is the Plasterers or other builders trades...

e.g.

on the same wall if it was already plastered, you could clip your cable on the surface...

or along the top of the skirting.. if you were that way inclined. :)

and all be perfectly compliant. :D

And thats probably more susceptible to impact? :eek:

p.s.

I personally DO cap ... just think it looks neater...

stops the cable bowing out from the wall...

probably less nails to bang in?

especially if 2 or more cables coming down the wall! ;) :D

 
Funnily enough I was wondering this today.

I always cap cable to protect them. At least then I know ive done everything I can.

Im wiring an extension at the moment at the back of a house and its all going to be dot and dabbed. Got me thinking is it really necessary.

I will continue to do it though.

I notice alot of these firms wiring new builds for Wimpy or Redrow etc dont bother... ever. My brother in law lives in a new build. I altered the kitchen electrics for him a year or so back when he was having a new kitchen fitted. Got to see some of the cable runs where patches of plasterboard had been stripped off to allow them to fit wall units straight into the brick/block.

Terrible it was. Keeping your runs horizontal and vertical went out the window with the guys who wired his place. The 6mm for the cooker was clipped down the wall like a letter "S"!

 
Funnily enough I was wondering this today.I always cap cable to protect them. At least then I know ive done everything I can.

Im wiring an extension at the moment at the back of a house and its all going to be dot and dabbed. Got me thinking is it really necessary.

I will continue to do it though.

I notice alot of these firms wiring new builds for Wimpy or Redrow etc dont bother... ever. My brother in law lives in a new build. I altered the kitchen electrics for him a year or so back when he was having a new kitchen fitted. Got to see some of the cable runs where patches of plasterboard had been stripped off to allow them to fit wall units straight into the brick/block.

Terrible it was. Keeping your runs horizontal and vertical went out the window with the guys who wired his place. The 6mm for the cooker was clipped down the wall like a letter "S"!
:^O :^O

agreed there m8!

mind you... coulda been worse ... come down like a letter 'g'!!! :eek: :D

That actually is another advantage of capping.... its a nice straight edge to work to!...

...... actually I must as me wholesaler... have you got that letter 'S' capping.

I still think metal capping makes it easier for someone to detect cables later with one of them bleepy things they buy from B&Q before sticking a picture on the wall! :) ;)

 
the worse thing about capping is those stupid little nails you get.... arrr i hate them sooo much.

allways try and use clout nails if i can

 
Thats the problem of working for developers they want the jobs done for peanuts. So if sparks can save a bit of time they will. House purchaser gets a bad job.

Batty

 
Im right then i knew it wasnt compulsary, i cap somtimes and somtimes not. looks neater but somtimes easier not to cap all dependant on the job. cheers allGuiness DrinkGuiness Drink

 
Im right then i knew it wasnt compulsary, i cap somtimes and somtimes not. looks neater but somtimes easier not to cap all dependant on the job. cheers allGuiness DrinkGuiness Drink
Thats good then!:)Guiness Drink

as long as you were rightApplaud Smiley;) :) :) :)

 
DBrennan, you were also right with the reason capping was introduced. The chemicals in plaster, primarily a percentage of lime, used to attack the rubber insulation on cables. If I remember rightly,from what I was told and have occasionally found and not from what I installed, the original method of protecting the cables was in a wooden trunking arrangement. It did have a name and hopefully someone else will remember what it is called, cos I can't remember and it's bugging me.

 
Yeah i always cap up on jobs makes such a neater job and looks like you put a bit of effort into ur work.

 
hi all

7 years since i started this PROFESSION and to be honest I have never used capping, not through any choice of my own.

When working on properties that will be D&D we are under instruction to clip direct (from employer). It 's like a lot of practices within a company, (thats the way its done here) and if like myself, you've not worked for another electricial company, you don't know any better. We've had many people come and go and all with different ways and ideas of how things are done, but sadly he's set in his ways.

Macca

Guiness DrinkGuiness DrinkGuiness Drink

 
the original method of protecting the cables was in a wooden trunking arrangement. It did have a name and hopefully someone else will remember what it is called, cos I can't remember and it's bugging me.
yeah i seen some of this when ripping some old cord out of a house in leeds.i nearly kept a length of it. it had 2 compartments for small cables inside. also im sure ive noticed some old clips that seem to melt into the old cables??

if getting d&d i dont bother with capping unless customer specifically asks for it. plastics ok but dont lke working with metal.

Guiness Drink

 
I use the oval conduit stuff , cant stand that flat capping , normally cap when its old brick work as its a nightmare trying to get clips to stick in old mortar , sometimes clip direct to walls if its a new build and getting dot an dabbed... depends what gear is on the van.

 
Yeah i always cap up on jobs makes such a neater job and looks like you put a bit of effort into ur work.
Although it sounds silly..

on a domestic job.. especially one where the customer is living there...

when they see you chase out the plaster... fit your cables & cap & cover them.. As you say it just looks the dogs wotsits...

Or as my old gaffer used to say..

Like a job in the town hall that is lad! :D

The customer can see a bit of what they are paying for your skill & expertise! :)

breeds a bit more confidence! :)

which.. brings MORE work! :D :)

 
Been in the trade 33years and cant believe youre having a discussion about whether to cap cables or not, ive always capped cables up in their prescribed zones and consider not capping to be very unproffesional, capping protects the cable during erection from allsorts not just plasterers trowels, its easier to cap up than fix with clips, trust me i do it every day. sorry to harp on but not capping cables is a big NO NO for me, best regards daveGuiness DrinkGuiness Drink

 
i dont cap up on new builds unless asked to. will cap up on jobs where cables in direct contact with plaster.

 
Top