Ring main return cable route

[Kevin-5]

You say most of your work has been done in singles so have you considered tubing between the sockets although some of the chases will need opening.

Thinking about it, that's ok to do in plastic conduit but will stick to the traditional expected method twin and earth

 

[Kevin-5]

A lot of sparks are actually moving away from rings, as they are ok when first installed. But when Mr DIY gets their hands on them and start putting in spurs from spurs and causing rings within rings it creates problems. Also, if you get a break in a cable the sockets still work but it's now 2 2.5mm radials on a 32A, which isn't a good idea

Valid points. Just for the entertainment as you mentioned Mr DIY, I found this burried in the wall, previous ring was extended in 1.5mm cable

 

[truffle pig]

I take it you will be running oval between the boxes?

 

[Mike.J]

Looking at the OP's picture my first thoughts where is there enough cable in each box to terminate properly, once cut on a straight run of cable it will be difficult to connect both ends into a single terminal, should have a loop of cable in each box IMO.

 

[kerching]

I take it you will be running oval between the boxes?

Why would that be?

Just curious as I know little of these matters

 

[sparky308]

As others have said... use 35mm boxes and 4mm radial circuit.

 

[Kevin-5]

I take it you will be running oval between the boxes?

That brings up another point. Since the capping with either plastic or paper thin metal capping protects cables only from plasterer's trowel and will not protect from nails or screws going through and that's why the 30mA RCD protection now days is mandatory. That means the plasterer has no regard for electrical cables.
If you as an electrician were to do the initial plaster to cover cables enough so when the plasterer does his finishing works, the cables are under the first layer of protective plaster. Is the flat capping, oval or round protective conduit still needed? After all we're relying on the RCD to do the protection.

 

[Kevin-5]

As others have said... use 35mm boxes and 4mm radial circuit.

 

[tinman1973]

Just one point nobody seems to have picked up on is sure the highlighted run is outside of prescribed zones!

 

[bryanh]

I'm 72 now so been around a long time, but being described as an electrician doesn't make you a do-all tradesman does it? , I live in a seaside port which had shipbuilders yards (all gone now) who had electricians working for them, one of them got the site manager to allow him to first fix the house he was buying, I went in to see how he was getting on, he had drilled 100's of 6mm holes through the joists and run singles to every socket and light, he thought that would be ok, shame we didn't have camera phones back them LOL, I did get him off-site once I told the Site manager what he had done

 

[kerching]

A friends neighbour had some sockets fitted by a mate who worked for NORWEB ( back in the day DNO )

Roughest job I had seen in a while. Pity he didn't check what bit of NORWEB he worked for. He was a painter, and probably not a very good one

 

[Kevin-5]

Just one point nobody seems to have picked up on is sure the highlighted run is outside of prescribed zones!

Maybe the angle in the picture is not right but how does that make it outside the safe zones?
The regs do specify zones where the chasing is plaster surface depth.
The hole you see where cables go is 60mm from edge, and it's the center of the drylining wall.

 

[Kevin-5]

I'm 72 now so been around a long time, but being described as an electrician doesn't make you a do-all tradesman does it? , I live in a seaside port which had shipbuilders yards (all gone now) who had electricians working for them, one of them got the site manager to allow him to first fix the house he was buying, I went in to see how he was getting on, he had drilled 100's of 6mm holes through the joists and run singles to every socket and light, he thought that would be ok, shame we didn't have camera phones back them LOL, I did get him off-site once I told the Site manager what he had done

From your days things have evolved. There are generally 2 types of electricians Commercial and Housebashers.
To be a housebasher you don't even need to be an electrician, you don't even need an ECS card but you have to know the zones and wiring a two way switch is the most complicated circuit you deal with.

 

[Mike P]

Apart from what’s been mentioned before. In my book its not good to run cables horizontally!

 

[roys]

Apart from what’s been mentioned before. In my book its not good to run cables horizontally!

Nowt wrong with running cable horizontally and well within regs.
If you had a row of say 4 sockets 1 meter apart above a counter top in a kitchen would you really run vertically down to floor or up to ceiling and then vertically back to socket, to me that would be not good.

 

[kerching]

Nowt wrong with running cable horizontally and well within regs.
If you had a row of say 4 sockets 1 meter apart above a counter top in a kitchen would you really run vertically down to floor or up to ceiling and then vertically back to socket, to me that would be not good.

Very few on here will remember BUt back in the day it was ( I think ) 12" from floor, 6" from ceiling horizontally , vertical only from/to accessories...possibly early 80s???

Just saying

 

[tinman1973]

Maybe the angle in the picture is not right but how does that make it outside the safe zones?
The regs do specify zones where the chasing is plaster surface depth.
The hole you see where cables go is 60mm from edge, and it's the center of the drylining wall.

Is the wall with no sockets on but the cable is visible at 90 degrees to the others. If so that cable may be outside the zones depending on how deep it is.

 

[kerching]

I myself would have preferred the radial

Who is designing this circuit? As I am now confused

 

[Kevin-5]

I am designing it. I meant if I could I would have fitted a 4mm radial but that's going to be even worse when I come back to pick up the rest of the sockets as I'd have a 4mm twin and earth in the metal box instead of 2.5mm in case of a ring.

 

[Kevin-5]

Apart from what’s been mentioned before. In my book its not good to run cables horizontally!

In new builts with open ceilings that's a fair point to do vertical drop downs, otherwise you're creating a lot of work.