Cables and Zones

[Thomas Connolly]

Hi Gents,
Probably a very simple answer but I'm installing an outside light on a small porch The switch being just inside the door.
The light however, is about 600ml from the door on the outside, so if I drill straight through from the outside to the inside, once inside, the cable exit point straight in to the back of the light outside is going to be out of the zones.

I was just wondering how people overcome this issue? I thought about drilling at an angle so that when the hole comes through to the inside, it is by the switch but I think I'll need either x-ray vision or a hell of a lot of luck, or even both, to pull this off close enough to the switch to be within a 'zone'

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Des 56]

Thomas,for future refer to your regs book for how to protect a cable when its outside zone,a example would be swa,metal conduit,greater than 50mm deep
There are ways and means to overcome all you are likely to encounter on domestic work

 

[Thomas Connolly]

@Des 56 Awesome advice. Thanks. Will do!

 

[Deleted account]

No need Thomas you seem to have all the answers you require, it's just a quirk of mine, nice to know the experience of people you are trying to help, if you wish to keep that private, then that's your prerogative, good luck

I’ve also started looking at peoples profiles before answering. If they are not allowing me to see there profile I’m not responding also.
There is a lot I’m not responding too.

 

[Risteard]

In these circumstances personally I bend a bit of steel conduit to serve the outside light. This removes the need for it to be run within the zones. The conduit must, of course, be earthed.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

If the conduit provides sufficient mechanical protection to protect the cable against penetration from screws or nails, it doesn’t need to be earthed.

 

[telectrix]

another option would be to raise the position of the switch to the same height as the outside light.

 

[Risteard]

If the conduit provides sufficient mechanical protection to protect the cable against penetration from screws or nails, it doesn’t need to be earthed.

Conduit doesn't, so your point is bizarre.

 

[Toneyz]

When house bashing new houses I used to take the view that if there was a light on the outside you could see it through the transverse no different to a socket in one bedroom backing on to another. the bit that I had trouble with was when a wall outside light is not where an exterior door is. Most cases I can move a double socket slightly or add an extra so that the outside light cable comes in inline with it.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Conduit doesn't, so your point is bizarre.

Don’t know what kind of metal conduit you use?
The metal conduit I’ve used would.

 

[Risteard]

Don’t know what kind of metal conduit you use?
The metal conduit I’ve used would.

Strange, because I've seen someone drill right through concealed steel conduit before and hit the singles contained within. I'm pretty sure Guidance Notes explicitly state that conduit wouldn't meet that requirement too and therefore needs to be earthed.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Strange, because I've seen someone drill right through concealed steel conduit before and hit the singles contained within.

What kind of drill bit did they use?

 

[Risteard]

What kind of drill bit did they use?

An unlucky one.

 

[telectrix]

a round one?

 

[Deleted member 26818]

An unlucky one.

Here is the bit about mechanical protection form 522.6.204:
“(iv) be provided with mechanical protection against damage sufficient to prevent penetration of the cable by nails, screws and the like.”
Can’t see anything there about protecting against drill bits (lucky or unlucky ones).
That being said, in my experience, if you start drilling into a wall with a masonry bit, and hit conduit, the conduit either starts ringing like a bell, or the drill bit mushrooms.

 

[Toneyz]

How many domestic electricians carry or if not got a conduit bender. And how would you earth the conduit with that being accessible?