Can meter tails be buried in the wall ?

[whitebeetle]

Hi All , Got to move the consumer unit for a friend , i believe the furthest it can be moved from the meter is 3 metres but can i bury the double insulated meter tails in the wall or do they need to be uncovered or in trunking. If they can be buried , what protection is needed ?


Many thanks
Chris

 

[malcolmsanford]

Yes you can but then your going to have to go down the road of providing RCD protection for them if you do not apply additional protection as per Rergulation 522.6.6.

 

[whitebeetle]

Thanks for your help , much appreciated. If i cover them in Galvanised trunking would that be adequate without rcd protection ? Perhaps surface mount would be better ?
Chris

 

[johnboy6083]

amy earthed steel protection, that is sufficiently strong enough to withstand drilling with sds or nailing will do. either that, or like malc has already mentiopned, an s-type RCD.

 

[malcolmsanford]

You would have the hassle of earthing that trunking if the trunking, which I would imagine it is, is to BS 50085.

Unless there is a real aesthetic reason you need to bury it, then surface is going to be the only reasonable method of erection

 

[Deleted member 26818]

You could:
conceal the cables at a depth greater than 50mm,
use a cable with an earthed metalic sheath (such as SWA),
use earthed trunking or conduit,
provide mechanical protection sufficient to prevent the cables being penetrated by screws or nails (doesn't have to be earthed),
install the cables in a safe zone and provide 30mA RCD protection (not time delayed).

 

[Welchyboy]

i have used an earthed length of 32mm conduit before just fits 2x 25mm tails and 16mm earth down nicely!