routing down the soil stack

[DomB]

Chaps, are there any worries routing cables alongside a soilstack?

The customer has an MDF framework all around it, running from the loft to the garage, and he says there are a few plumbing pipes going down the same 'cupboard' but no electrical cables right now.

Is this common practice? It definitely seems a nice easy route and he really doesn't want the disturbance of routing cables another way..

Thanks

 

[telectrix]

only problem i can see is that the cable would be unsupported. as long as there are no hot pipes to worry about.

 

[topquark]

I've done it like that a couple of times recently. clipped at the top and run in flexible conduit, just pulled the conduit through first. The conduit wasn't strictly necessary though. The only issues I had were at first floor level where the ceiling joists were a bit of a pain to get by. I found it easier to use a plumb bob and line to find a route through rather than rods.

 

[Marvo]

I don't see a problem either.

I've seen an installation where there was cabling actually inside the gray water pipe, it was routed out of the wall through the back of a ground floor socket, into a drain gully, up a bathroom drainage pipe and out through a plastic vacuum vent fitting at first floor level. I wasn't too impressed with that idea though.

 

[pushrod]

I don't see a problem either.

I've seen an installation where there was cabling actually inside the gray water pipe, it was routed out of the wall through the back of a ground floor socket, into a drain gully, up a bathroom drainage pipe and out through a plastic vacuum vent fitting at first floor level. I wasn't too impressed with that idea though.

I was just going to say just make sure it is on the outside of the soil pipe but you rather stole my thunder lol - seriously though, make sure there is some support/fixing for the cable on the vertical
run otherwise the weight of the cable is going to stretch it over time. Can't remember if the fixing distances are in BS7671 but they are in the amicus guide.

Edit distances not in brb but is regs 522.8.4 & 5

 

[UNG]

For long vertical drops I use a catenary wire to support the cable, fix the cable to the catenary wire as you feed it in then fix the catenary wire to a joist at the top of the drop

 

[pushrod]

For long vertical drops I use a catenary wire to support the cable, fix the cable to the catenary wire as you feed it in then fix the catenary wire to a joist at the top of the drop

What do you use to fasten the cable to the wires - anything special or just cable ties?

 

[UNG]

What do you use to fasten the cable to the wires - anything special or just cable ties?

Cable ties wrapped round twice before locking them as it seems to hold the cable tighter with no slippage

 

[DomB]

Thanks very much all. It would be nice if they built cable runs into houses, seems most of my life is spent routing frickin cables! ho hum

Thanks again

 

[gpz900jim]

I think that the wire can be unsupported in an inacessible structure as you describe, I have a feeling its 3m max, but the top of the cable mst be supported by a rediussed support and clipped onto it. I think the osg has this info

 

[gpz900jim]

osg says 5 metres max without intermediate support