Which would you do?

[NoSparks]

I have a customer with a wood framed house in which his party wall in the lounge is triple boarded. He has two twin sockets 15 feet apart on this wall which appear to have been a modification both wired on a single spure. The current modification is to incorporate both sockets in the ring. The bottom of the sockets are about 20cm** from the floor. Cable cannot be run down the wall because of restrictions at the top of the wall, nor run under the floor which is solid concrete so the only two options are:

a) to run the cable in accordance with regs at socket height in the horizontal safe zone.

b) to run the cable at floor level behind the new skirting, which is contrary to regs.

Now with a) the threat is that somebody is going to screw shelves/cupboards etc to the wall at cable height without noticing the other socket 15ft away and realising there may be cable behind. Also this approach would, to my mind, seriously reduce the integrity of the building, channelling out the board where it is not supported behind.

The problem with apporoach b), which to my mind would be significantly safer, is simply that it is not iaw regs.

So which approach would you use?


** I know that is below current regs but this is an old existing installation.

 

[malcolmsanford]

IMO there is nothing wrong with going behind the skirting if you provide enough protection for the cable.

I assume you are going to fit RCD protection to the circuit ? You can also if you wish and I would consider it as well, is cover the cable behind the skirting with some form of protection as per 522.6.6 (iv). But in all honesty what are the chances of someone driving a nail/screw into a skirting unless the skirting was falling off and I'd hope you could see the cable if it got to that condition.

Remember your not concealing this cable in a wall or partition so you can have all sorts of technical arguments about the validity of doing this. IMO as long as you have RCD protection and protect the cable as reasonably as possible then I would not be to concerned. I'd also note in on the SoTR under deviations from the regs.

 

[telectrix]

better than under the carpet behind the gripper, as i've seen a few like.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

or functioning as a bit of quadrant allong the bottom of skirting boards...and painted the same colour..lol.........

 

[Specialist]

or functioning as a bit of quadrant allong the bottom of skirting boards...and painted the same colour..lol.........

Glad to see it's not just in Wales they pull that trick.

 

[NoSparks]

But in all honesty what are the chances of someone driving a nail/screw into a skirting unless the skirting was falling off and I'd hope you could see the cable if it got to that condition.

Thank you for your comment, these were my feelings exactly. I don't have 522.6.6 (iv) to hand. If that is the one about protecting with steal then the answer would be no. If by an RCD then Yes.