My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits (eg, when one
day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). Now, the CU lives in a
low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are buried
in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling. Can't
see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall surgery.

So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables, to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might want
to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled
through which would be awkward). "Large" to me implies fairly deeply
buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit, methods etc?

Thanks
David

On May 15, 6:29*pm, Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits (eg, when one
day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). *Now, the CU lives in a
low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are buried
in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling. Can't
see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall surgery.

So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables, to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. *It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might want
to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled
through which would be awkward). *"Large" to me implies fairly deeply
buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit, methods etc?

Thanks
David

Several ring mains? For gods sake why? the whole concept of a ring
final circuit is to serve a large number of sockets within a specified
area. There is a logical reason to have one for upstairs and one for
down with a separate one for the kitchen to cater for the relatively
high load in the cooking/washing area. A bit of suitably sized
unjointed oval conduit for each pair of twin and earths should be
fine. Having a smooth inner it makes it easy to thread cables into it.

On May 15, 6:29*pm, Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits (eg, when one
day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). *Now, the CU lives in a
low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are buried
in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling. Can't
see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall surgery.

So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables, to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. *It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might want
to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled
through which would be awkward). *"Large" to me implies fairly deeply
buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit, methods etc?

Thanks
David

I take it you've rejected the 1800s aprpoach of bare iron wire on
ceramic standoffs, surface mounted to allow the heat to dissipate.


NT

On Sun, 15 May 2011 12:23:17 -0700 (PDT)
Tabby wrote:

On May 15, 6:29*pm, Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although
we do have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new
wiring, we don't have adequate circuits and it's likely that one
day I'll want to sort it out and add a few ring mains when the
opportunity permits (eg, when one day that new kitchen comes to the
top of the round tuit list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). *Now, the CU lives
in a low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it
are buried in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the
ceiling. Can't see any scope for adding in any new cables without
serious wall surgery.

So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables,
to enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. *It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might
want to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be
pulled through which would be awkward). *"Large" to me implies
fairly deeply buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid
enough not to crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if
anyone's tried something similar and have any tips for suitable
conduit, methods etc?

Thanks
David

I take it you've rejected the 1800s aprpoach of bare iron wire on
ceramic standoffs, surface mounted to allow the heat to dissipate.


NT

You'd need to protect it with an RCD to bring it up to modern specs
though. I think a little label "Warning High Tension Electricity",
just at the right height for three-year-olds would be advised too.

R.

On Sun, 15 May 2011 12:23:17 -0700 (PDT), Tabby
wrote:

On May 15, 6:29*pm, Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits
While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit, methods etc?

Thanks
David

I take it you've rejected the 1800s aprpoach of bare iron wire on
ceramic standoffs, surface mounted to allow the heat to dissipate.


Thinking about it a lot of 1800s installations would have been private
ones with accumulators for when the steam/gas engine driven dynamo
was shut down. The voltages of some would be not be too different from
ELV systems now and in some respects we have gone full circle with
those wire and cable systems with bare conductors suspended across
counters,window displays etc not being that dissimilar to the 1800s
approach.

G.Harman

G.Harman

Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we
do have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we
don't have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want
to sort it out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits
(eg, when one day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit
list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). Now, the CU lives in
a low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are
buried in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling.
Can't see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall
surgery.
So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables, to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might
want to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled
through which would be awkward). "Large" to me implies fairly deeply
buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit,
methods etc?

Well I know that Tim Watts installed his house electrics in conduit, I'm
sure he'll be along soon with some of his tips.

I doubt you need to be more than 3 to 4 mm from the surface to prevent
cracking.

--
Adam

ARWadsworth wrote:

Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we
do have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we
don't have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want
to sort it out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits
(eg, when one day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit
list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). Now, the CU lives in
a low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are
buried in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling.
Can't see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall
surgery.
So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables, to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might
want to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled
through which would be awkward). "Large" to me implies fairly deeply
buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit,
methods etc?

Well I know that Tim Watts installed his house electrics in conduit, I'm
sure he'll be along soon with some of his tips.

I doubt you need to be more than 3 to 4 mm from the surface to prevent
cracking.


Bing! and the shopkeeper appeared, as if by magic ;-

IME I found 20mm oval was OK upto 2.5mm (with slop) and fits into the holes
in backboxes.

Not reason the OP can't go to a larger width oval here though which would
make larger cables possible and generally easier to thread. I can push off-
the-reel 2.5 down 20mm oval from one end over a 2m drop - but for longer
lenghths, bigger oval would be wise or it may get hard going.

I've got a couple of bits with 2mm plaster over a couple of places, but
that's cutting it fine (lots of PVA and plaster squeezed around and behind
the conduit - I'd try and get 4mm over, but that's still not a very deep
chase and is quite likely to fit in the depth of plaster available.

--
Tim Watts

"Lobster" wrote in message
...
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although
we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we
don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to
sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits (eg, when
one
day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). Now, the CU lives
in a
low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are
buried
in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling.
Can't
see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall
surgery.

So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables,
to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might
want
to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled
through which would be awkward). "Large" to me implies fairly
deeply
buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to
crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if
anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit,
methods etc?

Thanks
David

Nice bit of 100mm square box conduit (galv or pvc to choice) should
see you sorted. Half bury it in the wall, plaster up to it, and
incorporate it in your decor G

AWEM

Andrew Mawson wrote:


"Lobster" wrote in message
...
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although
we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we
don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to
sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits (eg, when
one
day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). Now, the CU lives
in a
low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are
buried
in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling.
Can't
see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall
surgery.

So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables,
to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. It would
clearly need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might
want
to put several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled
through which would be awkward). "Large" to me implies fairly
deeply
buried, to ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to
crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if
anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit,
methods etc?

Thanks
David

Nice bit of 100mm square box conduit (galv or pvc to choice) should
see you sorted. Half bury it in the wall, plaster up to it, and
incorporate it in your decor G

AWEM

Not a silly idea at all. Even box it in like the water pipes. A mini dry-
riser

--
Tim Watts

Andrew Mawson :
Nice bit of 100mm square box conduit (galv or pvc to choice) should
see you sorted. Half bury it in the wall, plaster up to it, and
incorporate it in your decor G

In a previous house I had the problem of getting quite a lot of wires
from the cellar to the first floor. The solution was to go up behind the
kitchen base units, then from the worktop up to the ceiling in square-
section white plastic fence post. Tucked into the corner, it looked
fine.

--
Mike Barnes

On May 15, 8:37*pm, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:

Nice bit of 100mm square box conduit (galv or pvc to choice) should
see you sorted. Half bury it in the wall, plaster up to it, and
incorporate it in your decor G

That's what I've just done. I inherited an old pipe run made as a
"wooden box conduit" that was no longer needed as the CH pipes ran
elsewhere and the upstairs cold feed now ran with them. Cleaning out
the old box (and its 20 lbs of lead pipe) gave me space to install a
pair of side-by-side galv conduits, one for power and one for data.

In article ,
"Andrew Mawson" writes:
Nice bit of 100mm square box conduit (galv or pvc to choice) should
see you sorted. Half bury it in the wall, plaster up to it, and
incorporate it in your decor G

For my TV aerials (and one lighting wire), they're dropped down
the disused fireplace flues from the loft.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On May 15, 6:29*pm, Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits (eg, when one
day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit list...).

As others have said, it's unlikely you'll need a _few_ ring mains.

But if you do, and you're going to cram them all into a single conduit
for a decent run (couple of metres or more) then you need to de-rate
them. Which means using even larger cable.

So better to have a very large conduit, or several smaller bits of
conduit - not "just the right sized" single conduit with everything
crammed in. IMO!

Cheers,
David.

two conduits,
one for mains,
one for data / ethernet?

On 15/05/11 18:29, Lobster wrote:
My house is not particularly well specc'ed for electrics; although we do
have fairly modern RCD-protected CU and reasonably new wiring, we don't
have adequate circuits and it's likely that one day I'll want to sort it
out and add a few ring mains when the opportunity permits (eg, when one
day that new kitchen comes to the top of the round tuit list...).

Anyway, shortly due to arrive at the top of said list is the
redecorating of the hall/stairs/landing (urgh). Now, the CU lives in a
low cupboard in the hall, and all the cables running from it are buried
in the brick/plaster wall above it, travelling up to the ceiling. Can't
see any scope for adding in any new cables without serious wall surgery.

So it occurs me that *now* would be a good time to bury some form of
conduit in the wall, separate but adjacent to the existing cables, to
enable me to run new cables at some time in the future. It would clearly
need to be a pretty large cavity to be worthwhile (I might want to put
several ring mains down there, and they'd have to be pulled through
which would be awkward). "Large" to me implies fairly deeply buried, to
ensure the overlying plaster is rigid enough not to crack.

While I'm mulling this over in my head, I'm just wondering if anyone's
tried something similar and have any tips for suitable conduit, methods
etc?

Thanks
David