I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection? ( if cable is
in floors, or ceilings or in walls, I use metal galv trunking unless
cable is 50mm or more from surface)

In article ,
Stephen H writes:
I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

Regs require the cable used is suitable for the environment, but do
not say if T&E is or not. People mainly suggest hardening due to UV
as being a possible issue, but it has not affected any of the T&E
I've used outdoors for many decades, so I ignore that one. If that
was an issue, painting with just top-coat oil-based gloss paint (if
you can still find it) would provide protection.

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection?

No. It only requires mechanical protection if there's something else
present which might harm it, such as being fixed somewhere where a
wheelbarrow or a garden spade might be bashed into it.

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

On Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:19:04 -0000, Andrew Gabriel
wrote:

In article ,
Stephen H writes:
I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

Regs require the cable used is suitable for the environment, but do
not say if T&E is or not. People mainly suggest hardening due to UV
as being a possible issue, but it has not affected any of the T&E
I've used outdoors for many decades, so I ignore that one. If that
was an issue, painting with just top-coat oil-based gloss paint (if
you can still find it) would provide protection.

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection?

No. It only requires mechanical protection if there's something else
present which might harm it, such as being fixed somewhere where a
wheelbarrow or a garden spade might be bashed into it.

I have heard that sun can damage ordinary cable but never experienced it
myself. Others have suggested painting it or using conduit of some type

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Stephen H writes:
I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?


Local council ran a temporary cable for 50m from a pump station to a pump ..
just used 2.5mm t&e and cable tied it all the way along a stand of barbed
wire ... seemed insane to me .. esp as this was on side of a river ..

was swinging all over place in wind & rain. and joe public can touch that
fence at any point in it's 1+km length.

Still in place a year later.

In article , Rick Hughes
scribeth thus



"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Stephen H writes:
I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?


Local council ran a temporary cable for 50m from a pump station to a pump ..
just used 2.5mm t&e and cable tied it all the way along a stand of barbed
wire ... seemed insane to me .. esp as this was on side of a river ..

was swinging all over place in wind & rain. and joe public can touch that
fence at any point in it's 1+km length.

Still in place a year later.


Should report them to the err .. Council;?...
--
Tony Sayer

tony sayer wrote:
In article , Rick Hughes
scribeth thus


"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Stephen H writes:
I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?
Local council ran a temporary cable for 50m from a pump station to a pump ..
just used 2.5mm t&e and cable tied it all the way along a stand of barbed
wire ... seemed insane to me .. esp as this was on side of a river ..

was swinging all over place in wind & rain. and joe public can touch that
fence at any point in it's 1+km length.

Still in place a year later.


Should report them to the err .. Council;?...

Oh dear. Better report the national grid who string uninsulated copper
steel and aluminium cables at thousands of volts, all over the country.

In article ,
Stephen H wrote:
I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection? ( if cable is
in floors, or ceilings or in walls, I use metal galv trunking unless
cable is 50mm or more from surface)

There are various types of cable specifically designed for outside surface
mounting without additional protection. Usually round so designed for a
water resistant gland into a fitting. IMHO, also looks rather better than
TW&E.

--
*Why is it that to stop Windows 95, you have to click on "Start"?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , The Natural Philosopher wrote:
tony sayer wrote:
In article , Rick Hughes
scribeth thus
Local council ran a temporary cable for 50m from a pump station to a pump ..
just used 2.5mm t&e and cable tied it all the way along a stand of barbed
wire ... seemed insane to me .. esp as this was on side of a river ..

was swinging all over place in wind & rain. and joe public can touch that
fence at any point in it's 1+km length.

Still in place a year later.

Should report them to the err .. Council;?...

Oh dear. Better report the national grid who string uninsulated copper
steel and aluminium cables at thousands of volts, all over the country.

Not cable tied to ground level fences though.

On Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:38:26 +0000, Stephen H wrote:

I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection? ( if cable is
in floors, or ceilings or in walls, I use metal galv trunking unless
cable is 50mm or more from surface)


You may have a problem getting normal T&E to make a waterproof seal when
terminating it. Where I work they would usually use small 2c SWA for this
job. You can forget mechanical protection then and the glanded joints are
well sealed. The armour is the earth of course.

--
Mick (Working in a M$-free zone!)
Web: http://www.nascom.info
Filtering everything posted from googlegroups to kill spam.

On 31/12/2011 10:38, Stephen H wrote:

I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

T&E is not the ideal cable, but much depends on the circumstance.
Running under eves to a light fitting it going to be fine. At low level
in full sunlight it may not be so good.

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection? ( if cable is
in floors, or ceilings or in walls, I use metal galv trunking unless
cable is 50mm or more from surface)

It really comes down to the environment and how likely it is to get
damaged. Normally, I would run it in PVC trunking or conduit if placing
it where it might get knocked, and also to improve the aesthetic
properties if needing to run over surface brickwork etc.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 2011-12-31, Hugh - Was Invisible wrote:

On Sat, 31 Dec 2011 11:19:04 -0000, Andrew Gabriel
wrote:

No. It only requires mechanical protection if there's something else
present which might harm it, such as being fixed somewhere where a
wheelbarrow or a garden spade might be bashed into it.

I have heard that sun can damage ordinary cable but never experienced it
myself. Others have suggested painting it or using conduit of some type

I've seen cable degraded by being "cooked" over a long period of time
(I didn't install it) in a lean-to greenhouse. I think painting cable
can weaken the insulation too.

On Dec 31 2011, 5:34*pm, John Rumm
wrote:
On 31/12/2011 10:38, Stephen H wrote:

I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

T&E is not the ideal cable, but much depends on the circumstance.
Running under eves to a light fitting it going to be fine. At low level
in full sunlight it may not be so good.

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection? ( if cable is
in floors, or ceilings or in walls, I use metal galv trunking unless
cable is 50mm or more from surface)

It really comes down to the environment and how likely it is to get
damaged. Normally, I would run it in PVC trunking or conduit if placing
it where it might get knocked, and also to improve the aesthetic
properties if needing to run over surface brickwork etc.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| * * * * *Internode Ltd - *http://www.internode.co.uk* * * * * *|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| * * * *John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk * * * * * * *|
\================================================= ================/

I recently had to replace an exterior PIR light on a 25 year old
extension. There are two 1mm2 cables to it as there is a slave light
as well. They seemed as good and as flexible as the day I put them
in. This is on a west facing harled wall so are in sun and are coated
with several coats of masonary paint.

Rob

On 01/01/2012 09:14, robgraham wrote:
On Dec 31 2011, 5:34 pm, John
wrote:
On 31/12/2011 10:38, Stephen H wrote:

I have a requirement to fit exterior sockets, exterior light switches
and exterior lighting.

The cable will be clipped to the masonry walls.

So can ordinary 2.5mm2 T&E be used or do the wiring regs now call for
exterior grade cable?

T&E is not the ideal cable, but much depends on the circumstance.
Running under eves to a light fitting it going to be fine. At low level
in full sunlight it may not be so good.

Does surface mounted cable require mechanical protection? ( if cable is
in floors, or ceilings or in walls, I use metal galv trunking unless
cable is 50mm or more from surface)

It really comes down to the environment and how likely it is to get
damaged. Normally, I would run it in PVC trunking or conduit if placing
it where it might get knocked, and also to improve the aesthetic
properties if needing to run over surface brickwork etc.

I recently had to replace an exterior PIR light on a 25 year old
extension. There are two 1mm2 cables to it as there is a slave light
as well. They seemed as good and as flexible as the day I put them
in. This is on a west facing harled wall so are in sun and are coated
with several coats of masonary paint.

Even without the paint it may survive. Alas its hard to predict in
advance which bits of PVC will fare better than others in sunlight. I
have seen one flex used outside which was only a few years old, but the
sheath was crazed into small squares, and would fall away quite easily
if knocked. Likewise I have seen bits that looked fine after decades.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Jan 1, 7:07*pm, "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article ,
* *John Rumm wrote:

Even without the paint it may survive. Alas its hard to predict in
advance which bits of PVC will fare better than others in sunlight. I
have seen one flex used outside which was only a few years old, but the
sheath was crazed into small squares, and would fall away quite easily
if knocked. Likewise I have seen bits that looked fine after decades.

I've found ordinary black PVC guttering goes brittle after a few years -
and that could be expected to see the sun.

--
*A fool and his money can throw one hell of a party.

* * Dave Plowman * * * * * * * * London SW
* * * * * * * * * To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Mine's over 20 years old and is fine !! C**p guttering.

On 1 Jan 2012 22:48:30 GMT, Huge wrote:

Even without the paint it may survive. Alas its hard to predict in
advance which bits of PVC will fare better than others in sunlight. I
have seen one flex used outside which was only a few years old, but the
sheath was crazed into small squares, and would fall away quite easily
if knocked. Likewise I have seen bits that looked fine after decades.

I had to replace a 15ft run to an outside light that, even though it was
tucked under the eves, had gone short circuit. It must have been there
since the house was built in 1977.

The 2.5 to the shed is still OK and that was strung across in about 1967, so
coming up to 45 years!
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway