Spur socket - how did they do that?
 

Andrew wrote:
I have a mains socket in my kitchen that seems to have been added as a
spur (the cable is a different colour ro all the other sockets). The
cable goes through the inner leaf of the cavity wall, travels
horizontally for approx 18" and then comes out of the cavity and is
wired into another socket.

How did someone manage that?
They could've used a special cable pulling kit.
I've managed with straightened wire coat hanger or flexible plastic strip
e.g. capping off plastic conduit or curtain rail.

More seriously, tha cavity insulation appears to be small polystyrene
beads. ISTR reading in a previous post that polystyrene and mains
cable are incompatible. Should I re-route the cable whilst replacing
the kitchen?

Andrew

Spur socket - how did they do that?
 

On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 11:59:08 +0100, "BillR"
wrote:

How did someone manage that?

They could've used a special cable pulling kit.
I've managed with straightened wire coat hanger or flexible plastic strip
e.g. capping off plastic conduit or curtain rail.

Or the previous owner could have been a surgeon from the local
hospital, and he borrowed one of those endoscopes (or whatever they
are called) which they can shove down your throat (or up another
place.....) and then move around at will.

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk

Spur socket - how did they do that?
 

On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 11:59:08 +0100, "BillR"
wrote:

Andrew wrote:
I have a mains socket in my kitchen that seems to have been added as a
spur (the cable is a different colour ro all the other sockets). The
cable goes through the inner leaf of the cavity wall, travels
horizontally for approx 18" and then comes out of the cavity and is
wired into another socket.

How did someone manage that?
They could've used a special cable pulling kit.
I've managed with straightened wire coat hanger or flexible plastic strip
e.g. capping off plastic conduit or curtain rail.

I needed to drop a wire down through a cavity wall from the loft for a
network cable. I could foresee problems if I cut the hole in the wall
for the socket, and then tried to work out where to drill the hole
vertically above it, as I would need to be working the distance back
to the loft hatch a couple of rooms away.

The other half came up with a solution I was a little doubtful of at
first. Drill a hole in the top of the cavity wall, in approximately
the right horizontal place. Dangle a piece of string, measured to be
the right length for the distance of the socket off the floor, with a
metal bolt tied to the end. Wave one of those metal / cable detectors
across the area of the wall roughly where the nut should be. Mark and
drill a hole with a circular saw bit.

Well B*&^%$ me if the nut and bit of string were not directly behind
the hole I had drilled.

PM

Spur socket - how did they do that?
 

On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 08:20:01 +0100, PM wrote:

I needed to drop a wire down through a cavity wall from the loft for a
network cable. I could foresee problems if I cut the hole in the wall
for the socket, and then tried to work out where to drill the hole
vertically above it, as I would need to be working the distance back
to the loft hatch a couple of rooms away.

One option I've used before now is to run the cable in the loft space,
then drill a pinhole thru the ceiling, vertically above where the
cable is going to drop. A tiny piece of coloured wire (say, red)
popped thru that pinhole gives you the vertical plumb point for where
to drill your cable hole on the wall.

Then fish for the cable in the cavity using a bent coat hanger wire.

The pinhole won't be noticed in the ceiling, and if it bothers you
then a smidgen of polyfilla will take care of it.

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk

Spur socket - how did they do that?
 

"PM" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 11:59:08 +0100, "BillR"
wrote:

Andrew wrote:
I have a mains socket in my kitchen that seems to have been added as a
spur (the cable is a different colour ro all the other sockets). The
cable goes through the inner leaf of the cavity wall, travels
horizontally for approx 18" and then comes out of the cavity and is
wired into another socket.

How did someone manage that?
They could've used a special cable pulling kit.
I've managed with straightened wire coat hanger or flexible plastic strip
e.g. capping off plastic conduit or curtain rail.

I needed to drop a wire down through a cavity wall from the loft for a
network cable. I could foresee problems if I cut the hole in the wall
for the socket, and then tried to work out where to drill the hole
vertically above it, as I would need to be working the distance back
to the loft hatch a couple of rooms away.

The other half came up with a solution I was a little doubtful of at
first. Drill a hole in the top of the cavity wall, in approximately
the right horizontal place. Dangle a piece of string, measured to be
the right length for the distance of the socket off the floor, with a
metal bolt tied to the end. Wave one of those metal / cable detectors
across the area of the wall roughly where the nut should be. Mark and
drill a hole with a circular saw bit.

Well B*&^%$ me if the nut and bit of string were not directly behind
the hole I had drilled.


even more lucky that you don't have galv steel wall ties !