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Joined: Nov 2004
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Hello, Have a look at this work carried out by a professional electrician. The cables were to go inside a 3 x 2 studded wall. I was told to cut slots in the face of the stdding and plasterboard over it so that the cables would have been directly under the plasterboard. What do you all think? Regards David Lloyd
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Joined: Aug 2001
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I think "professional bodger" would be a more appropriate job description. Presumably this was entirely new wiring if you were framing and drywalling, so why the splices in the middle of runs anyway?
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Pauluk,
Er......my thoughts exactly.
The wiring is not entirely new as this is a dormer extension. There was plenty of opportunity with the floorboards being up to run a new cable back to the nearest socket to continue the ring main.
I was told that cables are supposed to be put in conduit in 3 x 2 studded walls but this might just be BS.
This bodger is a registered electrician in the UK and this sort of thing just makes a mockery out of all the regs and qualifications.
Me I'm just a lowly carpenter but I would NEVER consider doing something like this.
Truth is he is just another one of the lazy don't give a toss blokes I see all the time. Too idle to cut a 4" hole in a piece of plasterboard for an extractor fan. As for cutting slots in the FACE of the studding for the cable.........well I just told him where to go..........NO WAY
Dave
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Even if he didn't want to go right back to a socket, he could still have cut the ring under the floorboards and used a proper junction box. "Choc-blocks" are handy to use within suitable enclosures, but unfortunately I see them used like this in wall cavities and in floor/attic spaces all too frequently. I was told that cables are supposed to be put in conduit in 3 x 2 studded walls but this might just be BS. There's no specific requirement to use conduit. The rules state that the cable must have extra protection if it is less than 2 inches below the surface (well, 50mm actually, but that's close enough to 2" for us Imperial folk! ). Conduit would be one way to provide protection, but steel plates are also acceptable and more common in domestic work: [This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 12-01-2004).]
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Pauluk,
He could have gone right back to the socket dead easy. It was all of 3 feet away! Lazy or what?
Thanks for the tip on the metal plates.
David Lloyd
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Man, is that rough or what?!!. This bodger is a registered electrician in the UK and this sort of thing just makes a mockery out of all the regs and qualifications. Dave, I'm hearing you loud and clear there, mate!. It's all very well to run down the DIYer, but when a guy that should know better does a thing like this, it gives Electricians in general a bad name and personally I wouldn't like to be tarred with that brush. If I saw something like that occur here, I'd institute a complaint to the Electrical Workers Registration Board. Leaving exposed joints in walls, is just something you don't do. BTW, that gibbing work looks nice and neat!.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Trumpy,
What the heck is gibbing?
David Lloyd
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Joined: Jul 2004
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Jeez... What a mess What the heck is gibbing? Probably better not to ask! The use of 'nail-plates' as Paul suggests is fine. The regs state that there should be 50mm from unarmoured cable to the face of the floor/ceiling, or mechanical protection provided. They also state that the requirements of such protection "are difficult to meet". However, the illustrated plates suffice. In walls, however, they state " Where a cable is concealed in a wall or partition at a depth less than 50mm...it must be enclosed in an earthed metal conduit (trunking or ducting) or installed [using the 150mm rule]..."522-06-06 If the cable is passing in the 150mm zone there is no requirement for protection. This is a 150mm wide strip ( or the width of an accessory if greater ) that runs vertically above and below the acc'y, and strip below the ceiling height and on the internal corners of rooms. Also it extends left to right of accessories - but NOT diagonals. It should be remembered that this rule extends also to the BACK of the wall in certain circumstances. If in doubt, plate or conduit it!
If hindsight were foresight, we'd all be millionaires!
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Dave, Sorry about using our strange Antipodean words on this board, it had slipped my mind. Gibbing, is the installation of plasterboard, which is made under the Brand name, Gibraltar Board, which has been shortened over the years to Gib board. Oddly enough there is more than 1 type of Gib here now, they can be seen here. Tradesmen that install Gib are called Gib-fixers and the plasterers are called Gib-stoppers down-under here.
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