Wiring in plaster

sevenhills

I have just bought my council house, and redoing some wallpaper. On scrapping the wallpaper off, there is a channel for the wiring and its not deep enough.
On scrapping the paper off, the scrapper has rubbed off the outer wire casing, and I can see a red wire. In other places I can see securing tacks. It could be lighting the has been installed in the loft.

I guess if I just paper over it, all will be ok. Can I ask the council if there has been electrical work, done to regs?

Jenniefour

Better to get an electrician to have a look - if live wiring is only just under the wall paper and your scraper is taking off the casing then it won't meet regs anyway. Be careful!

firefox1956

If you have bought the council house it will be nothing to do with the council !!
That's the problem with private ownership.

Norman_Castle

It should be covered in metal conduit. Its not safe to leave as it is. It won't be ok if you "just paper over it".

Too late to ask the council, Its your problem now. I suspect you have three options. Cover with conduit and repair the plaster. Surface mount the cable in plastic conduit or remove the cable.

Find an electrician.

Risteard

There is no requirement to have concealed wiring enclosed in conduit. Conduit and trunking are for protecting non-sheathed cables, which would seldom be used in domestic installations.

If the sheath is damaged and you can see the conductor insulation then it is not safe to cover over this cable. The length of cable should be replaced. The sheath is necessary to provide mechanical protection to cables not contained within conduit/trunking.

Contact an Electrician to effect this repair. I would strongly advise that you use an NICEIC Approved Contractor.

molerat

The current trendy method seems to be channel wall, pin wiring, cover with expanding foam then cut flush with a blade.

chappers

Risteard wrote: »

There is no requirement to have concealed wiring enclosed in conduit. Conduit and trunking are for protecting non-sheathed cables, which would seldom be used in domestic installations..

No but there is a requirement for minimum depth now, however you say that the exposed conductor sheath is red so that may not have applied at the time.
There really isn't anything you can do about this other than get an electrician in to replace the cable.
This almost certainly isn't notifiable work so if you are confident enough in your own ability you could do it yourself.

brightontraveller

molerat wrote: »

The current trendy method seems to be channel wall, pin wiring, cover with expanding foam then cut flush with a blade.

That should be "Current cowboy method"
What part of the country do they do that in..? Thermal De-rating aside Foam is not recognised mechanical protection + although a lessor extent now some foams there chemical ingredients have a reaction with the PVC, Do they use the straw from there feed to wipe the stuff up....

Risteard

chappers wrote: »

No but there is a requirement for minimum depth now

No there isn't. In fact Building Regulations stipulate a maximum depth due to structural integrity.

Minimum depth is to do with avoiding RCD protection, which cannot generally be achieved by this means as this would require unacceptably deep tracks/chases.

Incidentally, it is not the sheath which is red as you have stated - it is the insulation. The sheath has been damaged exposing the insulation.

sevenhills

chappers wrote: »

No but there is a requirement for minimum depth now, however you say that the exposed conductor sheath is red so that may not have applied at the time.
There really isn't anything you can do about this other than get an electrician in to replace the cable.
This almost certainly isn't notifiable work so if you are confident enough in your own ability you could do it yourself.

I will have a poke around and see if I can sink the wire a little deeper. It must have been done over 5 years ago.
There are lights and sockets in the outhouse and loft, I wondered if the council put it all in, but I guess it must have been the householder. Apart from this, the work seems ok. I will have to check it again.

chappers

Risteard wrote: »

No there isn't. In fact Building Regulations stipulate a maximum depth due to structural integrity.

Minimum depth is to do with avoiding RCD protection, which cannot generally be achieved by this means as this would require unacceptably deep tracks/chases.

Incidentally, it is not the sheath which is red as you have stated - it is the insulation. The sheath has been damaged exposing the insulation.

You are correct I was only trying to simplify matters, also you are splitting hairs I think we all knew what was exposed.