Question about adding new mains sockets & wires

ashe

Hi, I’ve enclosed a layout diagram of our living room



The key is:

Red X’s are existing double sockets in the room
Green X’s Are where we would like additional double sockets adding
The blue line is a radiator

We are having an av install done, and getting a new sofa with power recliner. I’m trying to understand our power socket needs and how they can be done. The challenge is that the socket needed next to the sofa has a radiator between the socket opposite, and the pipes are in the wall. The pipe comes out the wall right above the skirting board, and I’ve read you can’t chase power cables behind skirting lest someone put a nail through it, unless it is specifically designed to hold cables.

Floor is concrete so no good going under floor, no power sockets above it either.

So questions;

1) can you get UPVC skirting for cables? Partner prefers UPVC as low maintenance
2) if not, is there any way to get this done easily in light of radiator position?
3) will be speaking to an electrician about the whole job but like to have an idea what I am asking for beforehand - a friend mentioned you could add one socket along the far left wall by spurring off one of the sockets but two would be difficult - what do I need to ask for here? Is it extending the ring rather than spurring off?

Much appreciated

MX5huggy

Don’t worry too much, the electricians will tell you how it can be done. If you’ve got a suspended timber floor the wires can be run under this, or wires can be dropped from above.

Whether it’s spurs or ring extension will make little difference to cost and depends on the existing install anyway.

ashe

MX5huggy wrote: »

Don’t worry too much, the electricians will tell you how it can be done. If you’ve got a suspended timber floor the wires can be run under this, or wires can be dropped from above.

Whether it’s spurs or ring extension will make little difference to cost and depends on the existing install anyway.

There is no socket on that wall in the room above, and the same radiator layout between it and the nearest socket in that room too. We have coving on the ceiling so cutting through that would likely create a large expense and the downstairs floor is concrete so no dice there unfortunately

keith969

ashe wrote: »

Floor is concrete so no good going under floor, no power sockets above it either.

Not really true. A channel can be chased out in the floor. Messy and dusty but not that difficult.

Owain_Moneysaver

You can get skirting trunking eg

http://centaurmfg.com/index.php/product-categories/upvc-dado-skirting-trunking/kensington-range.html

ashe

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

You can get skirting trunking eg

http://centaurmfg.com/index.php/product-categories/upvc-dado-skirting-trunking/kensington-range.html

Cheers - I think this is the direction I am leaning in as it seems less painful than all of the other options I’ve seen. There are some skirting boards designed to carry cables but they are all wood and the house has UPVC skirting everywhere which we previously thought was cheap and nasty when we heard about it but it looks good and doesn’t need painting so my girlfriend is very much a fan of it now, so might just trunk a cable along that.

bris

The walls can be chased at floor level reusing the existing skirting. Easy job really.

FreeBear

bris wrote: »

The walls can be chased at floor level reusing the existing skirting. Easy job really.

The walls could be chased at floor level, but this is not an approved "safe zone". See https://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/issues/54/rcds-protection-of-cables-concealed-in-walls-or-partitions/

Unless the OP can ensure the chases are at least 75mm deep or the cable is protected by 3mm+ conduit or otherwise suitably armoured, floor level chasing fails to meet the required regulations. Chasing the walls to 75mm or more is not advisable (horizontal chases should be no more than 1/6th wall thickness). Chasing the floor out to a sufficient depth runs the risk of compromising the DPC but that can be resolved by painting a thick layer of bitumastic in the chase - Still, a lot better than chasing out a wall and compromising the structure.

bris

FreeBear wrote: »

The walls could be chased at floor level, but this is not an approved "safe zone".

I know, so will any spark, the make armoured conduit for this reason.