Hi all,

Im having a room re skimmed this weekend. Ive had an electrician out today to spur off a socket and put a box in further up the wall. Hes chased the wall and put the box in but left the cable uncovered and clipped to the wall. When i asked him about this he tell me covering the cable is not needed. can anyone advise is this correct? Seems a little odd plastering over a bare cable in the wall.

Thanks

should be covered IMO with channelling stuff or encased in conduit. – this stuff. some folk say if you use the metal channelling it should be earthed.

https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/channelling/cat830582

Your “electrician” is a cowboy IMO but its common practise not to use channelling.

The actual rules are suitably vague. There is no problem having it plastered directly over per se but there is a risk that the cable outer is damaged by the plasterer’s trowel. It really should be protected somehow. Capping is the easiest (as in TJ’s link) if it is wired up already. I prefer plastic oval conduit but you’d need to thread it over the end.

He’s quite right covering is not needed, so long as it’s routed in the safe zones. If you want covering that should be agreed with the electrician, you are the customer after all. Bit late now.

Your “electrician” is a cowboy IMO but its common practise not to use channelling.

And you are wrong. Calling someone a cowboy for not capping a spur is quite frankly bollox!

And you are wrong

Maybe that’s because he’s a “nurse”?

No requirements to cover as the rule only really existed before RCDs and as a safe guard against the plasterers trowel.
We see tonnes of contractors using plastic or metal capping mainly out of habit or just because it dresses in the cabling and keeps pain in the arse consultants at bay. As others have stated as long as there’s sufficient circuit protection and it’s run within the permitted safe zones then should be fine.

Echoing some of the above, who actually know what they are saying, no, the cable does not need to be covered by ‘capping’. Capping is only there to protect the cable from the plasterer. It does nothing else.
Contrary to popular belief, it isnt earthed, and does not protect against screw/nail penetration. I would say no capping is better, as the cable is nearly totally covered by plaster, allowing better heat disipitation.
I’ve had 2 call outs in the past where the capping has trapped the cable when it was installed, over time, the insulation has been squashed/pushed away, and eventually there has been a dead short between live and earth.
I never put up capping at all, but I do do my own plastering, so I know I wont knick the cable with my trowel.
If anyone thinks it is wrong, please cite a BS7671 regulation that says so.

Ok I stand corrected. When I was wiring houses it was pre widespread use of rcds and the channelling was required by the powers that be I thought.

I guess you’ve got the message by now… Its perfectly acceptable to run cables that way, provided they are run vertical /horizontal within the prescribed zones ie. No cables going off at 30 degrees up the wall and making a few loops before reaching their destination. If you come to put up a picture or some shelves at a later date you want to know that the cables under the plaster run up/down/across from the sockets or switches, saves you ftom making a shocking discovery aha ha!

If the cable has been clipped and the plaster is directly covering it, you may get brown (rust) marks showing through the plaster as the clip nails aren’t galvanised. Not a problem if you’re wallpapering though. Best way is plastic capping and clout nails.

The plastic covering you can buy for covering cables before plastering is merely cosmetic, it won’t stop someone putting a nail / screw through the cable. The only thing which might is a steel covering, but then you’ve got to earth that, so it just creates another problem and would need a bigger channel cut as it’s not flexible.

Capping is an advantage should you ever want to replace a cable, but balance that against the likelihood in a domestic property.
Copper pipe on the other hand can be corroded by some plaster types so should always be protected

An SDS drill will go straight though the thick steel of old style conduits without you even noticing so bean can thickness galvanised steel or plastic will be a complete waste of time.

Maybe that’s because he’s a “nurse”?

Don’t forget slumlord.

It’s been a while but those knobbers at the nhbc make you cap every run. And also trace tape any pipe work.