galvanised cable conduit

[boing]

Does anyone know if it is still possible to get hold of galvanised cable conduit for surface-mounted circuits?

I live in an old house with horrible lime plaster of varying depths over stone, which makes it quite a task to bury any new wiring without doing loads of additional work as well. The kitchen currently has just three sockets - one on the cooker switch and a double (wrongly) spurred off of it.

Luckily, I quite like the look of galvanised steel trunking and surface mounted sockets (as seen in many sheds and factories) and think it might even look good in my kitchen. But I can't find it anywhere. Everybody seems to have the PVC stuff (which I think looks really nasty), but I can't find metal, even though the surface mounted metalclad sockets are easily available...

I'm in Somerset, near Glastonbury and Wells...

 

[Spark123]

This stuff? http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Conduit_Steel_Index/20mm_Galv_Conduit_and_Fittings/index.html
I would hope any electrical wholesaler can get their hands on it, if you want bends in it you can either use a conduit bender (nicer to look at but expensive to buy, poss hire??) or use inspection bends (urghh). The other things you'll need to handle conduit are a conduit vice, stock + die. Are you aware of Part P regarding electrical work in a kitchen?

 

[Adam_151]

also consider pyro, that can look good surface clipped, be aware that for both pyro and steel conduit you'll need special tools and there is skill involved so if you are doing it yourself, expext to take a while and throw quite a bit away before you start getting it looking right

 

[plugwash]

for steel to look neat you'll have to use stuff that needs a threaded end (the clamp based stuff looks sh1t). That means you'll have to get a threading tool as well.

MICC looks nicer than steel conduit (the bare copper sheathed stuff looks very much like copper pipe, bright pink when new but dulls to a brick like color and its much thinner conduit) and doesn't need a special bender but it does need a special stripping tool and pot crimper and insulation resistance testing is a vital part of the installation process rather than an ass covering measure. Expect to have to remake quite a few ends until you get the hang of it.

I don't belive that either would be beyond the determined diyer but i also don't belive either would be easy to diy.

 

[sm1thson]

MICC looks nicer than steel conduit (the bare copper sheathed stuff looks very much like copper pipe

the copper micc stuff does look nice, ive seen it inside public buildings on an unrendered brick wall and it looked good in that scenario. i didnt realise what it was untill now (i'm not a spark)

 

[boing]

@ spark123 - that's exactly the stuff! As you suggest, it will need some minor bends. I was hoping to just be able to run it straight down the wall in the three or four places where I need sockets, with little doglegs over the thick (quartzite) tiling above the worktop. The sockets will be surface mounted onto the tiles. My intention is to run the conduit up into the ceiling space, end it there, and run the cable alongside the joists as usual.

I can probably hire the tools for threading - thanks, plugwash.

But the pyro also looks good. I haven't had a good look at this, yet and can't imagine how a ring is put together with it (assuming I only want one run of it going down the wall to the socket)...

I am aware of part P, but haven't yet decided how far to push it - i'd like all this to be right, but money is tight and I have no idea what a proper sparky might charge...

 

[Belle427]

you can also get stainless steel conduit which looks good

 

[boing]

Still looking at this - thanks for your replies so far. Two more questions, please?

1. I can see how I might be able to use galvanised conduit and metalclad sockets for the 13A ring in the kitchen. What I haven't yet been able to find is something that might match for the cooker switch. The switch itself is probably not a problem (plain metal versions are available), but I haven't seen a box in the right size... Does such a thing even exist? Or, I suppose, failing that, is there a metallised cooker switch that might fit a 13A surface box turned on its side?

2. Same problem with the MICC, with the added worry of capacity. It makes sense to match the cooker wiring to everything else in the kitchen. I read somewhere that this cable is good all the way up to 450A. Sounds like an awful lot to me for a skinny cable, even if it is fireproof. Is this right?

 

[RF Lighting]

1. I can see how I might be able to use galvanised conduit and metalclad sockets for the 13A ring in the kitchen. What I haven't yet been able to find is something that might match for the cooker switch. The switch itself is probably not a problem (plain metal versions are available), but I haven't seen a box in the right size... Does such a thing even exist? Or, I suppose, failing that, is there a metallised cooker switch that might fit a 13A surface box turned on its side?

Is this what you are after? Click Here

2. Same problem with the MICC, with the added worry of capacity. It makes sense to match the cooker wiring to everything else in the kitchen. I read somewhere that this cable is good all the way up to 450A. Sounds like an awful lot to me for a skinny cable, even if it is fireproof. Is this right?

Providing the MICC is of the correct CSA then 450A will be no problem.

 

[JohnD]

450A?

 

[Steve]

450A?

must have a big cooker.

 

[RF Lighting]

240mm² 2 core MICC is good for upto 514A.

I have seen large pyro used by supply companies to feed their rising main in offices.

Not sure it would be much use in a domestic environment though.

 

[JohnD]

I bet you have to be strong to carry it.

 

[Spark123]

Clipped direct exposed to touch 2H240 (2 core, heavy duty, 240mm²) pyro is rated 514A for clipped direct before de-rating but might struggle to terminale into a normal socket
I think that a 2L1.5 (Light duty, 23Amp) or 2L2.5 (31Amp) will more than likely be adequate.
Bah, beaten by RF

 

[boing]

You guys...

I have a normal cooker, OK? The info I read suggested the same cable that carries 13A would carry 450A. That was where my doubt lay. But as you rightly surmised, the point of my question was to just check out if I could use the same pyro I might want to use for the ring, for the cooker radial as well... Until I have another look, I don't know what the cooker uses. Probably about the same as any other cooker.

@RF Lighting - You'd never believe it - I looked at the exact same website for ages and didn't see that page. The internet is strange and mysterious...

Whilst we seem to be on a roll, can I ask another question? I am still unsure how I would deal with running MICC to the sockets. I have seen some stuff about making up the ends and sealing it all off and fixing to the wall and surface box - that all looks fine. But I probably wouldn't want to run it under the floorboards to the consumer unit (unless it has to be done that way). And I still don't see how to make a ring whilst running only one length of pyro to the socket... the only thing I can think, is that you run the loop in the ceiling using standard cable as usual, put socketless boxes in the kitchen right up next to the ceiling to loop in and out of, then spur from those down the wall with pyro to the socket. is that right? Trouble is, it breaks the rule about the number of spurs having to be lower than the number of sockets (because there would only be spurs). But you'd still have a loop... I don't get it.

Go easy on me - I'm only trying to learn!