Should I improve this wiring?

[ban-all-sheds]

not counting lighting pendants, links from an FCU to a wall heater etc. where the flex is short and exposed - I'm talking about running it concealed

The OP's cables are not concealed.

P.S. The American NEC does not allow flexible cord to be used as concealed fixed wiring, now or for many decades passed.

Not even where seismic activity might make the ability to flex without being damaged advantageous?

 

[PBC_1966]

The OP's cables are not concealed.

Are you sure about that? He hasn't actually indicated how the cable/flex/whatever-it-is gets from the 13A plug in the house to the garage. It may be buried, strung on catenary wire, or just hanging under its own weight in the air for all we know. And how does either that run, or the one to the outside light, get from inside the house to outside the house without being concealed at some point, even if only a straight run through the wall? We need nore details.

Not even where seismic activity might make the ability to flex without being damaged advantageous?

No. From the 2008 NEC:

400.8 Uses Not Permitted. Unless specifically permitted in 400.7, flexible cords and cables shall not be used for the following:

(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure

(2) Where run through holes in walls, structural ceilings, suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or floors

(3) Where run through doorways, windows, or similar openings

(4) Where attached to building surfaces
Exception to (4): Flexible cord and cable shall be permitted to be attached to building surfaces in accordance with the provisions of 368.56(B)

(5) Where concealed by walls, floors, or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings

(6) Where installed in raceways, except as otherwise permitted in this Code

(7) Where subject to physical damage

The permitted uses referred to in 400.7 cover lighting pendants, connections from fixed appliances to an outlet, elevator and cranes, etc.

 

[JohnW2]

"Twisted twin ( fig of 8 ) can only be used for pendants where it is wholly in view or for other applications where the cord is not subject to abrasion."

I would have thought that "not subject to abrasion" would apply to almost all 'fixed wiring' (buried in walls, hidden under floorboards or above ceilings etc.), wouldn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

No. From the 2008 NEC: ...

Does it still say that in the 2014 edition?

 

[securespark]

Potentially.

But I suppose where the cable passes through walls, joists etc, they may.

 

[PBC_1966]

No. From the 2008 NEC: ...

Does it still say that in the 2014 edition?

I don't have the 2014 edition to check, but I can't imagine it's been removed after all this time. The same prohibition appears in my copy of the 1965 NEC.

 

[JohnW2]

Potentially. But I suppose where the cable passes through walls, joists etc, they may.

Maybe - if one has walls and joists that do a lot of moving

To be serious, as BAS has said, if there is a risk of structural movement (e.g. earthquakes) there would seem to be a lot to be said for using flexible cables within the structure. Also, there seems to be an assumption made by some people that flexible cables are necessarily more susceptible to abrasion than is T+E, whereas that is not necessarily the case. Indeed, some flexes are deliberately made to be very abrasion-resistant.

Kind Regards, John

 

[MidsTW]

Wow you guys have been busy.

Back to Johns reply (thanks John) yes the circuit is RCD protected.

The wire to the garage is suspended across the building at 2m high. Span is about 1 metre. It is armoured cable.

The flex to the outside lights is 0.5 (original before we bought house. I replaced a section with 0.75 flex (for ponds) so it is rated for outside.

Both the cables for the outside lights and garage come through 2 holes in a section of the kitchen wall. They then run above wall mounted cabinets to where the socket is located.

Sorry for the lack of photos will try to post some tomorrow.

Did I miss any responses?

 

[JohnW2]

Back to Johns reply (thanks John) yes the circuit is RCD protected. The wire to the garage is suspended across the building at 2m high. Span is about 1 metre. It is armoured cable. ... Both the cables for the outside lights and garage come through 2 holes in a section of the kitchen wall. They then run above wall mounted cabinets to where the socket is located.

Thanks. Someone will undoubtedly be along to tell you that 2m is not high enough. Is the armoured cable just self-supported over the ~1m span, or is it supported by/suspended from something? How does the armoured cable get connected to whatever cable is connected to the plug at the house end?

Kind Regards, John

 

[MidsTW]

It is just suspended between he house and garage.

And I believe the armoured cable is connected to the plug.

Must add that none of this was done by me and was present when the house was purchased.

All I have done is replaced the wire for the outside lights as they used to be plugged in to a bedroom socket!!! And re routed to the kitchen.

I am happy to do any work I am 'allowed' to do. Recently had an electrician come round and when I asked him about connecting some new sockets up which I installed he told me the best way to do it and to do it myself as I was clearly capable and would save him charging me £120. Very nice of him. Said I would get him back to do a periodic inspection when I've finished doing what I need to

 

[JohnW2]

It is just suspended between he house and garage.

For such a short span, and given the nature of the cable, in reality that's probably not going to be a problem - but I suspect others may have something to say both about the height and the lack of 'support'!

And I believe the armoured cable is connected to the plug.

If that's true, it's extremely iffy, since there is not really any satisfactory (or necessarily even possible!) way of connecting armoured cable to a standard plug. Whether you stick with a plug/socket or not, proper termination of the armoured cable is needed - so you probably need to get an electrician to look at that.

Kind Regards, John