Ask The Trades - Print Page

Ask The Trades
https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Electrical Questions >> Wiring/trunking for new kitchen https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1506214756 Message started by Chris.merc28 on Sep 24^th, 2017, 1:59am

Title: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by Chris.merc28 on Sep 24^th, 2017, 1:59am

I was wondering if anyone would be able to help and shed some light.

We are getting a new kitchen fitted and needed the wiring chased into old brick walls and also electrics run for a few new sockets for relocation of washing machine and fridge freezer.

As we are also getting the whole room plastered we wanted to channel the wiring into the wall for a clean finish. Our electrician has managed that in most areas apart from one wall where the trunking is next to door frame and not recessed deep enough in the wall for our plasterer to go over it.

My other concern is not only that this plastic will be visible on the wall surface but also that it will be a huge problem for the kitchen fitters who are installing units flush to the door frame also.

I believe the electrician said the trunking had to be used in order to accommodate extra light wires that came through from the electrics in the dining room behind.

I am wondering if there is another way around making the wires go into the wall? And if this they should have been placed in a different location altogether?

Especially as our wall units and base units will come up flush to the door frame and a side panel will need to be fitted along the same measurement he has put the trunking. Is this ok or am i right in thinking it will totally interfere with the installing units properly and enabling a quality finish?

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by woodsmith on Sep 24^th, 2017, 9:27am

I'm not an electrician, hopefully lectrcian will be along later to give you his opinion, but I do fit kitchens and in my view this is one almighty mess. If I was fitting your kitchen I would have to rip all this out and start again.

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by Lectrician on Sep 24^th, 2017, 2:33pm

That is a mess. It looks like they have done it the quickest and bodgiest way. Red bricks are not nice to chase, but should be chopped out to allow for plastering over. The chase should also be directly above the socket, not against the door frame. This is outside a wiring a zone, so if plastered over would be non-compliant.

This needs ripping out and starting again.

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by Chris.merc28 on Sep 25^th, 2017, 1:27am

Thanks for the help guys. I have attached a pic to show where the wiring had to be channelled to supply electrics in an awkward nook for the location of freestanding fridge freezer. There was also the wiring of the light switch directly behind the kitchen wall to accomodate.

I can imagine red brick is a pain to chase. Is this wall a complete redo? In my head i imagined the wires would be chased with capping at least. Not this very chunky trunking! We also just want a flat surface for units to sit evenly. What would best solution and option be for this?

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by woodsmith on Sep 25^th, 2017, 9:16am

This job is quite unbelievable, I would sack this person and get someone who knows what they are doing to fix the mess. Is your electrician even registered?

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by thescruff on Sep 25^th, 2017, 9:48am

Agree with the above.

Someone has to sign the work off and I doubt an electrician did the work

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by The_Trician on Sep 28^th, 2017, 10:44am

From the photo, it looks like it may be a flat, so no access to ceiling void to run cables.

Had the horizontal cable run along the top been extended another couple of feet across, they could have then been dropped straight down into the tops of the boxes, rather than via the convoluted and non-compliant route chosen.

Quite why plastic trunking was used, I have no idea. Cables could be just clipped direct had the correct routing been chosen.

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by CWatters on Oct 4^th, 2017, 1:36pm

Pretty sure metal trunking/cover like this should be used. They are also shallower than the plastic he's used..

http://www.cutlershardware.com/trunking-metal-galvanized-25mm-2-metre-p-4263.html

Title: Re: Wiring/trunking for new kitchen
Post by The_Trician on Oct 8^th, 2017, 8:34pm

That's just galvanised capping. It is just used to protect the cable from the plaster's trowel during plastering.

Rightly or wrongly, no one uses it any more since the introduction of the requirement to RCD- everything.

An SDS drill bit at full chat would see it off in short order in any case.