Electrical regulations

[steverodgers]

What do electrical regs say about the route the main cable into a house should take through the walls and cavity. I hit one with a drill that apparrently was curved within the cavity. I am sure this cannot be right and now the electricity suppliers are trying to bill me for the repair they had to make.

[buildersmate]

Electrical Regulations are controlled by the IEE (Institute of Electrical Engineers) whose weighty tome the 16th Regulations control much electrical installation good practice. The gist of what it says for cable routing within a dwelling is cable runs behind plaster must be installed in 'acceptable' zones. This means they must follow paths that are either horizontal or vertical from an outlet (wall socket or switch), or be within 150mm of the top of a wall, or within 150mm of the internal / external corner. Outside these zones the cable must be inside a steel conduit. These rules are intended to apply to cables running around the house - not the cable leading to the meter. The main cable up to the house meter is the property of the electrical company (as you probably know) although it may have been installed by the builder and 'taken on' by the utility company. I don't think the IEE Regs specifically include these cables - but you can try and maintain these sensible rules should apply to the main cable and you couldn't have known it was there because of the bends in it. HTH.

[tony1941]

The !6th Edition Regs specifically state (para 110-02-01) that they do not apply to 'supplier's works' as defined in the Electricity Supply Regs 1988. You can see the latter here:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19881057_en_7.htm

Part 4 Para 25 states:

The supplier shall ensure that all his works on a consumer's premises which are not under the control of the consumer (whether forming part of the consumer's installation or not) are�
(a) suitable for their respective purposes;
(b) installed and, so far as is reasonably practicable, maintained so as to prevent danger

I think you have a chance here, unless the installation was very old (pre these regs) or you could be shown to have been careless. I beleive that "suitable" and "prevent danger" imply that the cable should ahve been obvious, marked, or protected against mechanical damage by armour or metal ducting.

PS you can't get the 16th Regs on the web as they are well copyright protected and nearly �50 a copy, but I have my own set so ask again if there is anything else.

Good luck

[Lingam]

As a matter of interest, when your drill hit the cable did you survive the shock - or was it lethal?

[scooby1000]

I think it is obvious it wasn't lethal and he survived as he posted this question!