Wondering if anyone knows how to protect DC cables running behind dab walling between a solar inverter and the panels.

 

Electrical/mechanical protection is what I’m asking about really.

The Wiring Regulations advise that all concealed wiring should be covered/enclosed by trunking.

On 27/03/2022 at 09:20, PetrolDave said:

The Wiring Regulations advise that all concealed wiring should be covered/enclosed by trunking.

Can any trunking be used here, or does it have to be a specific type?

i would suggest steel trunking to prevent accidental through drilling? similar to whassisname's thread about the kitchen unit.

17 hours ago, MikeTheThinker said:

Can any trunking be used here, or does it have to be a specific type?

 

16 hours ago, mac11irl said:

i would suggest steel trunking to prevent accidental through drilling? similar to whassisname's thread about the kitchen unit.

+1

The aim of the regs is to reduce/prevent drilling through with masonry drill bits - which cope easily with plastic trunking but struggle/fail with steel trunking.

On 28/03/2022 at 17:05, mac11irl said:

i would suggest steel trunking to prevent accidental through drilling? similar to whassisname's thread about the kitchen unit.

But where BOB (the builder) is involved, a bit of common sense installed at apprentice level might prevent this. Telephone / computer /socket/ alarm unit nearby- HOW is it fed, and from where. Easier to check before drilling than casue a problem. But then it's like  the attidude of high speed cable riping machanes operators  on rail network ( known to Mac a tampers & hated by signal techs), that if it's not visible and painted red, it's something to ignore.

On 29/03/2022 at 09:10, PetrolDave said:

 

+1

The aim of the regs is to reduce/prevent drilling through with masonry drill bits - which cope easily with plastic trunking but struggle/fail with steel trunking.

 

And this is where it gets sticky...

 

Regs give safe zones, RCD all the rest, but pretty much all seem to suggest things around AC.

I ask as I have somebody coming in to fit them and we don't want a huge chunk of external conduit running down the house.

I wanted to check, as they stated it can be run in the wall, but as I'm not aware of DC RCD/ARC systems then obviously it's better to be safe than otherwise.

 

Looks like it's a case of cut out some holes to push steel conduit up. I am slightly concerned though as if you use metal conduit and it's earthed, then surely that would increase the danger in the case of a damaged DC system as it would complete the circuit.

 

Edited 6 April, 20224 yr by cheezemonkhai

CM- if the circuits of the cables are controlling vital circuits, then perhaps it might be worth looking at double switching the circuit paths. i.e. both legs of the control circuits are switched. 

Otherwise, you are at the mercy of unskilled/untrained blokes drilling into walls.  Till then, in the words of one WW2 film ," You can teach monkeys to fly better than that".

Edited 1 May, 20224 yr by VWD