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Hi What cable type is best to extend the reach of my CT clamp? Marvin.

My iwox treatment plant comes with a remote alarm light for the sir compressor. They recommend to install a 5 core 2.5mm swa to accommodate this. We only buried a 3 core some months back. What could I use that I will have any chance of getting through the gland on the tank as well as the 3 core swa? Thanks in advance

Ok, don't shout. Cat 6 cable already installed going to a kitchen island. It feeds 1xcat5 data point. Would it be, setting aside perfection for a moment, possible to use the non data pairs of a cat6 data cable to power 2 short pieces of RGB LED strips? How many of the 4 pairs are actually servicing the data point? If it's 2 pairs, then are the other 2 pairs redundant? 1 pair leaving 3 redundant? This is with a view to cutting, splicing and hijacking the cat 6 under the island, and doing the same 1.8m away at the plinth where it reemerges, but still retaining the use of data and the cat5 outlet as normal. Its low voltage so no legal infringements as far as i can see? Ill get my tin hat polished. TIA

Hi All My last first fix job is to run some 8core alarm cables to room corners, keypad locations etc. BUT, chatting to my sparky this week he said that it's now almost never done as the wireless systems have become so reliable. He said the only real need is a feed to the bell box and a fused spur for the control panel. I was just interested what others have done?

Starting first fix next week and just looking at finalising the cable etc. I've found a decent cable supplier who does Doncaster Cables at a good price but where is the best place to get back boxes ..? Where possible the plan is to fit them to noggins so I don't think I need many dry line ones. Are Appleby worth the extra ..? I'm assuming Tower are still the best clips on the market ..??

Even in' all! Im planning a heating radial upstairs as a fail safe for not taking the UFH upstairs. I want ant to run a 4 core cable as a few of the electric radiator systems use a 4th core for signal control. However you can't get standard 4 core cable in 2.5mm solid copper as far as I can see so can I use something like this stranded cable for the install? (Random link selection from google) http://www.builderdepot.co.uk/2-5mm-4-core-pvc-flexible-cable-50m-drum.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInrLGpdeY1gIVBpPtCh1izAOhEAQYByABEgLvNvD_BwE Ta!

Hi All I'm pondering how I get my cable runs (lighting and power) from 1st floor to ground floor. Particularity the lighting runs which are in large part on vaulted areas. In a "normal" house you have the ability to run your cables clipped down the roof trusses but with a fully insulated frame thats a no go. Plus the counter battens make it trickier still. As we are running radial circuits for lighting and power I've got a fair few runs to get to the ground floor. I'm thinking I'm going to have to come down the walls at strategic points but how does that work with safe zones? I'd be interested to know what others have done? A few pics in illustration:

Another pondering question from me I'm just thinking about first fix electrics. We're going for radial circuits for all loads, including lighting. The lighting will be controlled by Cbus Dimmers and Relays back at the cabinet as required. I've done a few 1st fix wiring jobs over the years (inc three with Cbus) and always used 1.5mm cable to allow for potential loads from say large banks of halogen downlighters. BUT, with the LED and low voltage being commonplace (and part of regs) I really cant see much point going over 1.00mm now for the lighting radials to each room. Max run is going to be circa 25m. All enclosed in service voids (uninsulated) behind pb. I know the benefits are pretty limited. Perhaps only; 1)Slightly Cheaper 2)Easier to run 3)More room in the cabinet. Am I missing something?

Substandard and counterfeit cable, labelled with fake official standards and accreditations, is one of the biggest kicks to the UK economy, and, worse, a potential killer, say cable industry leaders. Substandard Cables After a six-year campaign to clean up cable, industry White Knights are taking the crusade to Westminster and calling for better market surveillance and for all cable sold in the UK to be independently third party approved. While cable failure can cost £millions when re-fitting large and complex projects, more importantly it can cost lives. Installers and suppliers are victims too. Buying as specified in good faith and carefully matching specifications to labels and cable markings often means nothing. Despite their best efforts, installers and suppliers’ livelihoods and reputations are at stake. The Approved Cables Initiative (ACI), which launched in 2010, investigates all kinds of suspect cable — be it armoured, house wiring flex, fire-performance cables and more. While house fire causes are often recorded as a ‘faulty appliance’ — there is every chance a fault could lie with the fake or under-specified cable fitted. So where does the problem lie: Standards aren’t wholly adhered to in the UK. There are too few checks on imported cables. About 70% of cable sold in the UK is imported and, of that, ACI believes half doesn’t meet a recognised Standard. Some distributors encourage the under specification of cable by manufacturers. source https://medium.com/@mauriziobragagni/britains-counterfeit-cable-the-ticking-time-bomb-e9fce0e38127 ........ Should we we be Worried?