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Running wires in parallel

JemHayward

pfm Member
We have discovered an ancient cellar beneath our ancient house, and we may turn it into a room. We will retain the bare stone walls, so we can't really chase wiring into the walls, though we may have the opportunity to route cables under the floor (if we install underfloor heating, which depends on the listed building people) - but at the moment it looks like we'll be using 'industrial' style metal conduit along the walls. One run will probably look ok, but several may not. If we had Mains, Ethernet, and audio (both low level, and speaker) in the same conduit, would things get really nasty, or would screening etc, take care of any potential interference?

I've always felt this was a 'bad thing to do' but have never actually done it.
 
In particular, mains and data/ethernet should not interfere with each other at all - the frequencies are way too far apart, no real need to physically separate the cables.
 
Mmmm what about the safety aspect? I don't think its permissible to to run them together.

Pete

p.s. you can get stainless steel conduit, nice but spendy.
 
In most countries putting power and data in the same single conduit is not permitted.
The divided types are allowed.
 
I faced a similar thing, if you contact your local council Building Regs, they will tell you if they are happy with you mixing data and mains etc. together in your conduit.
They will also tell you what type of conduit they are happy for you to use in your given project as for some types of building renovation they are happy with plastic, for others they will specify metal.
I suspect you might also need a smoke alarm installed especially as its in a cellar - again Building Regs will advise you.
Finally, its important for your property insurance that your cellar in its new context it meets current Bulding Regs, in case you ever had to make a claim.

Whatever, you will initially get free advice/guidance which will conform with current Building Regs and then won't have any problem getting it signed off (or have any difficulties if, as or when you sell the property). You shouldn't need planning consent to "convert" your cellar, but you may need Building Regs to sign it off.

Re: interference, I can't see a problem, when in an amplifier or other A/V equipment, mains and signal run very very close to each other often without shielding.

I appreciate cosmetic appearance can be important, you might consider making a feature of the trunking by disguising it by using e.g. old timber to box it in.

Hope this helps, but I'd definitely speak to your local Building Regs department re: what trunking they would accept). As a Building Control Officer once told me "we're here to protect the public from the cowboys and to protect the public from themselves !"
 


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