Channelling in electrical cables

[malagaman2005]

Anybody any idea of the cost of getting somebody in to channel in about 30 metres of cabling into the walls of our finca? The construction is mostly rendered brick and doesn't seem to hard to cut into. The other option is DIY- can you buy a special tool for the job? Thanks in advance

[Grouser]

You can get a wall chaser for about £100, but be warned it is a disgusting job. Clouds of dust everywhere.

[malagaman2005]

Thanks for that Grouser- I had been forewarned about the mess but as the house is in utter chaos anyway, having all but a new roof fitted, I thought it would be the ideal time to get it done.

[Grouser]

Don't forget to put the wiring in that flexible plastic trunking when you have chased it in to protect it from the cement and do wear protection, especially a mask when you are doing the cutting.

[Faire d'Income]

The other alternative is to use an angle grinder with a suitable disc to chase in the electrics if you already have one.

Don't forget to chase in vertically rather than at angles or horizontally - it flaming hurts if you accidentally hit a live wire whilst drilling at a later date.

As Grouser says, conduit is a must to protect the wiring. You could also consider laying cabling across the floor if you intend putting in new flooring such as a concrete.

Also, discuss plug and switch locations with the other half because a) you can never have enough plug points and b) they need to sited logically.

As an example you may have a hallway which you enter at one end where you need to locate a switch but what happens at the other end? You'll need to consider whether another switch should be used to turn lights off.

Also, think about locating an external socket for use outside. Probably at least IP54 or greater as they're extremely useful.

[malagaman2005]

Thanks for all your hints/suggestions guys, they'll all be taken on board.