wiring the shed

[Scarlette]

G'day all

I'm new here (and a chick so don't hold that against me )

I am putting power to the shed and i'd rather do most of it myself before the sparkie comes and gives me the thumbs up.
I am running cable through the c-section from the switch board but to thread it all through conduit is really costly. Is it legal to run the cable through the c-section around the roof if i use girder clips, without the use of conduit?
I'll attach flexible conduit where the cable has to go around corners etc, just trying to save a few bucks

Cheers
Scarlette

[journeyman Mick]

Scarlette,
welcome, best bet is to find a sparkie first who is okay with you doing all the grunt work and check with him/her how s'he wants it done. I have seen girder clips used without the flexible conduit, but you really need to line the sparky up first.

Mick

[Vernonv]

Best to check with the sparkie that is signing his license to it.

[mxchris69]

scarlette forgive the others they think to run a cable you need to be a licenced electrician which is false. yes running the cable along the c section without conduit is fine with flex around the corners (nearly all factorys are done this way). if you want to be on the safe side you could use orange circular cable but from memory it costs a little more per metre.

[thatirwinfella]

scarlette forgive the others they think to run a cable you need to be a licenced electrician which is false.

scarlette, forgive mxchris69, he thinks that he can run a cable and not be an electrician which is false.

under the electrical safety act, it is illegal for anyone other than a licenced electrician or authorised workers under the supervision of a licenced electrician to install wiring systems with the intention of connecting it to a fixed electrical installation.

wiring systems under the act is given a broad definition, to not only include cable and points of termination [accessories, fixed appliances, batten holders, circuit breakers, power points] but also conduit, duct, cable tray and other items used with wiring.

how many factories have you wired this way mxchris69? While it may be appropriate for a shed or garage at home, the vast majority of factories with reasonable production capacity are wired much differently to this.

technically, you shouldn't be doing anything without a licence, but yes, some sparkies will let you do some work. As suggested, orange circ would be a better option for the c section, as it fits into the clips easier.

I would recommend talking to the sparky who would be connecting the circuits if you insist on doing the work, they will tell you precisely how they would like the cable run, where to and what size. If you did it without the advice of your sparky, you may find that it could cost you extra in wasted material.

[mxchris69]

i have done many factories this way and if you think you should use conduit the whole way you must work for a very large company who does not care about time as in the real world and in nearly every factory they girder clip it straight to the beam.

[nev25]

Scarlette
thatirwinfella is 100% correct.

As a registered electrical contractor I'm not even allowed to get my son to help me pull cable on school holidays.

mxchris69 do you realize you can be held liable in a court of law if someone is injured from you giving advice like that.

Thats why Scarlette you will be hard pressed to find a sparkie that will OK for you to do what you want to do.

I don't write the regs just obey them

[mxchris69]

you do the jobs for cash then dont sign them off. and your son can help you run cables look how many people employ labourers and what do they do rum sub mains.

[nev25]

you do the jobs for cash then dont sign them off. and your son can help you run cables look how many people employ labourers and what do they do rum sub mains.

Sorry thats why we are not allow TAs any more unless they have done a 3 Month Induction course.

Labourers??? Never seen one.

I asked a local Electrical Inspector a while ago if I could get my son to help and He answered a big Fat NO

Read the Electrical safety Act

[mxchris69]

maybe in victoria but my company employs 10 tas and labourers

[Scarlette]

Gosh sorry guys, didn't mean to start an all-out war.

I already have my sparkie lined up and he's fine with me to run the cable, i'm not connecting anything, just running the cable through the conduit and in place and he'll go over it all when he puts the switch board in.

Thanks for your advice.. i might just go with conduit. Better safe than sorry.

Cheers
Scarlette

[thatirwinfella]

i never said we use conduit, cable tray is more our style, as it is in most factories. it fits more cable than c section, allows for better expansion and relocation and causes less harmful thermal effects due to the air surrounding it.

Scarlette
thatirwinfella is 100% correct

nev, i think i'll have to quote that in my signature.

[mxchris69]

yes i will agree that if you are running a lot of cables cable tray would be the way to go in a factory. but the way this post started it sounds like it is just one circuit so it wouldn't be worth the cost the tray would be more than the cable after u buy unistrut rods etc

[Vernonv]

scarlette forgive the others they think to run a cable you need to be a licenced electrician which is false

I'm not sure what you were on when you read Mick and my responses because I can't see anywhere were we suggests that Scarlette can't run the cables herself. We both just suggested that she talks to her sparkie first, as he is the one that ultimately needs to approve it.

I think everyone has lost sight of the fact that regardless of what we say, the sparkie that does the final connection and approval will need to be happy with what she has done. Maybe her sparkie would be happy with her running power through speaker cable, maybe he would only be happy with her running 2.5mm flat cable it in conduit ... who knows ... oh yeah that's right, her sparkie would.

Talk to your sparkie first. No point wasting time and money if he won't approve it.