Routing electrics through floor or chase into walls?

[George Hartshorn]

I am purchasing a lower-ground floor flat which currently has all of the plug sockets and wiring surface mounted in trunking. I'm undertaking a renovation project on the house soon so now is the time to get them hidden!

I am looking at installing a wet UFH system between a concrete slab and my engineered hardwood flooring. It consists of a 15mm insulated panel with an MDF base.

Would it be possible to route the plug socket cables through the under floor heating panels beneath the flooring so they are hidden, and then I would just bring the plug sockets up onto the wall where they are desired?

I'm aware that it would mean there is both water and electrics running under the floorboards so a leak could be very bad news.

- Are there any building regs which forbid this?
- If not, is there anything which I could house the electrical circuit in which would protect it if the under floor heating were to leak?

The alternative is to chase into the walls, however this is more time consuming, intrusive and therefore expensive, but if it's the only way then so be it!

 

[ericmark]

There are rules about safe zones, and 50 mm from surface is often required unless protected, in the main that means use of RCD's. Also there are regulations as to cable temperatures and de-rating, so can't simply say no problem go ahead. However there is no rules stopping you laying cables under the floor. You can have special sockets in the floor, and clearly these would be supplied with under floor cables.

Any electrical work is split into three parts.
Design
Installation
Inspecting and testing
It could be one signature for all three, or three independent signatures, and the person signs to say they have the skill required and it is done to the regulations or they list departures. Today many are falling foul of new laws for the electrical installation condition report (EICR) require for rented properties where the design did not follow the regulations. And paperwork has become more important, work has to be designed to comply with current regulations, and unless there is paperwork to show date of design, then the inspector has to consider it has just been done, my copy of BS 7671 is dated 2008 so not up to date. For owner occupied I would not worry, but for renting one needs to be so careful.