Drilling Load Bearing Wall

Assuming you are drilling a wee hole - 15mm diameterish - then no structural issue whatsoever. You ain't drilling through a lintel or nuffink? Chust the wall?

If by 'load bearing' you mean a normal external wall, then you can make 100mm holes through there for things like vent and flue pipes with no issue. But obviously make the holes as small as you can...

Probably worth sleeving the hole to protect the cable especially since it's a mix of sharpish bits.

 

You haven't stated the size of hole you want to drill but if it's just for running cables i'd hardly think it will be big enough to compromise the structure of the wall.

 

Phew - always worried when Sen replies as he usually drills holes in my replies...

 

Might even need a 400mm long bit.

And drilling from one side of a wall, you might not end up in the same spot other side.

Double check your measurments.

 

Sorry DA, not intentional!

 

I need peeps to keep me in line...

 

A 300mm long bit will be too short - once inserted there is only 270-280mm remaining and with a standard wall of 300-310mm there is significant shortfall.

2.5T&E will only just scrape though a 10mm hole and once you are through the first skin you will need a lot of luck to hit the hole in the second skin.

I would suggest going to 15mm diameter, that way you can use some plastic water pipe as the sleeve (or even Copper if you clean up the ends), just check first although 2.5 T&E normally fits.

 

Very true!!

 

You will find a 10mm hole gets your tongue licking around the lips to get the cable through.

 

I've got a long 16mm drill bit for such purposes, always good to have one that's a little wider than absolutely necessary.

 

I never knew that plumbing pipe was designed as an electrical conduit and complied with the appropriate standards.

 

that standard overflow pipe (the white **** they use on boliers) is excatly the same as 20mm conduit just its graded sutaible for water

 

It is a slightly larger diameter though, as I found out a few weeks ago when I was working a long way from home and picked some up from a local diy store. It was in the same rack as the conduit so I don't know for sure whether I picked the wrong one or it had been placed in the wrong rack but I did have to spend a few minutes with the small angle grinder to reduce the ends to get them into the adapters!

 

depends on the grade tho (as 20mm plastic conduit comes in two thickness doesnt it?)

 

Yes I think there's a so called heavy duty version but i'd have thought the o/d would be the same.

 

I would go with a typical 450mm 16mm drill bit for a standard construction wall. No sleeve required.

 

but yea it maybe thicker last lot i used was a cheap job lot (as was told plastic wasnt up to spec and could crack when used with the plastic cement) least thats why the guy said it was soo cheap i didnt care wasnt planing on using plastic cement any where near it)

 

Just interested, so maybe a stupid question.

Does electrical cable need to be run into conduit if it goes through a wall?

Im asking because I know some in my house that is just threaded through a hole in the brickwork