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Gluing cables (☉_☉)

WireWeHere

I feel a bit dirty asking the question, but here goes anyway as it's always good to have an open mind. What do people think of gluing cables prior to plastering. Two options come to mind:

  • Hot Melt Glue: https://www.gudfor.com/en/products/electricians/380 Hot melt is commonly used to attach wires in non-construction sectors
  • Grab adhesive: like GripFill, Sticks Like, No More Nails, Instant Nails, ... . A 350ml tube would go a long way (>100m) with 1ml blobs every 300mm.
  • Epoxy: sets hard so that may be a benefit.

Clearly unsuitable for permanent fixture, but prior to being plastered over?

I did a basic test of a grab adhesive (GripFill yellow which is no solvent) and it holds to blockwork as well as a clip does. A 2.5mm2 cable in a 10x10 mm chase with a 1ml blob can drag a block across the floor in shear.

The main benefits would be:

  1. Narrower chase as no need for space of a clip
  2. Quick to install
  3. Cheap (£2 per 100m at 300mm c/c)
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  • 0

    Important to check that the adhesive chosen does not 'etch' i.e. behaves like a solvent weld and attack the cable.  Assuming that is OK, it ought to be no more of an issue than any other means of temporary attachment.

    How do you hold it in place while it sets, and how long before you can let go ? I might worry about it moving and getting stuck in the wrong attitude or dripping sticky glue onto something expensive.

    Having said OK, I must admit I share your eyes roll feeling however -it does seem like a dog rough idea - but there may be cases where hammering clips is not really the right thing to do - walls treated with various damp proof measures come to mind, or very hard  or very weak blockwork - after all chases can be cut with a twin disc cutter and vaccum extract with almost no disturbance compared to hammering the plaster off the other side of the wall...

    Maybe it is like the trick with bits of bread  to solder fittings on a pipe that insists on dripping a bit, ugly but one to keep in the back pocket for get of jail use

    Mike

  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Neither Hot Melt or Grab Adhesive rely on solvent welding so 'should' be alright.

    Hot melt solidifies quite quickly and grab adhesive would hold straight away if the cable is already wanting to be in the chase.

  • 0 in reply to WireWeHere

    I wouldn't like to be the poor beggar who has to follow on from a job done like that. A simple small job request to relocate an accessory a few inches to the left or right or to raise slightly until then you find that some beggar has 'glued' all the cables in place.

  • 0 in reply to whjohnson

    Agreed if it was along the whole length, but if blobs at 300mm c/c doesn't feel any more harsh than clips at the same spacing

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  • 0 in reply to whjohnson

    Agreed if it was along the whole length, but if blobs at 300mm c/c doesn't feel any more harsh than clips at the same spacing

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