Plastic corrugation in the last few years has become very popular in the installation of electrical wiring. So I thought, is it really necessary? Maybe it's possible to do without corrugations? Could this be another marketing ploy? Let's try to figure it out.
The corrugation protects wires from moisture and mechanical influences?
Manufacturers of plastic corrugations unanimously say that their products reliably protect electrical wires from moisture, as well as from mechanical damage. Only in Russia, as a rule, cables are laid directly into the walls. And how can the wire be mechanically damaged in this case? If something serious happens, for example, an explosion, then the corrugation will no longer help.
The double insulated sheath protects the wires from moisture ingress. The most problematic places are cable outlets, for example, to a switch, box or outlet. Residents of the upper floors in rainy weather can suffer if water seeps through the roof and flows along the walls. But in this case, it will not work to be saved by the corrugation, since it is not laid in problem areas.
The use of plastic corrugations in partially hollow ceilings is justified.
I came to the conclusion that the only place where it is logical and appropriate to use corrugation is a village or country house. There you need to hide the wires, because they are not inside the walls, but outside. You can also hide the wires running down the street in the corrugation.
In apartments where standard wiring is routed inside concrete walls, it does not make sense to use plastic corrugation. This is an extra waste of money.
Does plastic burn?
Manufacturers and sellers also claim that the corrugation does not burn. But I doubted this statement. Personally, I have not yet met plastic that could not be burned or at least melted.
Let's think about how the wires inside the wall can even catch fire. They don't even have access to oxygen. Typically, a fire occurs in a box or outlet where the wires connect or come out. In such dangerous places it is impossible to put a corrugation. It turns out that the money will be wasted.
It makes sense to organize additional insulation for a warm floor. During the pouring of concrete, builders can damage the cable. But to ensure fire safety in this case, it is better to use metal or plastic tubes, but not PVC corrugation.
Let's talk again about the incombustibility of PVC. I managed to persuade a friend to conduct an experiment. To do this, he used three types of corrugations.
- 1. The first - the usual gray PVC corrugation really did not burn. She melted and crumpled.
- 2. The black HDPE pipe burned with a bright flame, while burning drops fell from it.
- 3. The HDPE corrugation with flame retardant also did not pass the fire test. She burned not so actively, but still burned.
Here are the conclusions you can come to: you should not use the last two options for corrugations even in a country house. They will not prevent the ignition of the wires, in addition, on the contrary, they will help the flame spread faster.
I hope that this article was useful to someone!
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