Download Standard wiring advice

Electrical guidelines

Your church architect should be involved in the planning of wiring routes and
the proposed locations of new electrical equipment, lighting or speakers etc.
They should advise also on the location and type of fixings used.

All works should be carried out by approved NICEIC electricians.

Fixing into stone should be made into the mortar joints between stones rather
than the stones themselves, and fixing into decorative carving and mouldings
should be avoided.

Fixing into historic plaster should be avoided if possible, but if it is absolutely
necessary, then care must be taken to ensure that the fixings do not disturb
wall paintings. In such cases, it may be necessary to seek specialist advice
to identify whether wall paintings are present.

Cables and wires should be routed in such a way that minimises their visual
impact on the interior of the church. Re-entrant corners, wall plates or string
courses etc may enable cable runs to be hidden.

Speakers, light fittings and other equipment should not be fixed to sensitive
fabric nor should they obscure important detail or detract from the character
of the church.

The careful choice of finish for wiring and equipment can help reduce its
visual impact.

Consideration should be given to access for ongoing maintenance of
equipment and fire safety, for instance, by not locating heat generating
equipment (halogen spot lights etc) near timber or flammable fabric.
Further advice is contained within the Church Buildings Council guidance publication
Wiring of Churches (Revd A G Sage, 1997).
March 2003