Possibly very daft installation question...

[The_Lhc]

Ok, I've just had a new boiler fitted (stick with it, this IS hi-fi related!) and they've left behind various lengths of 25mm plastic piping and 22mm copper piping.

Now, I'm possibly going to be having my speaker cables channelled into the living room floor (concrete) and I was wondering whether I could make use of some of this tubing to protect the cables.

What I really wanted to know though was would using the copper piping provide an additional level of electromagnetic shielding or am I talking nonsense? Or would they perhaps act as antenna and cause MORE interferance? It's not something that's every occured to me before!

 

[Anonymous]

All I know is that if you use the copper pipe then you will have to insulate it from the concrete as it will attack copper over time.

My advice would be - plastic every time.

One last point would be to use a pipe diametre at least double that of the cable so if the need to ever replace your options are open and pulling the new cable through would be that much easier.

Hope this is of use.

 

[Big Aura]

yep - as far as I'm aware copper will cause massive distortion. Plastic is your fwend.

 

[True Blue]

Copper is NON magnetic. However 22mm copper pipes will need to move as they expand / contract with the heat produced. Unprotected copper pipes in concrete are prone to corrosion due to the
acidic properties in the concrete. This is normally overcome by
bandaging the pipes in greased tape (such as Denzo), this keeps the pipes from
contacting the concrete.

Or you could use the plastic pipe...............

PS No question is ever daft.

 

[Anonymous]

i have plastic pipes under concrete floor with no problems would go for larger pipes if poss though, pain to get cables in and out without plenty of clearence

 

[The_Lhc]

Sounds like plastic it is then, I just wondered whether it'd act like another layer of shielding, no worries.

 

[VoodooDoctor]

Can I suggest leaving a piece of string in the pipe as well in case you need to replace the wire in the future?

 

[Anonymous]

String is the future!