How close is it safe to have HDMI cable to socket ring-main cables?

[Per]

My HDMI cable for the PJ goes in between the ceiling of the lounge and the bedrooms above. It runs near to the socket ring-main, however in doing some electrical works, my sparkie has had no choice but to run part of the ring main very close to the HDMI cable - 30mm to 60mm.

Is this too close? What is safest minimum distance? I'd prefer to get this right before the floor goes back down, and I don't have the HD kit or PJ yet to test, so once the floor is down, the HDMI cable will be where it will be.

Any advice/comments?

Cheers

[EatMeCool]

First thing I'd say is don't ask for electrical safety advice on the internet..

However, your electrician installed it and he obviously thinks it safe. O tend to agree. Air has a conductivity of a million volts ++ per meter so even 30mm would require the mains to be carrying at least 30,000Volts AND have no insulation on either wire. The the HDMI cable would also have to be earthed.

The only issue is crossing wires at 90degrees could induce a small current, but you would have to do it hundreds of times for it to be noticeable.

So, there is no safely issue whatsoever as far as I can see. In fact you can put the wires side by side without a problem.

[Per]

Cheers - it wasn't a matter of safety, more of whether there might be any interferance from the electirc cables on the HDMI cable (I installed the HDMI myself - don't generally touch ring-main electrics!)

I take your point tough - the better the insulation the lower risk of any conductivity.

Cheers

[EatMeCool]

Its only if you cross the wires that will interference happen. Side by side its not a problem. Also, 50Hz being so pervasive, I would expect its screened out of HDMI anyway.

[albriscoe]

I agree with EMC here Per, cross em at 90 and maybe you`ll get a problem but if its a good quality HDMI cable you`ll be fine.

I might add that I would test the cable before laying the floor though if you haven`t already, they have been known not to work at all and don`t think the maunfactureres test them all before the pack them as they don`t

Al

[Per]

Cheers Al and EMC

The HDMI and the ring main do cross at 90degrees - no choice, but I will move the HDMI so it is further away from the biggest bunch of mains wires.

I agree with you on testing, and don't quite know what to do - don't want the kit here getting dusty. I guess I can defer putting the floor down for a bit longer - maybe closer to the end (or before we have to move back into the rooms where the floor is up (in bit's, not in total).

Cheers