Advice on wire sticking out of wall please?

[Bobbynoggles]

We are changing a bathroom cabinet and the old one had a cable on it which is coming out of the wall, I'm assuming it is for a light fitting in the cabinet (which it didn't have). Our new cabinet doesn't require any power so I'd like to get rid of the wire. The new cabinet will need to go on the wall slightly higher than the old one, as I'm well over 6 ft tall, however the cable will be in the way and so i won't be able to fit the cabinet as it won't sit flush to the wall. Is there anything i can do along the lines of snipping the cable, taping it off and pushing it in the wall so it sits flush to the surface. There doesn't seem to be any wiggle in it, in that i can't pull it or push it in.

Thanks.

 

[westward10]

Can you show a picture of the wire.

 

[littlespark]

Don’t go snipping away at it, it may be live.

if there’s no give in the cable, it must be plastered into the wall (brick)

It may be a live and neutral feed, or a switched live and neutral, comes on with bathroom light?

It may have already been disconnected at the other end, but no way of knowing without testing.

It may be visible in the attic above (?) you could follow the cable back and see if it’s still connected to anything.

 

[Bobbynoggles]

Can you show a picture of the wire.

Can you show a picture of the wire.

Don’t go snipping away at it, it may be live.

if there’s no give in the cable, it must be plastered into the wall (brick)

It may be a live and neutral feed, or a switched live and neutral, comes on with bathroom light?

It may have already been disconnected at the other end, but no way of knowing without testing.

It may be visible in the attic above (?) you could follow the cable back and see if it’s still connected to anything.

I was planning to switch off the power first. It has tape over the end which suggests it was live at some point. There is no loft space above but there is a shaver socket below which is live.

 

[westward10]

It cannot be pushed back into the wall and left if it is live. Your are best to get an electrician involved to verify if it is live and they will recommend a course of action.

 

[brianmoooore]

I was planning to switch off the power first. It has tape over the end which suggests it was live at some point. There is no loft space above but there is a shaver socket below which is live.

Have you looked inside the shaver socket? It might be wired back from there. Power off first!
If the shaver socket is actually below the cabinet, beware of the wiring to it when you fix the new cabinet.
The areas horizontal from the shaver socket, and those vertically above and below are known as 'safe zones' and no fixings should be made in these areas, but there's no guarantee the shaver socket has been installed correctly.

 

[Bobbynoggles]

Have you looked inside the shaver socket? It might be wired back from there. Power off first!
If the shaver socket is actually below the cabinet, beware of the wiring to it when you fix the new cabinet.
The areas horizontal from the shaver socket, and those vertically above and below are known as 'safe zones' and no fixings should be made in these areas, but there's no guarantee the shaver socket has been installed correctly.

 

[Bobbynoggles]

Is it an option to cut the cable, nearer the wall, and tape it off, then just chop out a bit of the plaster so I can press it back into the wall just enough to fit the cabinet? I don't mind too much if bit sits on top of the cabinet itself.

 

[brianmoooore]

NO!

 

[littlespark]

Is it an option to cut the cable, nearer the wall, and tape it off, then just chop out a bit of the plaster so I can press it back into the wall just enough to fit the cabinet? I don't mind too much if bit sits on top of the cabinet itself.

Only if it’s disconnected, cut out at the other end and have no chance of being accidentally energised.

Any old redundant cable should be removed from a building if not being used, but understand that would mean pulling it out the plaster.

Without knowing if it’s connected to anything, permanently or through a switch, we can only assume it’s live, in which case taping up the ends like it is now isn’t the right thing to do.

 

[DPG]

Is it an option to cut the cable, nearer the wall, and tape it off, then just chop out a bit of the plaster so I can press it back into the wall just enough to fit the cabinet? I don't mind too much if bit sits on top of the cabinet itself.

You really need to read the previous advice that has been given. Do not leave a live cable for someone else to find in the future!!

It needs isolating at whatever point it is fed from.