cut cable found

[gaz1011]

Hi first post im not a qualified electrician but know my way around electrics .the problem i have is i have just moved into a new house i have been up the loft this evening and found the 2 halves of cable chopped and taped up now im presuming these cables were supposed to be joined and by the thickness of the cable im presuming its a ring main .question is do i join the cables together or just leave as found ???????

 

[sjhall]

Could be a shower feed taken out, pull sw maybe... hard to tell from pic

Get somone in to advise

 

[gaz1011]

you maybe right as the cable is located above bathroom and bathroom has been refurbed the shower is now off mains with mixer tap...
do i just leave alone???

 

[Darkwood]

I take it you didn't have a electrical survey done before you accepted the house, that aside their isn't anyone on here that can tell you what the cables do but only wild guess, what you need is a test done on your electrics this will identify what these cables are and whether they are undermining the safety of the installation, so really id can only suggest having an inspection done; if you've found this then who knows what else. Knowing your house and family are safe is worth every penny spent on an inspection.

 

[Andy78]

I wouldn't be joining anything to anything unless you can verify where the cables come from and go to, and the effects of joining them together. Are you gonna make a loose end live somewhere ? Why was it disconnected in the first place ?

 

[gaz1011]

thanks for the replies looks like saving a couple of months wages to have a inspection done.im 99% certain now that this is from an old shower so im presuming one of these ends are live as i dont think it would have been disconnected from the cosumer unit what with what i have been finding

 

[Darkwood]

as mentioned its hard to gauge cable size from pic, but relative to that floorboard id say its no bigger than 2.5 if not smaller, this would mean its unlikely to be a shower supply, but again its all random guess work and have already given your best course of action, but until then dont do anything with them.

 

[sjhall]

6 or 4 mm is my guess and as its in the loft, unlikely to be a ringmain unless its a bungalow.

 

[Adam W]

thanks for the replies looks like saving a couple of months wages to have a inspection done.im 99% certain now that this is from an old shower so im presuming one of these ends are live as i dont think it would have been disconnected from the cosumer unit what with what i have been finding

How can you be so certain it will cost "a couple of months wages"? Have you even called around for estimates or do you just assume that 'us lot' are out to 'rip you off' even after giving you free advice?
This is the reason I wouldn't do domestic work.

 

[Des 56]

It could be 2 ends of a ring and consequently mean that the ring legs are now vulnerable to overload with inadequate protection, in a worst case scenario they could become a real time and "more expensive than a test" fire hazard

Follow the advise given to have an inspection and pay for what could be a very large money and safety saving action

 

[Silly Sausage]

How can you be so certain it will cost "a couple of months wages"? Have you even called around for estimates or do you just assume that 'us lot' are out to 'rip you off' even after giving you free advice?
This is the reason I wouldn't do domestic work.

OK, possibly be a slight exaggeration, but he could be on minimum wage, so shelling out for an EICR could well be a huge expense for the lad.

 

[72-van]

I would hasten to add that i am not a qualified spark .either ;hovever to my untrained eye it looks like top quality gaffa tape round those ends .
If they are "live" then they should be contained with much more respect.I bet if you asked nicely one of top real sparks that contribute to the forum might swing past if they are local to you at a very sensible cost. why not list your home town.

72-van

 

[GLENNSPARK]

well if this is a redundant cable that hasn`t been disconnected at the origin of supply then its another example of crap....out of sight out of mind maybe here?....

 

[Adam W]

OK, possibly be a slight exaggeration, but he could be on minimum wage, so shelling out for an EICR could well be a huge expense for the lad.

If his wages were that low, he wouldn't be able to afford a mortgage on a house so it would be his landlord's responsibility.

 

[Des 56]

OK, possibly be a slight exaggeration, but he could be on minimum wage, so shelling out for an EICR could well be a huge expense for the lad.

I'm not sure the mechanic who failed my car on the mot today (because of its brake pipes) took that into consideration
Safety must be assured

By all means he can do this himself,but he must first find out what those cables are,and where and how to safely correct it
That understanding is generally a costly excersise in training for a spark

In the end its his decision,but his problem could not and will not be solved on a keyboard