Help. Socket removal

[335-pilot]

I have been asked to remove a few sockets which are to be plastered over. It's part of the ring main so it would be easiest to connect them up box in tape up and plaster up.Is this ok? Is it the best practice? Can I do it a better way?Cheers

 

[mayfair]

if they are in the right box and joined well eg wagos why tape them?

 

[Deleted member 9648]

I have been asked to remove a few sockets which are to be plastered over. It's part of the ring main so it would be easiest to connect them up box in tape up and plaster up.Is this ok? Is it the best practice? Can I do it a better way?Cheers

Absolutely not.....apart from invisible joints in the wall,you will have live cables not in a safe zone....these sort of bodges are garanteed future problems. Pull the cables up under the floor and either use a suitable maintenance free joint box or rewire that section of the ring.

 

[335-pilot]

Sorry I'm newly qualified. Wagos? Was thinking of chocolate blocks and tape

 

[Singer]

Hi 335-pilot.
As you know all cables embedded in a wall feeding sockets, switches etc must be run in the safe zones - vertically or horizontally up or down or across from the accessory - but not diagonally - see regs for details.
If your cables feeding these sockets are embedded, you can assume(if they've been installed correctly) that the cables have been installed either horizontally or vertically from that accessory so you wouldn't drill or nail in those areas.
Take away the accessory and you have no indication that the cables are there and so run the risk of people nailing or drilling them in the future.
You can either replace them with blank plates thereby still retaining the safe zone indication or remove sockets AND cable by lifting floorboards and boxing.

 

[Singer]

WAGO's are brilliant - use them all the time!!!!!

 

[JUD]

Absolutely not.....apart from invisible joints in the wall,you will have live cables not in a safe zone....these sort of bodges are garanteed future problems. Pull the cables up under the floor and either use a suitable maintenance free joint box or rewire that section of the ring.

I'm with wirepuller on this one. If you remove the socket, you remove the safe zone it creates.

Sorry I'm newly qualified. Wagos? Was thinking of chocolate blocks and tape

Choc-blocks and tape is a very shoddy way of doing things. All connections should be made in a suitable enclosure.

 

[335-pilot]

So best way forward is totally remove all wiring and rewire ring? That is quite costly in time isn't it? I havnt seen the job yet but I will post back once inspected.

 

[Singer]

No that's not what's being said.
Pulling cables up from sockets and boxing under floorboards is hardly rewiring complete circuit - it's merely modifying what you have.

 

[JUD]

So best way forward is totally remove all wiring and rewire ring? That is quite costly in time isn't it? I havnt seen the job yet but I will post back once inspected.

You don't have to rewire the entire ring, just that section of the ring.

If the two wires entering the socket are coming from under floor or above ceiling, it's an easy fix. Just pull cables down under floor / up above ceiling and join in a choc-box or something. SIMPLES!!!

 

[Singer]

Sorry I'm newly qualified. Wagos? Was thinking of chocolate blocks and tape

WAGO's are maintenance free connectors.
If you terminate cables into a junction box and that junction box can't be accessed for maintenance ie under floorboards you must use maintenance free connections. WAGO's give you this option. They are incredibly simple to install - do all the connections first before you squeeze them all into the box - simple.

 

[mogga]

Your correct doing it properly as suggested by removing cablkes from wall and correctly joining or pulling in a new section of cable (Prefered option IMO) will be more expensive than a BODGE job but you willl sleep better having done a proper SAFE job rather than a cheap bodge unsafe job

 

[335-pilot]

Thanks chaps. I now have a plan. Either remove or leave blanking plates. Il have a look tomorrow night.

 

[tanglewood]

Hi, not even sure why your asking the question, any joins in cable must be accessible, quite a basic thing really. remove any accessories and you must make sure, usually by a blank plate that cables are run vetically or horizontally. That still doesn't change the point of ALL joins must be known and accessible.

 

[JUD]

Hi, not even sure why your asking the question, any joins in cable must be accessible, quite a basic thing really. remove any accessories and you must make sure, usually by a blank plate that cables are run vetically or horizontally. That still doesn't change the point of ALL joins must be known and accessible.

Apart from the exceptions described in 526.3.​