The previous owner has removed the shower and taken it with them before moving out and has left the 10mm Red+Black t&e sticking out of the wall.
Question 1:- What do we do from this point and why?
1:- Basically we need to make sure that this cable is not live and is safe to work on. Lets think about the circuit itself:- It draws power from the C/U, local isolation from a pullcord/switch and feeds a shower unit. See if the local isolation switch is on or off (if it shows you without power). Go to the C/U and see if there is a circuit marked up as downstairs shower or any 40A mcb’s. If you cant locate the mcb, ask permission to turn off the main Isolation DP switch at the C/U for the house, lock off and hang notice.
With an “approved Voltage indicator or test lamp” as recommended in HSE Guidance Note GS38. The test instrument should be proved to be working on a known live source or proving unit before and after use. With caution test L-N, L-E and N-E of the bare ends of wire from the cable. Should be dead but you never know. Now place each wire in a 60A terminal block ensuring a good safe connection, better than leaving bare cables hanging around and we will need it later.
In this case the redundant 10mm t&e has been disconnected from the C/U and just place on the floor underneath the C/U with a note on it "Not in use". Very nice of the person that disconnected it but at the end of the day, we are electricians, WE DONT GUESS, WE TEST.
At the C/U end, same as above, test these ends. All show dead, this is looking to be the other end of the cable but we need to confirm that.
With a single 60A terminal block (just for the size really) connect L-E at the C/U end. Go to the shower room and place test probes on L+E terminations block to test for continuity using a “low resistance Ohm meter”. If you get a reading great! You have found the cable but we need to confirm this so disconnect and test again, should get open line.
If you don’t get a reading on the first continuity test, take off your probes, switch on at the local isolation pullcord switch and test for dead again before doing anything else, it could be fed from another source and at this moment in time we do not know????
OK we have found the start and end of the mystery shower cable, well done. If this shower room was no longer going to be in use/changed to another function or a shower was not going to be put back in we need to terminate the ends (already done) and put into the correct type of enclosure for the room/environment at both ends.
Question 1:- What do we do from this point and why?
1:- Basically we need to make sure that this cable is not live and is safe to work on. Lets think about the circuit itself:- It draws power from the C/U, local isolation from a pullcord/switch and feeds a shower unit. See if the local isolation switch is on or off (if it shows you without power). Go to the C/U and see if there is a circuit marked up as downstairs shower or any 40A mcb’s. If you cant locate the mcb, ask permission to turn off the main Isolation DP switch at the C/U for the house, lock off and hang notice.
With an “approved Voltage indicator or test lamp” as recommended in HSE Guidance Note GS38. The test instrument should be proved to be working on a known live source or proving unit before and after use. With caution test L-N, L-E and N-E of the bare ends of wire from the cable. Should be dead but you never know. Now place each wire in a 60A terminal block ensuring a good safe connection, better than leaving bare cables hanging around and we will need it later.
In this case the redundant 10mm t&e has been disconnected from the C/U and just place on the floor underneath the C/U with a note on it "Not in use". Very nice of the person that disconnected it but at the end of the day, we are electricians, WE DONT GUESS, WE TEST.
At the C/U end, same as above, test these ends. All show dead, this is looking to be the other end of the cable but we need to confirm that.
With a single 60A terminal block (just for the size really) connect L-E at the C/U end. Go to the shower room and place test probes on L+E terminations block to test for continuity using a “low resistance Ohm meter”. If you get a reading great! You have found the cable but we need to confirm this so disconnect and test again, should get open line.
If you don’t get a reading on the first continuity test, take off your probes, switch on at the local isolation pullcord switch and test for dead again before doing anything else, it could be fed from another source and at this moment in time we do not know????
OK we have found the start and end of the mystery shower cable, well done. If this shower room was no longer going to be in use/changed to another function or a shower was not going to be put back in we need to terminate the ends (already done) and put into the correct type of enclosure for the room/environment at both ends.
