How to deal with a redundant cable?

[GMM]

A 'theoretical' question, because I had to take it out entirely anyway, but what's the right thing to do with the end of a redundant cable when you remove a socket/FCU etc? I know taking the whole thing out is best but sometimes that's not simple. And if it was part of a ring,crimping the free ends together would maintain the circuit but what about an old spur? I've seen it done with insulating tape, and have winced at the sight (I'd guess that self-amalagamating tape would be a bit better but still not ideal). There must be a tidy and safe way to do it, if only a crimp connector with some way of insulating the 'open' end? Suggestions welcome, ready for when the occasion arises(!)

[The Medway Handyman]

Interesting question that, I'd like more info as well from those knowledgeable chaps that hang around here.

Most common way I've seen seems to be choc blocks with or without tape. Ive also found the 'twisted together with insulating tape' method & also winced.

An insulated crimp with the facility to have two conductors in one end and one in the other would seem to me like a good idea, but I don't think they exist. I wonder why? It would make a lot of jobs easier & safer TMM.

[Frank Erskine]

On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:16:54 -0700 (PDT), GMM had this to say:

If it's a spur, the only satisfactory way is to disconnect it at the spur point, i.e. where it leaves the ring, and either recover the cable entirely or chop it back as much as possible.

[gazz]

could you not put a junction box on the end of the cable?? terminates it safely, and if you want to re-connect to it later you can, mark on the box lid where the cable comes from to help the next person in the house would be a good idea too,

[John Rumm]

As you say, with a ring you would rejoin the two segments when removing an accessory.

With a spur, it is better to isolate the feed to it if possible (i.e. find where the spur comes from and disconnect there as well). It is ok to leave the cable itself in place if it is difficult or impossible to remove.

When you are not able to isolate the feed, then the live end needs to be made off safely in a suitable enclosure such as a junction box.

What you should avoid doing is leaving live cables embedded in walls that are not within the expected cable zones (i.e. inline with a visible accessory, or within 150mm of a corner or wall ceiling junction). Adding labels / notes is obviously handy to help future maintainers when doing something non obvious.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If it's a spur, the connections to it should be accessible by regs - unless it is crimped or soldered which is *most* unlikely. Most will be fed from another socket. So disconnect it there.

If you really can't I'd treat it as a non accessible connection and use crimp connectors insulated overall with heat shrink. However if you're removing the fitting will it be obvious there is cable in the wall etc? If not it *must* be disconnected or protected from nails etc.

[dmc]

I'll get my coat...

Darren

[meow2222]

I think heat shrink alone would be as effective, cutting the 3 cores to slightly different (short) lengths so the ends wont meet.

NT

[Rod]

When I first saw wirenuts mentioned here, several years ago, I was reminded of having seen them way back. At the time I though that all they did was protect a) people from sharp wire ends and b) wire ends from plaster, plus giving a touch of protection in case someone accidentally made a newly installed wire live. So they were really strictly temporary.

Totally amazed when the stories about them started to be posted.

[The Medway Handyman]

You often see those on American/Canadian TV DIY shows, always wondered what they were about. The Wikipedia article

says they are not permitted on UK installations whys that?

What were the stories? Can't see anything in the archive.

[Rod]

Don't know where you are looking (obviously), but:

Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious onset. Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Cut the cores to different lengths, fold them back on themselves along the outer, then apply tape over the top.

[GMM]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who didn't know...though now we have no excuse for not doing it properly, having read the erudite responses this brought ;-)

I've often thought a few alternative configurations of crimps could be useful, although I guess one that had a double on one end and a single on the other would need a non-standard crimper. Presumably though, if you join two cables to one, there might be some implications in terms of current capacity, with no fcu in the way. (I'm sure that's not always the case though, just can't think of a good example on a Sunday evening!)

[GMM]

My house seems to be riddled with diagonal runs, installed, by the look of things, when it was built 40-ish years ago. I guess the fact that they are all covered with galvanised capping makes them ~sort of~ alright, although that was part of the reason why I removed the redundant cable that led to this question (that, and the fact that it provided an outlet in a small cloakroom - just seemed easier to be done with it). It makes guessing the route of a cable a lot more fun......

[David Hansen]

On Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:05:43 -0700 (PDT) someone who may be GMM wrote this:-

At one time there was nothing to outlaw this.

[John Rumm]

Your bog standard butt connector crimp does in fact allow you to do just that if you pick an appropriate size. So for example a blue one will usually take wires up one end (oh err!). The thing to watch is if selecting one to take multiple wires on one end, that you do not end up with a solitary wire at the other than is undersized for the crimp and you don't get a good crimp as a result. (you can always double up the end in extreme cases)

[Slider]

Are you referring to Holmes on Homes any chance?

[The Medway Handyman]

I was, but I've also seen them on This Old House with our Norm.

[<me9]

I was investigating the wiring in a friend's house recently. One of the things I found was that the ring circuit was not, and never had been. Investigating I found a back box buried in a stud wall, with two 7/029 T&E neatly coiled up (complete with sheath) and plastered over. This was part of the original build. I wonder /what/ testing was done on the original (13th edition?) installation.

Suprisingly the (PVC) wiring was otherwise in good condition apart from one length of a red non PVC braided cable feeding the outside light, which was a later addition, and a cowboy installed outside floodlight (installed by ecilop approved alarm installer -- alarm cables were joined by twisting under carpets!). Lights not up to current standards, due to lack of CPC, and I found that instead of using loop through ceiling roses, screwits had been used to join the lives. I've a photo somewhere to put on a wibble at some time.