Tiling over a back box

[Fredxxx]

I have a single gang back box on a wall I want to tile with wiring that originally went to a heater via a switch.

The heater is long gone, and the wiring is now disconnected.

I can get a blanking plate but what should I do with the cable in the back box. It is nigh impossible to remove the cable and so I'm wondering how I should terminate it. I was thinking of simply using a connecting block to make certain the cable remains "stood off" and so insulated from the metal box and blanking plate.

Is there a preferred way of doing this?

[harry]

It should be identified and cut off at the other (source )end in such a manner that it can't be reconnected. Then it doesn't matter what you do.

[newshound]

That's the ideal solution, but TBH it seems a bit OTT to me (unless it is easy to do). Since it's not carrying load, surely you don't need choc bloc screws to be accessible. If it were me, I don't think I would even use a proper blanking plate; I'd put a bit of tinplate or ally inside the box, and flush tile over the lot. Assuming the circuit is on an RCD, there's virtually no risk to anyone who hits the now completely concealed wire with a drill or nail. I guess if it was in a "location likely to be drilled in future" I would keep the blanking plate.

[spuorgelgoog]

At the supply end join all the wires in the cable together and connect to earth; sleeve and label accordingly.

Likewise at the back box end common them together and connect to the earth terminal on the box.

This prevents the cable becoming live inadvertently as if it does the protective device will trip.

Then tile over the box with a pretty tile that meets Management's aesthetic demands.

Owain

[Fredxxx]

Many thanks for the suggestions.

That does sound the best solution, and did have in mind labelling the source end accordingly.

[Roger Mills]

I would strip the outer sheath back a couple of inches, leaving the insulation on the live and neutral wires. Then cut all the conductors off at different lengths, fold then back onto the sheath and tape round the whole lot. Nothing bad will then happen, whatever happens to the other end of the cable.

Rather than a blanking plate, cut a piece of hardboard to be a tight fit

*inside* the box, push it in against the screw lugs, and then just tile over the whole lot so that nothing is visible.

[dennis]

Wouldn't it be safer to join them together in an insulated connector and not connect them to the box? Then if some fool connects the live before connecting the earth at the supply end nothing will become live (like the box and wall).

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If you can find the supply end, why not just disconnect and hack off where it enters the CU?

[ARW]

If you know where the souce end is then just cut both cables back as far as you can so that they cannot be reused and fill the backbox with any old s**te you like and tile over it.

[tabbypurr]

Does s**te form a firm enough substrate for tiling?

NT