Re-connecting cut telephone cable

[petek]

My nextdoor neighbour has just been round to ask about re-connecting the cable to his telephone extension, which he has inadvertantly cut. He doesn't want to replace the whole length of cable as it takes a circuitous route under floorboards, stair cupboard and round door frames etc from the hall up to the bedroom.

I looked in the TLC and Screwfix catalogues which I happened to have to hand, but couldn't find anything in the way of a connector box which looked suitable.

I have suggested he tries just an ordinary chocblock with the appropriate number of ways, and connects the corresponding wire colours together. Appearance doesn't matter as it's in the cupboard underneath the stairs where he made his erroneous cut!

Any reason why this shouldn't work? Is there a better way of doing it

- e.g. a purpose made connector?

TIA

Pete

[Andrew Gabriel]

What type of phone cable (internal wiring, internal flex, external wiring, fly wire, ...) and is there any slack which can be pulled into the join?

[Broadback]

There are special connectors that BT use, I don't know if you can buy them. I have just used a chocolate block which will be fine in the dry.

[petek]

I haven't asked him but I believe it's just bog standard extension cable that you could buy in any DIY store for internal use. There is plenty of slack apparently. He told me it was 5 way, but he may be mistaken and it's actually 6 way.

Cheers Pete

[SantaUK]

Go into City Electrical Factors and buy a 8 way junction box for an intruder alarm system, and just reconnect the pairs.

[<me9]

You need the little plastic 'pusher' (or the proper tool) to fit the wires.

A chock block should work anyway, but this would be more reliable.

[petek]

Thanks - I must have overlooked this in my TLC catalogue. I'll wait and see how he gets on with the chock block first and if it works then all well and good. IME IDC's are a pain in the bum and very easy to c*ck up. Old fashioned screws are much easier.

Thanks for your help.

Pete

[The Natural Philosopher]

It will be fine for voice. Not so good for broadband, but not bad.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Well, it will either be 4 or 6 core, probably with a rip cord. You need to get something like this:

can probably get something similar in Maplin. There are also punchdown types which are more professional, but if you haven't used punchdown before and have not got a punchdown tool, then I suggest getting a screw terminal type.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Choc block will be fine. Keep the blue/white and white/blue together - adjacent terminals in the block - with a gentle twist between them in an attempt to keep the balance feature of that pair intact.

[<me9]

I'd disagree on that. But I have the proper tool. The 50p plastic ines are fine, but of limited life. TLC will have them.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Probably the easiest to get hold of, would be an extension socket and just use that as the joint - choc block would be fine though if he doesn't mind the look of it.

[Andy Dingley]

Repair with telephone cable and appropriate junction boxes. You might be lucky (if there's slack) and just use one, but you'll probably need two junctions boxes and some spare cable.

These parts are now sold on every high street, so there's no excuse for not using them. Equally the punchdown tool - the "one job" plastic ones are under a quid, so don't be tempted to use a screwdriver.

Use IDC (punchdown) connectors and solid core phone cable. Don't use choc block or stranded alarm cable - you'll get problems with it long term, especially with ADSL. Screw terminals are for use with stranded, IDC for solid core - mixing them is a bad idea.

The circuitry is just a quick bit of web searching. Easy.

[robert]

As a quick easy fix, just strip the cable back on each end and twist the appropriate conductors together, then insulate. Its not carrying any high currents and will have no effect on speech or even broadband.

Just be careful the cores dont get nicked and snap.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I think this is potentially dangerous. Such a joint dos NOT have the microwelds the screws or crimpins will make, and surface oxidation will eventually result in a nice rectifying oixide joint..in short bugger all broadband, some distortion, and like as not crackles when the joint oxide arcs over.

AND you will have to pay BT 150 quid to fix what they will instantly diagnose is 'your fault'

Its ok for a quick bodge in an emergency, but the cost of doing it properly is so small, I see no point.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Twisted connections were the norm for telephone cabling.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Not any more...with broadband..and they were probably done a bit more systematically. You CAN get decent connections with twisting like e.g. wire wrap.but it has to be done right.

These days its crimp solder or IDC for permanent, screw for impermanent. And self cleaning plugs and sockets for detachable many times..

[Frank Erskine]

According to my pal who works for Openreach, there are still thousands of twisted joints in regular use all over - and used for broadband!

[petek]

Feel free to comment further on the merits of various jointing methods, but the chocblock solution has been fitted and is working fine. Thanks to everybody who has provided advice, I never thought it would provoke so much discussion!

Pete

[Andy Dingley]

Of course it will. The problem is _how_long_ it continues to work for.

Cabling problems involving vast numbers of hard-to-find and frequently inaccessible joints have to take the long view.