Old UK wiring

[peebles32]

Just moved into a late 1980s house with the old black and red wiring. Discovered a double socket which has 2 red 2 black and 1 sleeved earth but also 2 unsleeved copper wires twisted together just before I get a local electrician in I'd like to know where the 2 unsleeved wires would have gone (socket was removed and blanked off)

 

[littlespark]

The bare conductors should also be sleeved in green/yellow.

We’re the 2 reds and 2 blacks connected together in the socket? If so, they should be connected together here too. Red to red, black to black.

If this is how you’ve found it, I’d strongly advise getting an electrician in, as connecting something up which has been disconnected for whatever reason could cause a danger elsewhere.

Taping up the ends is also not a good idea. They should be in a connector.




Last time I was in Peebles, I got stung by a wasp….

And about a dozen of his friends!

 

[peebles32]

The bare conductors should also be sleeved in green/yellow.

We’re the 2 reds and 2 blacks connected together in the socket? If so, they should be connected together here too. Red to red, black to black.

If this is how you’ve found it, I’d strongly advise getting an electrician in, as connecting something up which has been disconnected for whatever reason could cause a danger elsewhere.

Taping up the ends is also not a good idea. They should be in a connector.




Last time I was in Peebles, I got stung by a wasp….

And about a dozen of his friends!

Haha thanks for your reply; the socket front had been removed completely...the sleeved earth wire is connected to the back box....

 

[littlespark]

both bare conductors, like I say, shoul be sleeved and connected to the one joined to the back box.
That’s the earth connection, and should be joined together for safety.

Example… if those reds are live (very likely!) and the tape fell off… the live conductor within the red may touch the metal box. Without the earth wire connected, that entire box is live, including the screws that would be holding the faceplate on.

The bare conductors should be joined to the main earth back at the fuse board.
Then that live fault would go through the box, down the earth wire (which we call a cpc) into the main earth…. Creating a dead short circuit there resulting in blowing a fuse, or tripping off a circuit breaker.

Speaking of which… can you show a photograph of the fuseboard, meter, and any other equipment. We can probably tell you by the state of it whether further works need done.

 

[Risteard]

There's also a very high probability that this formed part of a ring final circuit, and disconnecting these conductors has introduced a potential hazard.

 

[peebles32]

There's also a very high probability that this formed part of a ring final circuit, and disconnecting these conductors has introduced a potential hazard.

Many thanks will try to get a picture of the consumer unit etc later but it looks fairly up to date (we had our previous house rewired completely a few years ago and it looks very similar....)

 

[littlespark]

There's also a very high probability that this formed part of a ring final circuit, and disconnecting these conductors has introduced a potential hazard.

Not enough info.

It could be a ring, or part of a radial…. But it might have been disconnected for a reason… just not done properly.


If no local sparks are available, I know one not a hundred miles away…..

 

[peebles32]

Not enough info.

It could be a ring, or part of a radial…. But it might have been disconnected for a reason… just not done properly.


If no local sparks are available, I know one not a hundred miles away…..

ok it was disconnected because the idiot previous occupiers installed a huge freestanding woodburning stove and had fireproof plasterboard etc fitted over the socket(and an adjoining TV socket)we have just had the stove and plasterboard and stone plinth removed as it was improperly installed and a fire hazard..many thanks for your help I appreciate it!!

 

[brianmoooore]

Are there any sockets in the house that don't work?

 

[brianmoooore]

Not enough info.

It could be a ring, or part of a radial….

I've just asked if any sockets in the house don't work to try to get an idea about this, but my money's on a disconnected ring.

 

[peebles32]

I've just asked if any sockets in the house don't work to try to get an idea about this, but my money's on a disconnected ring.

No everything else works fine.....

 

[brianmoooore]

Do you have a non contact voltage tester (volt stick)?

 

[peebles32]

Do you have a non contact voltage tester (volt stick)?

No but I'm going to order one just now

 

[brianmoooore]

No but I'm going to order one just now

They are a very useful tool, but they have their limitations.
They are useful for indicating that something might be 'live', but under no circumstances, should they be used to indicate that something is definitely NOT 'live'.

 

[Risteard]

Not enough info.

It could be a ring, or part of a radial…. But it might have been disconnected for a reason… just not done properly.


If no local sparks are available, I know one not a hundred miles away…..

Yes it absolutely could be a radial, but given the age I suspect that a ring is much more likely.

 

[littlespark]

So it looks like diy Dave has disconnected the socket to fit in his badly installed stove.
Yes very likely a ring, but was just giving options.

If that’s how the cables were left, then you’ve technically got 2 x radials… the ends of both stopping here. If it’s still the original 32A breaker or 30 fuse, then it has been a potential danger all this time.

Those taped up ends are very likely to be live. Please be careful, and turn off the power if its being worked on.

It really needs to be made safe though.