Terminate live feed from tiled floor?

[Vigman]

Hi newbie here. Actually I'm a chartered electronics engineer but am often mystified by the dark magic of domestic wiring!

I have a kitchen counter fed by a live feed which comes up through a quarry tiled floor. I want to move the counter and disconnect that feed. I obviously don't want some form of termination on the floor so not sure what professionals would do here?

I can only think that the tile the cable comes through will have to be chipped out and a cavity made in the concrete screed below before fitting some sort of termination that can be covered by a new tile?

Any help or advice welcomed

TIA

Vigman

 

[Strima]

You need to find the source, normally fed from a nearby socket so isolate your socket supply for the kitchen and start looking for feeds from sockets normally exiting the bottom of the backbox.

At a push you might be able to remove the kick boards and see if a cable drops down the wall and disappears into the floor.

 

[Taylortwocities]

As per Strima. Leaving live cables and terminations in a floor is a recipe for a disaster.
Is it just one cable, or two? What does/did it power?

 

[Vigman]

Thanks for the quick reply. I remember the cables for the counter sockets were run in trenches in the concrete screed before coming up inside the counters. There are a lot of sockets in the kitchen where the feed for the counter sockets could be from.

Would it be ever be possible to safely terminate the live feed below floor level and then tile over?

TIA

Vigman

 

[Pete999]

Thanks for the quick reply. I remember the cables for the counter sockets were run in trenches in the concrete screed before coming up inside the counters. There are a lot of sockets in the kitchen where the feed for the counter sockets could be from.

Would it be ever be possible to safely terminate the live feed below floor level and then tile over?

TIA

Vigman

Joints in circuit cables nee to be accessible joining the cables and tiling over the joint is a far cry from being accessible.

 

[Octopus]

^^ best avoided.

Do you have any test kit?

 

[Taylortwocities]

He’s a chartered electronics engineer.
Bet he’s got an oscilloscope in the garage, and an Avo7.

 

[Pete999]

He’s a chartered electronics engineer.
Bet he’s got an oscilloscope in the garage, and an Avo7.

Oh right thanks for that information, we can all rest easy now then.

 

[Midwest]

Would it be ever be possible to safely terminate the live feed below floor level and then tile over?

No.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Thanks for the quick reply. I remember the cables for the counter sockets ...

That sounds like it's part of an RFC.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Chop up the floor where the cable comes out. Carefully.

You will then be able to determine the direction that the cable comes from. It will probably be run in a straight line to the wall. From there it will probably (but not always) be connected into a socket vertical from that point.
You may see it emerge from the floor if you remove the kickboards.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Is it just one cable, or two? What does/did it power?

 

[Vigman]

Thanks everyone. I will have to find the feed and disconnect there.

I'll still have to chip the tile out round the cut dead cable coming out of the floor in order to get a finish.

Vigman

 

[SparkyChick]

Thanks everyone. I will have to find the feed and disconnect there.

I'll still have to chip the tile out round the cut dead cable coming out of the floor in order to get a finish.

Vigman

As @Archy Styrigg points out here...

That sounds like it's part of an RFC.

If there are multiple cables, it could indicate the sockets form part of a ring circuit. You should not simply disconnect them in this case as it could create a major safety issue (read, potential overload, fire and certain doom).

A good indicator would be if the counter sockets have two cables in each, with one cable coming up from the floor, daisy chaining through the sockets and then another going back into the floor.

 

[Anthony S]

Employ an Electrician is the best advice so can not believe people are offering advice over the forum with out even seeing the work in question. No wonder the industry is in such a mess, should of said the domestic side of it.

 

[Vigman]

I believe that the sockets on the counter are simply on a spur under the floor from a wall socket that is in line with the counter. There is a single feed so not a ring. I did actually help the electrian run the cables in the cottage (as I have laid miles of Cat5 in difficult spaces) but that was over 35 years ago.

I do agree with using professionals if in any doubt and I have used a plumber and electrician for all major and legal works.

Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to get professionals to take on small jobs in our area which is why some people take risks that I wouldn't.

Thanks to all who replied

Vigman

 

[DPG]

Are you going to disconnect this cable at the point at which it is fed from?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Are you going to disconnect this cable at the point at which it is fed from?

Have I imagined this?: any disconnected cables should be Earthed.

 

[DPG]

But he was talking about not even disconnecting them. Just connecting to a jb under floor.

 

[Vigman]

My original post was to query whether you can ever terminate a live feed under the floor which has been answered as a clear "No"

If this is simply a spur from the wall socket to the counter socket surely there is no problem in disconnecting the spur cable?

Vigman

 

[Taylortwocities]

If this is simply a spur from the wall socket to the counter socket surely there is no problem in disconnecting the spur cable?

The only problem is identifying the correct conductors.
When you have disconnected them, you need to make the ends safe, at the supply end. Putting them into an earthed terminal on the back box is the best way. - as alluded to by Archy.

 

[Octopus]

Is there nobody on here in Oxford ? Could the OP be more precise?

 

[Midwest]

Is there nobody on here in Oxford ? Could the OP be more precise?

He is above you ^^^. I'd like to help, but I'm busy changing light bulbs now

 

[Vigman]

Thanks everyone. I can't be more precise until the cupboards are clear and circuits can be checked before any disconnection of the counter power sockets.

Because of severe arthritis I can't get down on the floor and grovel about so my big hope for a DIY solution was to somehow terminate the power socket cable below floor level which I understand is not possible.

I'll get the area cleared and then ask for professional help.

Very useful forum!

Vigman

PS If anyone wants advice on IT especially networking and PCs/laptops then feel free to PM me.