Connecting a bathroom cabinet to existing cable.

[abenn]

I'm decorating the bathroom, including replacing a stand-alone light-with-shaver-socket with a mirrored cabinet with the light and socket built in.

I've removed the old stuff, and am left with a pair of cables coming out of the wall, to which the old light-and-socket unit was directly connected.

The new cabinet has a flex, about 3ft long, for its power, so I envisage setting a metal box into the wall just above the new cabinet, which is where the cables emerge from the wall at the moment, and connecting the cabinet flex inside the box. Problem is I can't find the kind of connection device I envisage, which would be a flush face plate with a hole in the centre for the flext to enter through.

First off, is my proposal correct? Second, what is the face-plate-with-a-hole (and terminal block on its back) called? I presume I can't use a normal 13A plug and socket in that location.

 

[wingcoax]

What you are looking for is called an outlet plate.

 

[abenn]

Thankyou wingcoax. Now that I know the correct term, I can find several with Google

Confusingly (for me) the MK "Logic Plus 1-Gang 20A Flex Outlet Plate" doesn't have a hole in it for the flex, which is why I discounted it when I initially saw it. But I see others that do ...

 

[AdamCH]

I think you're describing a flex outlet plates / connection units:

You can get them with/without switches, with/without neon, fused/unfused, front exit / bottom exit for the flex:

http://www.discount-electrical.co.uk/section.php/108894/1/flex-outlet-frontplate

http://www.discount-electrical.co.uk/section.php/108891/1/13a-connection-units

 

[OwainDIYer]

The MK one has a flex outlet on its bottom edge so the flex emerges parallel to the wall instead of sticking out.

 

[abenn]

The MK one has a flex outlet on its bottom edge so the flex emerges parallel to the wall instead of sticking out.

Now that sounds logical, and a good idea.
I'm proposing unswitched and unfused (my main board has mcbs) because that's how the original unit was connected. Given that it's a metal cabinet, do current regs dictate one way or the other on the switch/fuse question? It will be solidly earthed, naturally.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Does the cabinet flex have a cpc(earth wire)?

 

[AdamCH]

I'd have thought you may as well take the opportunity to fuse it down to 3amp and have a double pole switch to help you fit & maintain it without switching the whole circuit off.

 

[ericmark]

You say two cables so first question is it a lighting or power circuit? Lighting normally 6A and although being able to isolate may be a good idea a 3A fuse will likely not blow with a fault before the 6A MCB. But with power having 32A MCB supplying a 1.5mm sq flex would be clearly wrong. If power the a FCU is really a must.

 

[abenn]

The cabinet flex has an earth wire.

Yes, there's two cables, with each of the individual wires twisted together. I assume it's part of a lighting circuit, but I haven't tested that.

I like the idea of a switch, but isn't that a no-no inside a bathroom, even though it's quite a stretch to reach it?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes, there's two cables, with each of the individual wires twisted together. I assume it's part of a lighting circuit, but I haven't tested that.

1) Electrical work on the basis of untested assumptions is a very unsound concept.

2) What did you turn off to make it safe to fiddle with?

I like the idea of a switch, but isn't that a no-no inside a bathroom, even though it's quite a stretch to reach it?

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:bathroom-zones

 

[abenn]

I was vaguely aware of those zones, and our bathroom is small enough that everything seems to be within the critical distance from the shower.

Anyway, thanks for your help. Rest assured I've contacted a professional electrician to do the job for me. I just wanted to get an idea of what's involved before I contacted him.

 

[weaver123]

I am in a similar situation, but the existing cable simply emerges from a hole in the plasterboard (this is a solid supporting wall). Do I need to retrofit a mounting box to accommodate a front plate, or do I just do a nasty chisel and rawl plug job?

Cheers

 

[weaver123]

For anyone interested, fitting a mounting box is described here. Sounds much easier than I first thought. I just have to take care not to disrupt the existing cable.

Cheers