Is this electrical work in my loft dodgy???

[DIYNotIan]

Hi all

I've been doing some work in the small loft above the utility room at the back of my house recently. The consumer box is in the utility room, so all wiring for the house goes through the small loft.

Whilst up there, I noticed this:

//www.diynot.com/network/MaxDread/albums/


The red tape says that the connection is for the boiler. Is it OK as is or do I need to do something to make it a bit harder and/or safer? If so - what do I need to do please?

Also, whilst posting - I was wondering what the best advice is regarding wiring in loft and fibreglass insulation. Should I lay cabling on top of the insulation or is it possible for it to run sandwiched between my existing loft insulation and the top up insulation which I'll soon be adding?

Cheers for any advice

Max

 

[STI]

Its not good To join this if using terminal strips each connection should be securely placed in the terminal strip. It looks like your earths are just twisted together ? Then as the current regs require that the cables joints cannot be put under stress the terminal strips should be enclosed in a choc box

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Accessories_Index/Connector_Strips/index.html

This secured safely too.

Run your cables above the insulation, sandwiched in it or under it will derate your cables.

Is this wiring going to your central heating boiler or immersion heater boiler. Are the cables correctly sized and in the former are they going to a fused spur correctly fused.

Do you know how to ensure the cables are safely isolated just in case the red label is a lie!
Why was it joined in the first place has the boiler been moved ?

 

[JohnD]

that chocblock

Untitled

• DIYNotIan
• 1 Dec 2010
• 1

should be in an enclosure. You can get one specially made for the job called a chockbox

Or you could make something up witha junction box, or a white plastic surfcace enclosure with blank cover. Screw it to something so it is not flopping about.

edited: oops, too slow

Cables should not be buried in insulation as they overheat (more info is available). They are better exposed to the air on at least one side.

 

[PrinceofDarkness]

That messy joint can be reterminated into a standard small 20A joint box which wouldn't need 'strain relief' for the cables because the joint box would be fixed and the cables would be clipped if installed properly.

According to 'STI', "Current regs require that cable joints cannot be put under stress": This is nothing new, and certainly not a recent current Reg. It's always been a requirement since the 'Regs' began, that cables and their terminations should be adequately fixed. Such joints in roof spaces rarely come under strain - not when compared with a hand-held appliance clearly in need of a cable/cord restraint.


Lucia.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

I'm actually going to be building a bit of a sub-floor now in the loft, and as such, all the wiring in the loft (including this dodgy choc block) will be out of harms way...... running in between the two floors.

As the dodgy block will be out of harms way, does it still need addressing? And if so, would there be any chance of a step by step what to do guide for a DIY novice such as me.... Would be extremely helpful.

Thanks again

Max

 

[bernardgreen]

As the dodgy block will be out of harms way, does it still need addressing?

If it is dodgy then it needs addressing.

And out of harms way under a timber sub floor ? The harm is that one or more screws in the dodgy block become loose and the terminal becomes hot enough to ignite something under the sub floor ( like saw dust ).

 

[ban-all-sheds]

...all the wiring in the loft (including this dodgy choc block) will be out of harms way...... running in between the two floors.

If you have any screwed joints in cables they must remain accessible.

There's no definition of "accessible", but a commonly held view is that if you mark the positions of junction boxes on the floor above, and provide an easily removed hatch or panel then that'll be OK.

 

[tonyelectric]

Or replace any screw type boxes with 17th edition junction boxes (Ashley) that are classed as maintenance free therefore don't require access.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

holmslaw - now that your inappropriately worded refutation of my advice has been removed, perhaps we could try again, only this time with you being a little more rational in your arguments against it.

AFAICT it contains 3 pieces of advice - maybe you could explain which of them is/are wrong?

1. If you have any screwed joints in cables they must remain accessible.
   
2. There's no definition of "accessible",
   
3. a commonly held view is that if you mark the positions of junction boxes on the floor above, and provide an easily removed hatch or panel then that'll be OK.

What say you?