joint box buried

[dangermouse]

theres is a 3o amp joint box in my kitchen wall joining ring main ive red thats bad practice will it be alright its been there 4 yrs

 

[Damocles]

How did you find it? All junctions must be accesible. Sounds like you have just succesfully accessed it.

Feel lucky. might have been chockbloc surrounded by cardboard and plastered.

 

[dangermouse]

under the plaster notice due to renovating kithen i dont need acces to it what shall i do

 

[dangermouse]

How did you find it? All junctions must be accesible. Sounds like you have just succesfully accessed it.

wot would of happened had i not noticed it

 

[andy]

u mite need access to it and not kno were it was

 

[dangermouse]

u mite need access to it and not kno were it was

no was the joint box dangerous under the plaster

 

[Damocles]

Assuming it was not full of plaster I would say it was getting along just fine. Electrically it should work there just as well as anywhere else.

The best solution would have been to replace the cable so that a junction was not needed. Perhaps this was impractical, or someone couldn't be bothered.

Anyhow, the issue is whether in future it will be possible to get into the box if you need to change something. If it is in a plain wall, will you mind if a sparks needs to get into it and hacks a hole in your wall? If I was re-doing my kitchen I would not bury a box unless I had no choice. Better to change it, even just to having a box screwed to the wall behind a unit. I would not want it to disappear behind my lovely new tiles. If it was already behind my tiles then I might be inclined to leave it be and maybe I would never have to move it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

wot would of happened had i not noticed it

u mite need access to it and not kno were it was

Did you two have the same English teacher at school?

Or are you one and the same person, exchanging half witted comments with yourself?

 

[dingbat]

If I was re-doing my kitchen I would not bury a box unless I had no choice.

It is, quite simply, contrary to the wiring regulations to have inaccessible junction boxes. Reg 526-04-01 states;

Except for the following, every connection and joint should be accessible for inspection, testing and maintenance:

'the following' includes compound filled, encapsulated, welded, soldered, brazed and compression joints. Screw connections are notably absent and in the eyes of the NICEIC even junction boxes under removable floorboards are considered inaccessible. Whether or not that is too restrictive in practice is debatable but as far as giving DIY advice is concerned there is no choice when it comes to burying JB's in plaster.

 

[Damocles]

There is a difference between burying a box, and discovering one someone else buried.

In the first case you are creating a fault. In the second you are choosing whether or not to rectify an existing one.

 

[dingbat]

I fully accept that. I was just using your comment as a starting point for clarifying the regulations. Having discovered a previously buried box doesn't mean you should bury it again and pretend you never found it.

 

[Damocles]

No, but as I was kinda trying to imply, I would consider carefully my course of action. If I was working for someone on their electrics, then I would point out to them that it was a problem. Like I said, last time I found one of these it was wrapped in cardboard, not a junction box. This one is at least properly enclosed.

If i was smashing the kitchem about already, then I would sort it properly. On the other hand, if the kitchen was in good decorative order and sorting it would make a right mess, then I think this is a fault which could afford to wait a bit. Maybe quite a big bit. It is not an immediate danger. People do not normally have to open junction boxes.

 

[plugwash]

If I was re-doing my kitchen I would not bury a box unless I had no choice.

It is, quite simply, contrary to the wiring regulations to have inaccessible junction boxes. Reg 526-04-01 states;

Except for the following, every connection and joint should be accessible for inspection, testing and maintenance:

'the following' includes compound filled, encapsulated, welded, soldered, brazed and compression joints. Screw connections are notably absent and in the eyes of the NICEIC even junction boxes under removable floorboards are considered inaccessible. Whether or not that is too restrictive in practice is debatable but as far as giving DIY advice is concerned there is no choice when it comes to burying JB's in plaster.

so what if you filled the jb with potting resin before putting it back?

 

[Damocles]

It would probably dribble down the wall?