Just uncovered this monstrosity hidden behind a kitchen cabinet

[jordanlm5]

Renovating my kitchen in my new house. Removed a wall cabinet in the kitchen to find this absolute mess. Now besides the obvious duct tape, lack of face plate, connector blocks, and ignorance of zones, what am I looking at here?

The property has 5 circuits:
30A socket circuit
30A Cooker circuit
5A lighting
15A water heater circuit

All the wiring in this mess pictured is 2.5mm T&E. There are two legs in the top right of the backbox, one leg at the left of the backbox, and one leg leaving the backbox going under the tiles.

 

[Murdochcat]

Kitchens, in my experience have more dodgy wiring than anywhere else in the typical home.

Given you are noting 15 and 5 a breakers then you need to budget for a new cu

 

[jordanlm5]

Kitchens, in my experience have more dodgy wiring than anywhere else in the typical home.

Given you are noting 15 and 5 a breakers then you need to budget for a new cu

It's definitely on the to do list this year that's for sure.

 

[sparkwright]

As far as cable zones, it may be ok - as the concealed part of the 'newer' cable is less than 150mm from the corner - if the tiles are 6 inch ones.

The easy, common sense way would be to invest in a 20mm grommet, some earth sleeving, some 5 way wagos, and a single blank plate.

But if you're fitting new cupboards and tiles, then you can easily do this 'properly'.

 

[blup]

Does the double socket below extend the ring or is there just the one cable going in?

 

[jordanlm5]

Does the double socket below extend the ring or is there just the one cable going in?

The wire you see going under the tiles goes to the double socket below. I'm assuming this was originally a single socket outlet on the ring main which has been removed when the kitchen cabinet was installed. They then spurred to the double socket under the tiles.
I just don't know why there is 2 legs coming from the top of the back box. I know the leg to the left of the backbox leads to another socket in the living room, then you have the surface leg going to the double socket, but why the two legs to the top.

Perhaps this was the first socket on the ring main so you have one cable from the CU coming in from the top of the backbox, then a cable going upstairs from the top of the backbox?

 

[blup]

The wire you see going under the tiles goes to the double socket below. I'm assuming this was originally a single socket outlet on the ring main which has been removed when the kitchen cabinet was installed. They then spurred to the double socket under the tiles.
I just don't know why there is 2 legs coming from the top of the back box. I know the leg to the left of the backbox leads to another socket in the living room, then you have the surface leg going to the double socket, but why the two legs to the top.

Perhaps this was the first socket on the ring main so you have one cable from the CU coming in from the top of the backbox, then a cable going upstairs from the top of the backbox?

The ring main would have cable in cable out plus the spur to the double socket below, added at some later point, or just as a matter of design/convenience at the outset.

 

[jordanlm5]

The ring main would have cable in cable out plus the spur to the double socket below, added at some later point, or just as a matter of design/convenience at the outset.

Yeah so cable in, cable out, spur = 3 cables. There's 4 cables, the spur cable, one cable coming in the left of the backbox and 2 cables coming in from the top right of the backbox

 

[SUNRAY]

One of the options; originally a ring or radial circuit, with power in to a single socket with an out to the remainder of the circuit and a spur.
Now the socket has been moved to a remote double is appears to have become a ring or radial circuit, with power in to a single socket (carp) junction box with an out to the remainder of the circuit and 2 spurs.




Useful answers from you; what are your plans (cupboards? tiles?) and where do you want sockets

 

[Taylortwocities]

The property has 5 circuits:
30A socket circuit
30A Cooker circuit
5A lighting
15A water heater circuit

Sorry to be pedantic. That seems to be less than five?

 

[Notch7]

Sorry to be pedantic. That seems to be less than five?

 

[jordanlm5]

One of the options; originally a ring or radial circuit, with power in to a single socket with an out to the remainder of the circuit and a spur.
Now the socket has been moved to a remote double is appears to have become a ring or radial circuit, with power in to a single socket (carp) junction box with an out to the remainder of the circuit and 2 spurs

Sorry to be pedantic. That seems to be less than five?

Haha, there's 2 x 5A lighting circuits (upstairs & downstairs)