making safe

[philrosenberg]

Hi everyone
I'm back to ask another question of you all.

I've got a plasterer coming round later this week to skim my lounge and hallway. So that he can plaster round the sockets I need to take the faces off but want some advice on how to make everything safe.

I do have two radial sockets (one in the kitchen and one in a cupboard) not on the ring main, so I could remove the fuse for the ring and the lighting leaving the two sockets that can be used for any tools they need and the kettle. If I told the plasterer what I'd done and not to put the fuses back then is this a sensible solution?

This has made me wonder if there are any ways that people would consider safe to temporarily terminate exposed conductors. I had wondered about placing the conductors in junction boxes, but they aren't long enough. Would terminating them in chock block and wrapping in tape be a sensible solution or would that be a bit fragile (obviously if some idiot decided to poke through the tape with a screwdriver he could reach live terminals).

Cheers for any help or suggestions

best
Phil

 

[Steve]

Take the fuse out, and hide it somewhere if you're going out. If you have to, provide temporary power for the plasterers in the form of a bulky extension lead from a socket that works. Chances are, they'll need power outside for their drill when they mix the plaster, but they'll have their own extension for this.

Just check the sockets are dead, then remove the faceplates. Make sure to let the plasterers know not to fill in those square holes! (its been known)

 

[philrosenberg]

cheers crafty.
Glad to get a second oppinion, especially where other peoples safety is of concern.

Ta

phil

 

[didthathurt]

I use good quality freezer bags, take the socket screws out and bag the socket and wires completely using cable ties to secure the bag around the wires (that's after it's all properly isolated!!). I find this is most likely to allow me to return after the plasterers or painters and reset eveerything with the minimum of fuss.

 

[TicklyT]

I would whip the fuses out, check everything is dead, remove the sockets etc. and tape up the ends of the wires then push them back in the boxes out of the way (Don't want the wet plaster corroding the ends of the wires)

If you then stuff the back boxes with newspaper or similar, flush with the top of the box the plasterer isn't trying to work around wires sticking out of the wall.

Then, when they do get plastered over it's easy to find them again (tap them and they sound hollow) and chop them out again, as there's just a thin skim of plaster over a wad of screwed up paper.