Literally 'joining cables within walls' is much more iffy. However, having joints in a backbox behind a visible blank plate is fine.
Move Socket 2 Feet - Acceptable to Join Cables In Old Wall Box?
- Thread starter ReganAndCarter
- Start date
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A maintenance-free junction box should be OK though, as long as all cables are within safe zones.
Theoretically, yes, but I personally would not want to literally 'bury' any sort of JB, 'maintenance'free' or not (e.g. buried in plaster)
... as has been discussed, they probably would be in the OP's case but, more generally, they might not be (e.g. 'extending horizontally' from what had been a vertically-fed socket position. Again in the OP's case, since it's going to be hidden behind a kitchen cabinet, so I can see no reason for not using the 'blank plate' approach.
... or leaving the socket there.
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Yep, I almost suggested that - but, if it's a ring that the OP wants to extend, that would involve some additional connections within the socket's back box - much the same as with a blank plate!
As I understand it.
Using wago connectors or similar inside a generic electrical enclosure (such as a back box with a blank plate on it) is fine, provided they will remain accessible for inspection.
OTOH if you want to make the old position dissapear completely rather than having a blanking plate, life gets more tricky for a few reasons..
1. Spring-loaded connectors in a generic box are not an approved method for inaccessible joints. Afaict to count as a "maintinance free junction box", the box and terminals must be approved as a combination. You could crimp or solder in a generic box, but that has it's own issues.
2. All the maintaince free junction boxes I've seen are designed for fitting in a building void, not for burying in plaster.
3. If you obliterate all evidence of the accessory then you can't really argue that the associated safe zones are safe anymore.
Generally as a result of this, if you want to get rid of an accessory and don't want to leave a blanking plate behind you should re-route the cabling from the floor or ceiling void.
Indeed so. ... or, as has been said, simply leave the socket (which will be hidden behind a cabinet) there.
Whilst everything you go on to write is true,it's not really relevant to the OP since,even with the backplate, it is effectively going to 'disappear completely', because it will be behind a kitchen cabinet. However, in relation to others who might actually want to completely 'lose' n accessory ..(whose previous location IS going to remain visible ....
That's true,although I don't really understand why the manufacturers do not describe, and mark, the connectors themselves as 'MF'. It's surely the connectors themselves that determines whether they feel (rightly or wrongly!) that the joint does not need to be accessible for inspection & testing, regardless of what enclosure it's in. However, they don't
True. Maybe not even in a box if adequately insulated. It's just me, but, if it has to be done, I would personally be more comfortable with (
properly) soldered joints, in a box, than with either crimping or an 'MF' JB!
I can't remember whether the manufacturers say anything about this but, as I wrote ...
It's a bit more fundamental than that. If the accessory that was the only thing creating the 'safe' zone is removed, there is no longer any 'safe' zone for people to argue about
However, in cases like the OP's there is no problem in 'obliterating all evidence of the accessory' if some other accessory (in his case, the new, moved, socket) still creates a relevant 'safe' zoneAgreed - unless, as above, something which will still be visible creates a relevant 'safe' zone.
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