Redundant cable.

[John sankus]

Evening all.
I'm replacing the electric shower in bathroom with mixer shower.
I've already taken out the shower unit, the water feed pipes and the pull-cord in the ceiling that switched it on and off, but now have about 6m of cable in the loft where one end is attached to MCB and the other is free, dangling over some beam up there.
There is currently no power to the cable as I switched off the particular MCB that supplies it beforehand (obvious I know, but some may ask...) but I would like it gone permanently. I can replace the MCB with a blank to save accidents... The main box itself is high up and enclosed, so the chance of someone accidentally turning the switch back on is slim, but I'm still a tad concerned - bare wires give me the heebie-jeebies...
Is it an easy (safe) job to remove the cable from the MCB myself, is it a big enough job to get sparks in, or should I just snip the cable in the loft and stick a blank on the end?
Your opinions and expertise would be much appreciated - thank you

 

[Mottie]

Is it an easy (safe) job to remove the cable from the MCB myself,

Just one screw for the live, one for the neutral and one for the earth. Leave the MCB in place.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Just one screw for the live, one for the neutral and one for the earth. Leave the MCB in place.

Really depends, on how competent, and confident the OP is.

It would be fairly easy and safe, if the OP's installation includes a main isolator, before the consumer unit.

 

[Murdochcat]

I would buy a suitable junction box, terminate the cable into it in the loft and secure it . Then you have a circuit to the loft ready for future use

 

[John sankus]

Thanks guys. The main issue with the cable is that the box is above the front door .. it's a bungalow so the roof space is extremely small at that point, and there is no way I'll get to it.
There are plug sockets and switches etc in the loft... Spider-infested place... I'll have a think...
This is the main box, btw...

 

[Murdochcat]

OP - you had access to disconnect the shower / switch - can’t you get to where the switch used to be from above ?

 

[SUNRAY]

I would buy a suitable junction box, terminate the cable into it in the loft and secure it . Then you have a circuit to the loft ready for future use

Seems like the most obvious solution to me, label something like "Ex shower".

 

[sparkwright]

Why don't you just connect a double socket to the end of the cable in the loft?

It will come in handy one day.

 

[SUNRAY]

Why don't you just connect a double socket to the end of the cable in the loft?

It will come in handy one day.

...There are plug sockets and switches etc in the loft...

Also a sensible suggestion

 

[John sankus]

OP - you had access to disconnect the shower / switch - can’t you get to where the switch used to be from above ?

Imagine a roof, pointy at the top, sloping downwards. Imagine a fat sod who weighs 17½ stone and has a broken leg trying to make his way through gaps, in beams and joists, narrower than his waist towards the (very) thin end of the wedge, which is where the cable comes through ceiling into the box...
The shower and the switch on the opposite wall that supplied it with power were easy enough to disconnect, then jumped up into the loft and pulled the cables up - but those were near the centre of the loft space, in the pointy bit where I can stand up... The junction box is by the front door. Unless I disconnect it there, I won't be able to get to it...

 

[Adam_151]

, then jumped up into the loft and pulled the cables up - but those were near the centre of the loft space, in the pointy bit where I can stand up

If you have pulled the cable back to the centre of the loft where there is space to stand, then fit the JB on it there?

... The junction box is by the front door. Unless I disconnect it there, I won't be able to get to it...

So don't put it above the front door then, put it where there is plenty of space

 

[Ragnar_AT]

There might have been a misunderstanding. It doesn’t matter if there‘s an existing junction box somewhere. Just fix a new one to a joist where the cable ends and that‘s it.

 

[ebee]

Make the cable safe but still around for future use.
My concern is that, as I understand it, you just switched the MCB off and did not check it before removing the N for that circuit too.
Proper testing with proper equipment and using proper procedures is paramount. Yes I know you will more often get away with it but if things go wrong it can, and sometimes does, do far more than just bite you in the bum, so take care you don`t become one of the unlucky ones.

To end up (safely) with a cable made off correctly in the loft at one end and also made off correctly in the consumer (and all conductors of that one circuit connected to E) would be the ideal solution.
If you get an electric shock it is not solely electrocution (Electrical Execution) that you need to worry about but also the uncontrolled unexpected harsh twitch when up the loft, above stairway etc could cause death/injury by a small/large fall.

 

[John sankus]

Make the cable safe but still around for future use.
My concern is that, as I understand it, you just switched the MCB off and did not check it before removing the N for that circuit too.
Proper testing with proper equipment and using proper procedures is paramount. Yes I know you will more often get away with it but if things go wrong it can, and sometimes does, do far more than just bite you in the bum, so take care you don`t become one of the unlucky ones.

To end up (safely) with a cable made off correctly in the loft at one end and also made off correctly in the consumer (and all conductors of that one circuit connected to E) would be the ideal solution.
If you get an electric shock it is not solely electrocution (Electrical Execution) that you need to worry about but also the uncontrolled unexpected harsh twitch when up the loft, above stairway etc could cause death/injury by a small/large fall.

I switched the trip switch off, yes, and after checking the units were no longer operational, I removed them.
I'm obviously missing something important here - I have no wish to injure myself.
What more should I do if I wish to change light fittings or remove redundant static equipment other than switch off the power?

 

[John sankus]

If you have pulled the cable back to the centre of the loft where there is space to stand, then fit the JB on it there?


So don't put it above the front door then, put it where there is plenty of space

Perhaps my terminology is wrong... the panel with all the mcb's that controls all the electrics in the house is what is above the front door...