Telephone wiring

[russ8585]

I've just brought a flat and I've run some new wiring for the telephone. I have run it in the following way:

I think the phone line is still active as I've received bills from BT in the mail for the former owner (sadly passed away). I tried plunging a basic landline telephone into the test socket on the master socket. I assumed if the phone line was still active I would get a dial tone. However there was nothing.

I'm wondering if I have made a mistake with the wiring or if the line is in fact dead.

Can anyone see any problems with the wiring I've done?
If not could there be another solution to the lack of a dial tone?
I've tested the phone itself and it works.
The original wiring was using the orange and white wires.

 

[chivers67]

I've only seen BT sockets with numbered terminals 1 to 6 - where 2 and 5 are used for TX and 3 for extension ringing. Have you a voltmeter? Should be 50v DC.

 

[russ8585]

No. I just have the black BT wire coming into the flat (4 copper wires inside: Orange, White, Green, Black). From there its wired into the BT80A junction box to convert it to the modern cable. I've run a 4 pair cable and used the Blue/white, White/Blue cable as I read that's the default ones to use.

 

[bernardgreen]

Wiring looks correct. Have you used the correct tool for "punching down" the wires into the IDC ( insulation displacement connectors ) terminals. Is the cable the correct type ( CW1308 solid single copper strand ) ?

As mentioned if you have a volt meter then check for 50 volts on the White and Orange.

 

[rsgaz]

What you've done is right, yes, but who are you intending to buy your phone line from?

If it's BT anyway, then they will get it all working for you when they come to activate the line.

They would probably get rid of the BT80a and put a master there instead. Then you are free to install a slave at the new location, connected to the lower half removable bit of the master.

 

[SUNRAY]

I've just brought a flat and I've run some new wiring for the telephone. I have run it in the following way:

I think the phone line is still active as I've received bills from BT in the mail for the former owner (sadly passed away). I tried plunging a basic landline telephone into the test socket on the master socket. I assumed if the phone line was still active I would get a dial tone. However there was nothing.

I'm wondering if I have made a mistake with the wiring or if the line is in fact dead.

Can anyone see any problems with the wiring I've done?
If not could there be another solution to the lack of a dial tone?
I've tested the phone itself and it works.
The original wiring was using the orange and white wires.

What you have there is totally normal and correct. Apart from faults I see nothing else that you can do.
By the way everything up to the master socket is the responsibility of the provider (BT) and according to them you should not be tampering with it.
If BT have not been informed of his passing and it has not gone into debt yet it will still be active and you will have the number on the bill, have you tried ringing it from your mobile?
If it rings out you should be able to short the orange and white wires together to trip the ringing but be careful it will give you a substantial belt.
Also check the black and green pair.

 

[russ8585]

I do have the number. I've called it and it just rings so I assume its the correct one. I used the correct tool to punch in the wires. Im pretty sure they've connected. Its hard to tell but there right to the bottom of the connection points. I used a BT80A as the BT phone wire comes into the bathroom :/ Before it had an older style of junction box.

Sounds like I need a volt meter or I could wire a master socket straight onto the black BT cable to test? I could also swap to the green and black? Im sure it was wired up to the orange and white before but worth a go.

 

[russ8585]

Does it matter which way the green and black go on?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Sounds like I need a volt meter

FFS of course you need a bl***ming test meter. The house may not be connected to the exchange anymore. BT may have reassigned the pair.
The number you are phoning may have been reassigned to someone else.


Go and get a test meter, you can get one for a fiver. Doing anything else, until you have determined you can see exchange battery, IS A WASTE OF TIME.

oh and PS

I could also swap to the green and black?

Don't be stupid. Those wires are hanging spare inside the local DP (the big green thing on the side of the road) where on earth do you think they might be connected?

 

[JohnW2]

... The house may not be connected to the exchange anymore. BT may have reassigned the pair.
The number you are phoning may have been reassigned to someone else.

All theoretically possible, I suppose, but I would have thought unlikely, given that the OP has told us that he continues to receive BT bills for the line addressed to the previous (now deceased) occupier of the property.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yes, anything’s possible, but a simple basic test might be a starting point.

What I don’t understand is that it’s BT/Openreach’s job to provide the basic service. that’s the first step.

 

[AndyPRK]

Was there a dial tone before u touched it

 

[rsgaz]

I could also swap to the green and black?

If those wires have ever been used (i.e. fax,second line,Redcare,etc), there will be evidence on the end of the wire, they will be stripped if they were under a screw terminal. Or if they went in an IDC slot, there will be a slight nick in the insulation about 5mm from the very end. If there is no evidence, leave them alone.

Does it matter which way the green and black go on?

No, but for future reference for others who may find this thread, the proper way is A=black, B=green.


With your new multimeter, put the red probe on A and the black probe on B, while set to the 200v DC range. It should read +48v DC.

 

[russ8585]

With your new multimeter, put the red probe on A and the black probe on B, while set to the 200v DC range. It should read -48v DC.

Thanks. I will try that

 

[bernardgreen]

put the red probe on A and the black probe on B, while set to the 200v DC range. It should read -48v DC.

Shouldn't that be +48 volt ?

The exchange battery positive is grounded at the exchange. At the exchange the A wire is connected indirectly to the battery postive and the B wire is connected indirectly to the battery negative

The A wire is positive relative to the B wire

The Orange is normally the B wire

http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html