Urgh... drilled through a cable

[opps]

Customer purchased some BO Concept furniture. They assembled it but refused to hang it to the wall. I loosened the two 2 gang sockets on the wall and checked the directions that the cables ran in. The customer warned me that the builders had previously put the socket for the wall mount TV in the wrong place and vaguely pointed to where it had been. 2nd hole I drilled tripped the RCD and MCB. Turns out that the builders decided to run a cable at 15 degrees to the vertical with absolutely nothing to indicate that there is a cable in wall.





I flipped the RCD and MCB and the sockets have power again. I guess that the drill bit hit the earth and live simultaneously. I have no idea if I have completely wiped out one leg of the ring. I guess I could remove the left socket in image number two and remove the cable running to the one on the left and then see if the left socket still works.

I am thinking that I might get an electrician in to run proper tests. How do I cut through the surface mount channel without damaging the cable further? I was thinking of using an oscillating saw. I can enlarge the hole to the left but do want to go any further to the right.

Advice much appreciated. Tnx.

 

[Wayners]

Chase out plaster from socket to ceiling.
Run new cable with a junction box tucked in the ceiling or lift upstairs floor.
Make it vertical straight up wall to meet regs.
Fill. Paint.
Do everything yourself but get electrician to wire and test.
Won't cost much. £100 tops if you got it all ready for electrician. Well that's what I think. Couple of hour's money plus travel and bits. In saying that, maybe a bit more these days....

 

[Taylortwocities]

Run new cable with a junction box tucked in the ceiling or lift upstairs floor.

Must be a maintenance free junction box

Do everything yourself but get electrician to wire and test.

Good luck with finding anyone who will take on the responsibility of certifying work done by a third party.
Everybody I know have 50% more work of their own than they can cope with.

 

[sparkwright]

How big is this Bo Concept (whatever that is) furniture that is fixed to the wall?

Are you able to cut in two single back boxes, with a new piece of cable in between, with two single black plates?

To remove some of the plastic capping, try pulling the edge of the capping away with long-nosed pliers, but don't pull in a way that you will pull the plaster off unnecessarily.

 

[sparkwright]

Chase out plaster from socket to ceiling.
Run new cable with a junction box tucked in the ceiling or lift upstairs floor.
Make it vertical straight up wall to meet regs.
Fill. Paint.
Do everything yourself but get electrician to wire and test.
Won't cost much. £100 tops if you got it all ready for electrician. Well that's what I think. Couple of hour's money plus travel and bits. In saying that, maybe a bit more these days....

That's a lot of damage, chasing from socket to ceiling.

 

[JohnW2]

Do everything yourself but get electrician to wire and test.

Good luck with finding anyone who will take on the responsibility of certifying work done by a third party.

What was described would be a lot of work/damage but, if an electrician did all the "wiring and testing", what would that leave the electrician "responsible for" that he/she should not be "responsible for"? (obviously not the chasing and making good)

 

[Wayners]

About an hour to pull that plastic cable cover off exposing the damaged cable and clean up. Often after hiting plaster as you pull plastic cable cover it comes away easy.
When fixed some PVA.
Fill chase. I'd buy a couple of boxes or toupret power for £20. Sand and paint.
I don't think its a big or difficult job.

Don't know how else to fix other than dump silicone around cable damage and fill over.
That's the standard bodge for damaged cables

 

[opps]

Chase out plaster from socket to ceiling.
Run new cable with a junction box tucked in the ceiling or lift upstairs floor.
Make it vertical straight up wall to meet regs.
Fill. Paint.
Do everything yourself but get electrician to wire and test.
Won't cost much. £100 tops if you got it all ready for electrician. Well that's what I think. Couple of hour's money plus travel and bits. In saying that, maybe a bit more these days....

Thanks but I don't see how chasing up to the ceiling will help. The (potential break is about 600mm off the ground). It is part of the ring in a newly wired property. There should not be any inaccessible (non MF) junction boxes in the ceiling, or elsewhere.

 

[sparkwright]

How do we know the damaged cable even goes to the ceiling?

Could it come from the two sockets low down?

It seems like the damaged cable(s) were intended for the TV, and got plastered over.

Have a look in the two sockets - you never know, it may be that the cables come from here.

 

[Mottie]

I did that once many years ago - drilled through a cable leading to a spur in an airing cupboard. Luckily it went to a junction box under the floorboards so I only needed to pop out and get 1m of 2.5mm cable.

 

[johnny2007]

I always warn customers of the risk of drilling through cables and pipes and discharge my liability.
If previous workers installed cables outside safe zones I don't see why I should be the one picking up the bill for repairs.
Happened twice in my time and customers were understanding.
To the point, you might be lucky and find that they've used cable protectors, the plastic flat kind.
Sometimes you can pull through a new cable without chasing anything.
Check if you can move the cables from between the 2 access points (sockets?).

 

[Wayners]

@opps

So the only way to repair cable is to replace point to point, or join at damaged spot with accessible blanking plate?

Story..
Curtain company hit the mains water pipe that went up the side of the lounge window to upstairs when they drilled for a fixing bracket.
Was main pipe in and was run upstairs and back down to utility room. Very odd...
Was a new house. Customer had only moved in a few days before. What a mess with water damage.

 

[EFLImpudence]

So the only way to repair cable is to replace point to point, or join at damaged spot with accessible blanking plate?

No. Soldered joints are acceptable for burying in the wall.

 

[Taylortwocities]

No. Soldered joints are acceptable for burying in the wall.

So are MF junction boxes. But, as the OP has revealed the cables are out of done, that basic problem needs fixing first.