Cable in bathroom - advice please

[VapourSnow]

Am replacing the carpet in my bathroom (not with carpet!).

When lifting the old carpet, I found a cable, which comes up through the floorboards under the sink, runs along the floor and into the boiler room. Lifting the old carpet in the boiler room to follow the cable, and found what you can see in the below image!

View media item 44994
I think it is for the burglar alarm, as the cable runs up and into the wall, where the secondary control panel for the alarm in the bedroom is.

FYI I know where the telephone cable for the upstairs is, so I don't think it is anything to do with that.

Am I correct that this is for the alarm?

Any suggestions on why the cable sheafing has been cut open and the wires stuffed into the wall please?
And why there are exposed cut wires?

Suggestions on best and safe way to fix please.

Thanks

 

[chivers67]

My guess is the cable coming out the wall has no slack so someone has bodged joining it together. A joint box preferable accessible should be used but without much slack you'll need to run a new cable - at least one.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GPJB1.html

 

[madman41]

That box is IDC terminal and therfore not suitable for joining stranded type cables , that box is used for joining solid core, yes it is alarm wire.

Use one of these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Junction-...otn=21&pmod=280756542616&ps=54#ht_1459wt_1139
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• madman41
• 12 Apr 2012
• 1

Thanks Dyson

 

[VapourSnow]

Thank you for the advice.

I have disconnected the incoming cable that comes from the main alarm panel.
However the cable that runs up the wall still seems to be attached to something in the wall, and still has power.

The main alarm panel, which is downstairs, is powered up fine.
It is on the same circuit breaker as the upstair lighting.

Would a secondary panel also take power on a separate connection from its connection to the main alarm panel?

 

[securespark]

The RKP get its feed from the control panel or end station.

How are you testing to check whether power is still present in the cable?

 

[VapourSnow]

With a multimeter.
I've taken the skirting off, and where the cables went into the wall, there is a third cable going into the wall, which has power.

You are correct, the installation manual for the alarm only shows a 4 wire connection directly from the control panel to the RKP, there is no mention of anything else being wired in along the way. Any ideas what this could be please?
And what to do about it?

Thanks

 

[Alarm]

What voltages? DC ? AC? Levels?
Any resistances on the rest?

Have you looked in the main panel? Traced everything?

 

[VapourSnow]

Thanks, traced connections.
Cable from wall is from the main panel (which is why it has power).
The cable that goes along the floor (that I incorrectly thought was from the main panel), goes to two PIRs.

I want to re-wire properly. Would it be ok to extend the cable that comes out of wall by soldering a new 8-core on and covering all conenctions with heat shrink?

If so, the cable from the main panel would then be long enough so I could then put in a junction box to connect the 3 cables.

 

[Alarm]

You may do as you wish.
How will what you propose allow the correct laying of the new flooring?

Have you considered maint free junction boxes?
Have you considered a new cable run under the floor?

Just mentioned as some here fell a good soldered jointing is not to any standard.

 

[Alarm]

For "fell" read FEEL.

 

[VapourSnow]

Thanks Alarm.

Have soldered extension on, and all working.

I will still need to re-route the cable from the 2 PIRs, to allow the correct laying of the new lino, as you correctly say. Though at least I can now route to a sensible place.

A new cable run under the floor would I think be quite a lot of work, since whilst I know the cable goes to the 2 PIRs, I don't know the route it takes. If I can just re-route that section, then I think my problem is solved. Am I missing something?

 

[Alarm]

No.
Just make sure the new joints are well soldered and insulated and you know where they are in case you need to trace back or extend in the future.