closing/blocking off electrical wiring in bathroom - help!

[harry2142]

having trouble closing off electrical wiring in our bathroom. I want to remove a light fitting entirely and have a smooth wall.

I took down the light fitting (which has integrated razor socket), and changed the wires over so that the blue and red wires went into a 15amp choc block. I taped over the earth with electrical tape but left it not connected to choc block.

However when I turned the fuse box switch back on it tripped out and the red wire is now singed.

The fuse box is wylex, the light fitting is on a 6amp ring of 13 other fittings with 1.5mm cable size

Getting an electrician in to do a proper fix but what can I do in the meantime to get the lights back on?!

any help much appreciated

 

[Softus]

I took down the light fitting (which has integrated razor socket), and changed the wires over so that the blue and red wires went into a 15amp choc block.

Haven't you simply connected the live and neutral wires together?

If so, you've created a 'dead short', which is a very low resistance connection that allows a high current to flow - much higher than is safe for the wires carrying that current, so the protective device has acted.

However when I turned the fuse box switch back on it tripped out and the red wire is now singed.

Hm.

Getting an electrician in to do a proper fix but what can I do in the meantime to get the lights back on?!

1. Connect the red wire to one terminal in a new choc block.
Connect nothing else to that terminal.

2. Connect the blue wire to a different terminal in a new choc block.
Connect nothing else to that terminal.

3. Connect the earth to a third terminal in a new choc block.
Connect nothing else to that terminal.

4. Never, ever, touch electrics again until you're learned more about it.

 

[Adam_151]

If you want to end up with a smooth wall, then the only option is to find the other end of the cable and disconnect it there (or at least follow it back enough that you can cut it and cap the part thats connected to the supply in an accesable location)

No amount of choc blocks (correctly connected or not) is going to be acceptable, because a, choc blocks buried in plaster simply cannot be allowed, and B, because without a fixture the 'safe zone' that the wire runs in disappears!

 

[harry2142]

thanks for the help guys, sorted now, knew it was just a school boy error.... just off to rewire my local old peoples home... not!

 

[davy_owen_88]

Make sure you read and understand Adams post... You can't just leave the choc-blocks in the wall and plaster over them without disconnecting them from the source.

 

[Softus]

No amount of choc blocks (correctly connected or not) is going to be acceptable, because a, choc blocks buried in plaster simply cannot be allowed, and B, because without a fixture the 'safe zone' that the wire runs in disappears!

Make sure you read and understand Adams post... You can't just leave the choc-blocks in the wall and plaster over them without disconnecting them from the source.

Did you guys not read what the OP said?

Getting an electrician in to do a proper fix but what can I do in the meantime to get the lights back on?!

 

[davy_owen_88]

To me that implies he's made a mess of it, and has called in a spark to sort the problem. His original intention may have been to put the cables in choc-blocks and plaster over them before the whole situation went t*ts up so Adam was just making sure he realised that. The OP's response after Adams comment sounded very much like he skipped the parts he didn't like so I felt it necessary to point them out again.

If I misinterpreted his post was there any harm in making sure?

 

[Softus]

No. Fair play.