Hi,
I'd like some advice on an issue with my mother's kitchen electrics, which as I have recently discovered are not exactly up to standard...
She rang me to tell me she had heard some 'bangs' in the kitchen recently , and that the MCB for the Kitchen and Combi boiler had tripped on a couple of occasions.
I checked the consumer unit and everything seemed fine, but after putting the kettle on to help me think the sockets lost power, and a plug in tester showed a Live/Earth reverse.
Having checked the sockets, and tracked the ring cable, I pulled the cable out from the base of a kitchen wall - and discovered the problem! The guy who had installed the wiring had joined two pieces of cable with connector strips, loosely wrapped in some flimsly plastic and jammed down the gap with mortar piled on top. This wall has just had a new damp course because it was dripping, and so was the connector block! One of the pieces of cable, presumably lying against the block, was practically burnt through - with half of one core remaining to carry current.....
I've rigged up a temporary connection having cut out the bad cable, and I need to investigate further under the floor as there is clearly another connection there (grey wiring in kitchen, white at CU).
My question is the best way to connect the cables, given that the area is damp and even with the new damp course may continue to be so.
My first through is to crimp the connections and then tape over to give some damp protection.
Another possibility if there is enough cable is to pull the older/white cable through and join it in a junction box on the wall behind one of the units.
Without running a whole new length of cable from the CU (which I don't see as essential since the white cable is in good condition and relatively recent) the main problem seems to be joining the cable in a way that protects against the damp and shorts, etc. I have found some waterproof connectors on websites, but only rated to 10A and everything else is mainly designed for outside.
Any thoughts, flames or general abuse welcomed
Regards
Gavin
PS. I am aware of Part P (completed my Domestic Installer course a couple of months ago) and also the need to have a sticker on the CU about using both cable colours - something else the installer didn't do.
I'd like some advice on an issue with my mother's kitchen electrics, which as I have recently discovered are not exactly up to standard...
She rang me to tell me she had heard some 'bangs' in the kitchen recently , and that the MCB for the Kitchen and Combi boiler had tripped on a couple of occasions.
I checked the consumer unit and everything seemed fine, but after putting the kettle on to help me think the sockets lost power, and a plug in tester showed a Live/Earth reverse.
Having checked the sockets, and tracked the ring cable, I pulled the cable out from the base of a kitchen wall - and discovered the problem! The guy who had installed the wiring had joined two pieces of cable with connector strips, loosely wrapped in some flimsly plastic and jammed down the gap with mortar piled on top. This wall has just had a new damp course because it was dripping, and so was the connector block! One of the pieces of cable, presumably lying against the block, was practically burnt through - with half of one core remaining to carry current.....
I've rigged up a temporary connection having cut out the bad cable, and I need to investigate further under the floor as there is clearly another connection there (grey wiring in kitchen, white at CU).
My question is the best way to connect the cables, given that the area is damp and even with the new damp course may continue to be so.
My first through is to crimp the connections and then tape over to give some damp protection.
Another possibility if there is enough cable is to pull the older/white cable through and join it in a junction box on the wall behind one of the units.
Without running a whole new length of cable from the CU (which I don't see as essential since the white cable is in good condition and relatively recent) the main problem seems to be joining the cable in a way that protects against the damp and shorts, etc. I have found some waterproof connectors on websites, but only rated to 10A and everything else is mainly designed for outside.
Any thoughts, flames or general abuse welcomed
Regards
Gavin
PS. I am aware of Part P (completed my Domestic Installer course a couple of months ago) and also the need to have a sticker on the CU about using both cable colours - something else the installer didn't do.