Been redecorating my front bedroom, and at the weekend I "found" the junction box that ties in all the downstairs lights. A bit odd, as all the wiring is brought back to a single junction box.
However my problem is two fold. Firstly the earth wires are connected together outside the junction box using some terminal block. So in this respect it is clearly not complaint with the regulations and need some attention. I guess this was done because the box is too small to contain everything inside it. Inside it is all connected with more terminal block. For good measure it is just floating in free space.
However my second problem is that it is under a floorboard, so is potentially not "accessible" depending on what the definition of accessible is. I could do the same as I did in the loft by putting a larger box in, and terminating everything inside the box, but being under a floor board under a carpet could be construed as being inaccessible. That said you will always be able to lift the carpet and unscrew the floor board to gain access.
I would use the maintenance free junction boxes, but as there are several lots of cable to be connected, and only a single incoming mains I would need to string a whole bunch together as the biggest only does four terminals.
What is the "right" way forward?
As a side note I removed some of the original rubber wiring that had been left in when the house was rewired. Quite interesting to see how they did it back then. All the wires where twisted together with porcelain caps screwed over them. with cable grips to a junction box being lead grommets that where squeezed tight.
However my problem is two fold. Firstly the earth wires are connected together outside the junction box using some terminal block. So in this respect it is clearly not complaint with the regulations and need some attention. I guess this was done because the box is too small to contain everything inside it. Inside it is all connected with more terminal block. For good measure it is just floating in free space.
However my second problem is that it is under a floorboard, so is potentially not "accessible" depending on what the definition of accessible is. I could do the same as I did in the loft by putting a larger box in, and terminating everything inside the box, but being under a floor board under a carpet could be construed as being inaccessible. That said you will always be able to lift the carpet and unscrew the floor board to gain access.
I would use the maintenance free junction boxes, but as there are several lots of cable to be connected, and only a single incoming mains I would need to string a whole bunch together as the biggest only does four terminals.
What is the "right" way forward?
As a side note I removed some of the original rubber wiring that had been left in when the house was rewired. Quite interesting to see how they did it back then. All the wires where twisted together with porcelain caps screwed over them. with cable grips to a junction box being lead grommets that where squeezed tight.