Ending a 'dead' cable

[jonshutt2]

Hi, above our window were two lights - they've never worked since I moved in - no current

I want to remove the light fittings and plaster over. I'm just wondering the best way of ending this cable - ideally I'd remove all the plaster and trace the cable back to it's other end - but this could a big job. Would it be ok to insert the end into chocbox and hide behind the plaster board or should I end in inside an blacked off back box so we know where it is in future?

 

[Taylortwocities]

You cannot use screw terminations if they are to be buried. And later on, if the wall gets damp your RCD is going to trip.
Put it in a back box with a blank plate over it.
But better to trace it back to its source and deal with it there.

PS you'll be looking for voltage, not current. There would only be current if the lights were on!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Before I say this:

Would it be ok to insert the end into chocbox and hide behind the plaster board

No.

or should I end in inside an blacked off back box so we know where it is in future?

Yes, and for the reason you suggest.

https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:walls​

how far from the ceiling are the lights, and which way do the cables run?

 

[jonshutt2]

Hi - cheers - I'll fit a backbox/blank cover. It's an old house with many hidden secrets so good to avoid adding more!

They're directly above a bay window - at some point I may have a look at removing some of the plaster board and adding more insulation - so I can investigate where the wires come from then.

And yes - voltage - not current! I used a voltage detector...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That may well not have worked properly - don't trust your life to it, turn off all the power when you fiddle with the ends of the cables.