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Replacing and blanking wall lights

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1 Jul 2025
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Hi.

I have three wall lights. Two of them I am replacing with new light fittings. The third I would like to semi temporarily remove the fitting and leave the cables safe (dont care how ugly it is as it will be behind a bookcase) until I renovate this room at some time in the next year. At which point I want to move the light about a foot to one side (which will require chasing out through the wall which is not something I'm able to do at this point).
The fitting I want to fully remove is *not* the last on the circuit. What do I need to do in order to make this safe whilst keeping the other two lights working? I had bought a basic junction box to just screw the wires into, wrap electrical tape around, and leave on or in the wall til I'm ready to refurbish. But that was before I realised it was not the last in the string.

Second question about the fittings I am replacing. I have an earth wire coming out of the wall which served the previous fitting. My new fittings do not have space for an earth. What do I do with the earth coming out of the wall?

Thank you!
1000061108.jpg
 
A single back box, a single blank plate and some 15 amp connector blocks.

The second question put the earths into a connector block if DEFINITELY not needed.
 
Thanks for the help.

Do i have to do the back box bit? As you can see the cable is just sticking out the wall. Do i have to cut out enough space for a full back box? Or can I just shove the connector block into the wall? (Appreciating that's not best practice.)
 
The second question put the earths into a connector block if DEFINITELY not needed.
The earths need to be connected together to provide continuity of the cpc in the cable.

At which point I want to move the light about a foot to one side (which will require chasing out through the wall which is not something I'm able to do at this point).
Ok. From the photo, the c as bled for the wall light appear to come vertically down the wall. You cannot chase horizontally to the side to change the light location as the lightt position sets the zone for the cable.
You will have to chase vertically up from the new light position and move the cables to be in that chase.
Read all about it
 
Thanks for the help.

Do i have to do the back box bit? As you can see the cable is just sticking out the wall. Do i have to cut out enough space for a full back box? Or can I just shove the connector block into the wall? (Appreciating that's not best practice.)
Just use a surface mounted back box as it only temporary?
 
Ok. From the photo, the c as bled for the wall light appear to come vertically down the wall. You cannot chase horizontally to the side to change the light location as the lightt position sets the zone for the cable.
You will have to chase vertically up from the new light position and move the cables to be in that chase.
Thanks for this. Guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.... As with most things, nothing is ever as simple as hoped!
 

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