Electric cables coming out of wall!

[jonlb72]

Hi

I recently got rid of an old wall bed unit in my flat but am now left with two cables coming out of the wall that were once hidden behind the unit and connected to a pair of mini spotlights.

The cables are live and I have no way of turning the power off on them as there is no switch. The only way I could do this is from the main fuse box. I would like the know how I can make the cables safe from being in any danger and just push the cables through the hole in the wall and skim over it.

I don’t think I need to use the cables for another light fitting but I was hoping to hang a LCD TV on the wall, would I be able to use these cables as the power source?

Thanks

 

[OwainDIYer]

You should find out where the cables are supplied from and disconnect them at that point.

If you cannot do that then you must terminate the wires in insulated terminal strip inside a pattress box with a blanking plate visible on the wall.

If they're on the lighting circuit then they wouldn't be suitable for anything else.

 

[pjcomp]

Assuming that's an upstairs bedroom, you'll probably find the wires connected to the lighting circuit at a junction box or two in the loft. Or they might come from the room's main lighting rose.

pj

 

[rjm2k]

Or from the switch which controlled them if there was one.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or from the switch which controlled them if there was one.

there is no switch.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Jon - read this:

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:walls

As you see, you must not just leave live cables in the wall without an indication that they are there.

You might be able to use the cables for aTV, if it's not too power hungry and if the circuit has capacity.

 

[stem]

Interesting that there are two cables. That suggests to me that one is the supply and the other cable then supplies something else. The question is what? If you disconnect the supply from its origin as has been suggested previously, it's likely that something else may stop working.

Separating the cables would enable you to find out.

There's always the possibility that they are not connected to the lighting circuit, it's not unknown for ignorant people to wire lights into circuits that are supplying sockets.

 

[JohnW2]

Interesting that there are two cables. That suggests to me that one is the supply and the other cable then supplies something else. The question is what? If you disconnect the supply from its origin as has been suggested previously, it's likely that something else may stop working. Separating the cables would enable you to find out.

Possibly, although I suspect that they were probably just two separate live feeds to the two walllights (which presumably would have had integral switches) and that it is the OP who has joined them together.

Kind Regards, John