Permanent live cable - what to do with it

[BobbyBrown]

Hi All.

I'm redoing my porch and currently there is a motion detector wired into one of the lighting circuits.

I need to remove this sensor but I can't see where its spurred to as its under the bathroom tiles. Can I terminate the cable in a terminal block, wrap with electrical tape and then mortar over the hole which it was coming through or is this bad practice?

 

[EFLImpudence]

No. Very bad practice. You should not do that with live wires.
You must disconnect the other end of the cable.

Which circuit breaker or fuse controls the circuit?

It will probably (although it may not) be spurred from the nearest light.

Do you not have a switch for it somewhere?
Do you have a Fused Connection Unit by the nearest upstairs socket?

 

[Taylortwocities]

You will probably find that it is connected to a nearby ceiling rose on the downstairs lighting circuit. (as EFLI suggested)

Have a look inside the roses nearest the porch, and see if there's an additional cable there that you cannot identify.

Post photos if you are not sure.

 

[motorbiking]

choc block wrapped in tape is exactly how my electricians wired my extractor.

but then they also didn't understand how to correctly wire a hob with two lives either.

 

[Taylortwocities]

choc block wrapped in tape is exactly how my electricians wired my extractor.

Did they leave their horses outside the house, or bring them in?

 

[THRIPSTER]

If practical, you could chop in a back box, terminate the cable with Wago connectors (or similar) and fit a blanking plate after leaving a note inside to indicate that the cable ends are live.

Regards

 

[BobbyBrown]

Theres a ceiling rose near the light but theres only the one wire which goes to the light switch. Theres no switch for the motion detector and no fused switch nearby
This is going to end up causing me a headache!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Theres a ceiling rose near the light but theres only the one wire which goes to the light switch.

You may need to find a creative way of disconnecting the wires and making it safe. What does this motion detector control?
Show us a picture, maybe someone can make a suggestion..

 

[BobbyBrown]

It's right above the lintel which is where i need the wall plate for the canopy to sit. I've drilled a couple of inspection holes in the plasterboard behind the lintel (if you come out the door and look straight up) but no joy. It sounds like the cable is free to move but it's the other side of the floorboards between the bathroom tiles and the chipboard.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Perhaps, knock out the brick above the lintel, terminate the conductors in an MF box and put the brick back.

 

[BobbyBrown]

Success! (sort of). I bit the bullet and kept drilling upwards into the void and have found the wire. I still don't know what its connected to but its a start. I'm going to make the best of the situation and wire in a new ceiling light for the porch.
As I dont want it to be permanently on I'll have to wire it into a light sensor on the side of the house.

So now do I take the existing end of the wire and put it into a junction box (that will be in the roof void) and then take a cable into the dusk sensor, then back into the light (2 lights actually)

 

[BobbyBrown]

Can anyone advise on how I can wire two lights up to the current twin and earth.

Im assuming the current live wire comes off a loop in lighting circuit at some point. Is the lower diagram suitable? This is what I'd prefer otherwise I'll be coming back on myself with cables

 

[securespark]

Is the area inside the porch above the lintel accessible?

If so, I might be tempted to fit a DP isolator (check the cable is on a 5/6A circuit), which could be weatherproof if needed. This would be fitted below the ceiling in the porch.

I would use the back box as a junction box, so in effect you have a means of isolation and jointing all in one and it is accessible to boot.

All the cables from the sensor and light fittings would run back to the switch box. This leaves only one cable to connect at each item.

Where are you planning to fit the two luminaires and the sensor?