Repair chimney breast

[mylittlehouse]

Hello all
I moved into a new house which has a single socket on the chimney breast.

I noticed when have a coal fire downstairs a tiny bit of smoke comes out of the socket.
When I moved in the socket was a little black, i thought it was burnt so I changed it and found a little soot in the back.

So I used an electrician to move the socket to the wall to the left, we just left the socket in place until I fill the hole and wallpaper over it.

When the socket was off and the coal fire on some smoke comes out of the hole which has the cable (now dead) coming in.
I put the socket back on.

My question is as I am going to buy some fire cement and fill the back box if I should.

A) remove the cable where some smoke comes and squeeze cement into the hole and fill the back box, then wallpaper, concern here would be it could make it worse as when looking into the floor space when the electrician was here there was no evidence of soot.
Or
B) leave the cable cut it about 15mm down and just fill around it and paper over to the entry point of the smoke is gone.
Or
C) knock off the plaster down to the skirting, completely remove the cable, fire cement all of it and then fill and sand.
What’s the best option?

Cheers

 

[mylittlehouse]

Attached is the photo

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Nice wallpaper!
Where does the supply cable for that socket come from? If its in the flue thats bad news, if its chased in & drops to floor or up to ceiling then better.
Moving your socket may have taken the cable out of safe zones.
Cement mortar in the hole will do.
Have you had the flue swept- could be anything up there if previous occupants didn't use the open fire

 

[mylittlehouse]

Hello there
Hahah wallpaper I found a roll on eBay for £12 thankfully to replace.
The socket supply came from directly downwards to under the floor so its not in the flue thank goodness but smoke even a small amount come from the cable hole in the bottom of the back box.
The electrician has taken the floor up and moved the socket onto an external wall running cable horizontally from under the floor to the new double, they are fully NICEIC approved and was all above board.
So just cement around the wire rather than pull the wire out (downwards) and fill the entire hole.
I have a carbon monoxide tester in the room and it never gets smokey just comes out a little when the fire is on.
Alarm has never gone off so its not dangerous just annoying.
Flu is intact I believe just a brick is maybe been dislodged a little.

You say cement in the hole will do, shall i pull the cable down a little to get a good fill of cement in it or just cement around the wire that cut flush with the bottom of the back box
Thank you

 

[oldbutnotdead]

If smoke is coming through the bottom cable entry and the cable goes down into the floor void you may have failed pointing under the floor. Is that cable disconnected at the other end now? If yes then knock the plaster off that covers, pull it out and get rid, then find the hole in the brickwork and fix that (might have to lift a floorboard to check you aren't getting smoke in there).
V easy to make good if you're papering-cement mortar to fix the hole, filler to fill the chase, sand flat & off you go

 

[Bullet-Proof_Biscuit]

Sounds like your chimney breast pointing is failing as above, I have cracks in mine and anticipate the same. I have been advised to get some smoke bombs (cheap online) and conduct a few tests and if the chimney is not air(gas) tight, then have is lined, as smoke entering other (bed)rooms is not good at all..

 

[mylittlehouse]

Well that was fun
Took the back box out and cleaned, found a huge whole, small hole into flue. Filled it in and let it dry naturally all day.
Nice and solid and hole gone, I will fill the top sand and paper this week,
Now I have no hole, a new double socket and fingers crossed no more smell of coal and smoke.