Replacing phone wire

[Alison556]

I want to replace a section of the phone cable - it's just this huge length of manky old cable hanging about (and it's annoying me!!) but I'm not sure if it's something I should be doing.

The black cable comes in from outside and goes into a really ancient looking junction box. From the junction box there is the big length of cable that I want to replace. This goes into what looks like another junction box (no idea why there's two within about 18 inches of each other). From this junction box, two cables come out and go under the floor.

We don't have a master socket - the phone socket is just a bog standard socket.

From what I've read, I shouldn't be replacing anything between the outside and master socket - but if we don't have a master socket, does that still apply?

Here's a couple of pics to try and show what I mean

Untitled

• Alison556
• 28 Aug 2014
• 1

Untitled

• Alison556
• 28 Aug 2014
• 1

 

[leeds1]

I want to replace a section of the phone cable - it's just this huge length of manky old cable hanging about (and it's annoying me!!) but I'm not sure if it's something I should be doing.

The black cable comes in from outside and goes into a really ancient looking junction box. From the junction box there is the big length of cable that I want to replace. This goes into what looks like another junction box (no idea why there's two within about 18 inches of each other). From this junction box, two cables come out and go under the floor.

We don't have a master socket - the phone socket is just a bog standard socket.

From what I've read, I shouldn't be replacing anything between the outside and master socket - but if we don't have a master socket, does that still apply?

Here's a couple of pics to try and show what I mean

Untitled

• Alison556
• 28 Aug 2014
• 1

Untitled

• Alison556
• 28 Aug 2014
• 1

You can replace it easily enough and shouldn't have any problems.

Your master is normally your (1st socket, sounds like you may have 2) main one and has a built in ringer.

 

[Alison556]

There are 3 sockets in the house and they're all just ordinary sockets. I've no idea why we don't have a master - mind you, I think some of the wiring was installed by Noah!!! It's from the Ark! LOL

Should I replace that first junction box with something newer or will that one suffice?

 

[bernardgreen]

That old junction box might get replaced free of charge if you talk to your telephone service provider.

OpenReach ( who do all the work on phone cables ) like to have an NTE 5 or similar ( the Master socket ) to separate internal DIY cables from theit incoming cable. Make it a lot easier for them to line test and decide if the fault is their equipment or something the customer has done.

No harm in asking.

 

[alan333]

There are 3 sockets in the house and they're all just ordinary sockets. I've no idea why we don't have a master -

Master sockets look the same as extension ones from the outside. Your first one probably is a master.

 

[bernardgreen]

Slave ( extension ) socket

NTE 5 Master socket without ADSL filter

Front plate with ADSL filter that can be DIY fitted to NTE 5

( Images from TLC website )

 

[Alison556]

I definitely don't have a master socket - honest

I'll get in touch with BT and see if they'll sort it out - if you don't ask, you don't get

 

[Alison556]

Well, I phoned BT - £129 for the engineer to come out an £75 for a master socket!!!!! I'll not be getting BT to do anything about it!

 

[OwainDIYer]

Replace the 'soapdish' junction box with a NTE and connect the incoming black dropwire to the 2 terminals on the backplate.

Run your extensions from the removable front plate of the NTE

 

[Lectrician]

I definitely don't have a master socket - honest

Are you sure?

An old pre NTE5a master would look exactly like the "secondary" shown above, and copied below.

 

[Alison556]

There's three sockets in the house - all look like the one above. When we moved in here and I wanted extensions run, my friend's husband said he'd do it (he worked for Cable at the time). If I remember rightly, there was a weird box on the wall - maybe from when phones were hard wired? and he took that out, added in the second junction box and ran the exentions from that, so the three sockets I have are extentions that he put in.

If one of them was a master - would it have the test socket inside like on a new master?

 

[OwainDIYer]

If one of them was a master - would it have the test socket inside like on a new master?

No, and it's illegal to DIY wire extensions from them. All DIY wiring has to be via plug and socket so it can be isolated from the line for testing. The removable faceplate in the Linebox satisfies this.

 

[Europlex]

I love the word 'illegal'.

 

[cajar]

I bet a friendly engineer would fit a new junction box, cable and master socket for £30, next time you see a Bt /openreach / working on behalf of openreach van about, nip out for a chat.

 

[SimonH2]

The "Master" socket is not defined by appearance or position in any string of sockets - but by components fitted. When the 631 style plugs appeared, all the faceplates were the same (apart from variations like the "small" ones and the ones the same size as normal switches and sockets.

The Master - which should be the first one in the wiring - has three extra components which are not fitted on secondary (extension) sockets. They have a spark gap which prevents high voltages across the phone lines, the bell capacitor, and a resistor which is used by the testing equipment to detect that the socket is actually connected to the line.
Most secondary sockets have the same PCB - but they don't have the components fitted. Often, if the installer was short of a secondary socket, he'd just snip the components off a master socket.

It was a legal requirement that if you fitted your own extensions then you had to plug them in. The result was that a variety of plug in kits appeared - most of which were not "visually attractive". After some time, BT introduced the NTE5 with it's split front - probably because they found a lot of people hardwiring extension cabling to make it aesthetically acceptable. The lower half of this is itself plugged into the rear section - thus providing the "plug in" requirement whilst also providing a hardwire facility.


If you look at the back of yoru three sockets, you should find that the first one has the three components fitted - while the other two don't.