Scary black box under my floorboards!

[Joe2003]

What is this:-

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I am assuming its something to do with the one and only mains ring in my house, in the upstairs. I have a reasonable idea of what a ring mains should look like, but now this has confused me.

After taking this photo (5 months ago) I quietly pushed it back under the floorboard and pretended I didn't see it. I am now getting a ring put in down stairs and a new consumer unit installed and I know this magically black box is going to come back to haunt me....

The 3 sockets I have downstairs are spurs off the upstairs ring, so this shouldnt be a problem for me to separate, but not sure how this beast fits into the equation!

 

[sparkwright]

It's probably a junction box supplying most or all of the downstairs lights.

A picture of inside would confirm this.

The scariest thing is that red wire sticking out.

Am I right in thinking that red wire has a bare end flapping out?

If so, and with the power completely off, check where it goes. If it doesn't go anywhere they it must be removed.

 

[flameport]

It's just a box where various cables / wires are joined together, and it's probably for the ground floor lighting. Very likely there is another similar one in the loft.

 

[JohnD]

have you got downlighters downstairs?

how many?

 

[Joe2003]

Lighting would make more sense.

We have a total of 5 lights downstairs in separate rooms. Just standard pendant lights.

I cant remember about the red wire, but dont think it was bare.

 

[conny]

Although it doesn't look bare the tip is exposed and it appears, in the photo, to be near a copper pipe. You do not want it coming anyway near that pipe if there is a possibility it may be, or become, live at some stage.

 

[deadshort]

It's probably a junction box supplying most or all of the downstairs lights.

A picture of inside would confirm this.

The scariest thing is that red wire sticking out.

Am I right in thinking that red wire has a bare end flapping out?

If so, and with the power completely off, check where it goes. If it doesn't go anywhere they it must be removed.

SO, it's you that chops off unused wires, why ? If the wire is not connected? BTW, it has to go 'somewhere'

DS

 

[sparkwright]

SO, it's you that chops off unused wires, why ? If the wire is not connected? BTW, it has to go 'somewhere'

DS

???

I'm inclined to remove single core red wires under floorboards which appear to be live and don't have it's ends safely terminated,

if that's what you mean.

 

[deadshort]

We don't know it's live yet. And i said unused. Chill !

DS

 

[sparkwright]

Righto.

 

[Joe2003]

I agree, the red wire needs inspecting. I will have the floorboard up again this weekend for the new ring, so will get the electrician to have a look at it and report back! Thanks for the help