second fix kitchen wiring

[Steve]

When should this be completed? I have had the room skimmed and it is all but empty of fixed cupboards etc.

The plaster should be dry by tuesday, but there will still be a lot of humidity in there. The visible acessories are going to be brushed stainless steel, so I cannot have them getting paint or moisture on them etc, but need to get the circuit on and some power in there - I have run a new ring main in effect, which is currently dead with all the wires sticking out of the wall.

(I have made arrangements regarding part p)

I thought about buying temporary plastic accessories but I see this as a waste of money. Ideally the S/S acc's would wait until I had painted and tiled and the last door was on!! But I know this is not practical.

Any experience of this? What would you do if it were your job?

 

[Space cat]

but need to get the circuit on and some power in there

How much power do you need? Can you get by with an extension lead from another circuit or do you have a heating system on a fused spur?

 

[riveralt]

Re do your IR tests and see what figures you get.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The second fix would be best done when all units are in place, tiling done and at least prime/base coat paint is done, you can always pull the accessories clear for final painting and cover them up.
In the mean time you could consider using second hand/used accessories.
How many accessories are needed?

 

[JohnW2]

Ideally the S/S acc's would wait until I had painted and tiled and the last door was on!! But I know this is not practical.

Why is that impractical? If you were prepared to wait that long until the circuit is energised, that would seem to be the most obvious solution. If you aren't prepared to wait, I think you've answered your own question - I would have thought that the only option would be some temporary plastic accessories.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Fit one or two cheapo plastic sockets. Connect the ring up using chunky choc block or Wago connectors. You can then do your dead tests and assure yourself that B&Q havent drilled through your cables.

Then you can fire up the circuit and use those two cheapo sockets.
Final tests including Zs etc can be done when tiling is done etc.

 

[Sherbertlion]

Or just fire up the first socket on one leg of the ring and wire in as many more as you need for the time being.

 

[JohnW2]

Re do your IR tests and see what figures you get.

I would have doubted that any (useful) IR tests would yet have been done (or could usefully be re-done), if the ring is currently not complete.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[sparkwright]

You should fit the sockets when the tiling or painting of walls is complete.

WHY are so desperate to get the power on?

I see in your photos there was a cooker circuit, what about putting a double socket temporarily on this?

 

[riveralt]

Re do your IR tests and see what figures you get.

I would have doubted that any (useful) IR tests would yet have been done (or could usefully be re-done), if the ring is currently not complete.
Kind Regards, John.

Perhaps in your case and through lack of experience you wouldn't and therefore couldn't see any value in it. But from my experience I would still do my dead testing again before the tiles get fixed. Its a pain in the butt to strip tiles once their fixed and most certainly before you considered energising any part of the circuit.

 

[JohnW2]

Perhaps in your case and through lack of experience you wouldn't and therefore couldn't see any value in it. But from my experience I would still do my dead testing again before the tiles get fixed. Its a pain in the butt to strip tiles once their fixed and most certainly before you considered energising any part of the circuit.

I wasn't suggesting that dead tests should not be done before tiling. I was commenting on you suggestion that the IR should 're-do' the IR tests, pointing out that they probably hadn't yet been done at all, because we were told that the ring is currently incomplete (we were told "...I have run a new ring main in effect, which is currently dead with all the wires sticking out of the wall.". Are you saying that you would test each bit of cable in the (to be) ring separately, or temporarily connect up the ring cables with connector blocks for a whole ring IR test, prior to the accessories being connected?

I have to say that in my (as you say, very limited) experience, in such situations I have always connected the accessories and undertaken dead tests prior to tiling/decorating, then left them hanging out of their backboxes (and covered, when necessary), whilst the tiling/decoration was done. Is that an unusual way to do it?

Kind Regards, John.

 

[riveralt]

I wasn't suggesting that dead tests should not be done before tiling. I was commenting on you suggestion that the IR should 're-do' the IR tests, pointing out that they probably hadn't yet been done at all, because we were told that the ring is currently incomplete (we were told "...I have run a new ring main in effect, which is currently dead with all the wires sticking out of the wall.". Are you saying that you would test each bit of cable in the (to be) ring separately, or temporarily connect up the ring cables with connector blocks for a whole ring IR test, prior to the accessories being connected?

Yes to the latter and if I didn't get the necessary reading Yes to the former. Additionally, depending on the time gap between the initial test and the 2nd fix and the potential for other trades to nick cover up or generally cock up the installation I would probably do a further dead test before I move to the live testing.

I have to say that in my (as you say, very limited) experience, in such situations I have always connected the accessories and undertaken dead tests prior to tiling/decorating, then left them hanging out of their backboxes (and covered, when necessary), whilst the tiling/decoration was done. Is that an unusual way to do it?

No.

 

[JohnW2]

Yes to the latter and if I didn't get the necessary reading Yes to the former. Additionally, depending on the time gap between the initial test and the 2nd fix and the potential for other trades to nick cover up or generally cock up the installation I would probably do a further dead test before I move to the live testing.

I would personally certainly want to do dead tests immediately prior to the first live ones. Indeed, if there were no potential for anyone to subsequently do any damage (which really means no potential for any other trades(wo)men to get anytwhere near the wiring!), I would not have thought that there would be any need for a two-stage process, would there?

Of course, where a DIYer often has a bit of an advantage over you is that the 'other trades' will very often be oneself!

Kind Regards, John.

 

[RF Lighting]

Or just fire up the first socket on one leg of the ring and wire in as many more as you need for the time being.

That's what I'd do, or like someone else said, run on extention leads until you're ready to second fix properly.