Hi

I want to remove a wall light from a downstairs room.

I do not want to replace it with any other form of lighting.

Any advice on how I can make the wires safe once I remove the light?

I have seen a wall plate type cover somewhere but that requires
chopping in a pattress box - which is more work that I wanted to do so
I was wondering if there is any alternative


Thanks

Bhupesh

bp wrote:
I want to remove a wall light from a downstairs room.

I do not want to replace it with any other form of lighting.

Any advice on how I can make the wires safe once I remove the light?

I have seen a wall plate type cover somewhere but that requires
chopping in a pattress box - which is more work that I wanted to do so
I was wondering if there is any alternative

You either go the cover plate route as you've outlined, or access and
isolate the cables above the ceiling by lifting floorboards, preferably
by tracking them back to their origin (probably a junction box or
ceiling rose?).

You absolutely cannot leave live cables buried in the wall unless their
position is made clear by the presence of the cover plate.

David

On Mon, 12 May 2008 07:49:41 -0700 (PDT) someone who may be bp
wrote this:-

Hi

I want to remove a wall light from a downstairs room.

I do not want to replace it with any other form of lighting.

Any advice on how I can make the wires safe once I remove the light?

I have seen a wall plate type cover somewhere but that requires
chopping in a pattress box - which is more work that I wanted to do so
I was wondering if there is any alternative

Yes. Isolate them at an appropriate point, such as a junction box or
ceiling rose. Then remove the cables.

The least amount of work would probably be to insert an architrave
box and either a blank (if they are available) or switch, but that
depends on your particular circumstances.
http://www.screwfix.co.uk/prods/63062/Electrical/Switches-Sockets/Mounting-Boxes/Appleby-Architrave-Metal-Box

As well as possibly killing or injuring someone, burying and
forgetting them renders you liable to prosecution for failure to
follow the building laws if/when it is discovered.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

bp wrote:

I want to remove a wall light from a downstairs room.

I do not want to replace it with any other form of lighting.

Any advice on how I can make the wires safe once I remove the light?

If you want an invisible solution (i.e. no visible blanking box etc),
then you need to disconnect them from the supply (probably a ceiling
rose or junction box). Once they are disconnected there is no
requirement to actually strip them from the wall (which may be difficult
if they are plastered in).


--
Cheers,

John.

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"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
bp wrote:

I want to remove a wall light from a downstairs room.

I do not want to replace it with any other form of lighting.

Any advice on how I can make the wires safe once I remove the light?

If you want an invisible solution (i.e. no visible blanking box etc), then
you need to disconnect them from the supply (probably a ceiling rose or
junction box). Once they are disconnected there is no requirement to
actually strip them from the wall (which may be difficult if they are
plastered in).


--
Cheers,

John.

It might be easier to lift the floorboards just above the wall lights and
terminate the cable there using junction boxes instead of trying to trace
the wires back to their origins.

Adam

Lobster wrote:
bp wrote:
I want to remove a wall light from a downstairs room.

I do not want to replace it with any other form of lighting.

Any advice on how I can make the wires safe once I remove the light?

I have seen a wall plate type cover somewhere but that requires
chopping in a pattress box - which is more work that I wanted to do so
I was wondering if there is any alternative

You either go the cover plate route as you've outlined, or access and
isolate the cables above the ceiling by lifting floorboards, preferably
by tracking them back to their origin (probably a junction box or
ceiling rose?).

You absolutely cannot leave live cables buried in the wall unless their
position is made clear by the presence of the cover plate.

David

You most certainly can.

Whether its a *wise* thing to do is a moot point....

David Hansen wrote:

As well as possibly killing or injuring someone, burying and
forgetting them renders you liable to prosecution for failure to
follow the building laws if/when it is discovered.


AFAIK the building regulations cannot do more than force you to rectify
bad work.

On Mon, 12 May 2008 20:31:44 +0100 someone who may be The Natural
Philosopher wrote this:-

As well as possibly killing or injuring someone, burying and
forgetting them renders you liable to prosecution for failure to
follow the building laws if/when it is discovered.

AFAIK the building regulations cannot do more than force you to rectify
bad work.

John Whitfield, in his book on the 17th Edition, says that
contravening the Building Regulations is a criminal offence and
there are penalties including a fine of up to £5000, in addition to
fixing the work. That is the English system he is talking about.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

"David Hansen" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 May 2008 20:31:44 +0100 someone who may be The Natural
Philosopher wrote this:-

As well as possibly killing or injuring someone, burying and
forgetting them renders you liable to prosecution for failure to
follow the building laws if/when it is discovered.

AFAIK the building regulations cannot do more than force you to rectify
bad work.

John Whitfield, in his book on the 17th Edition, says that
contravening the Building Regulations is a criminal offence and
there are penalties including a fine of up to £5000, in addition to
fixing the work. That is the English system he is talking about.

Correct. British Standards are "recommendations". Build regs are the law.
Where a BS is pointed to into the Building Regs is law in that context.

David Hansen wrote:
On Mon, 12 May 2008 20:31:44 +0100 someone who may be The Natural
Philosopher wrote this:-

As well as possibly killing or injuring someone, burying and
forgetting them renders you liable to prosecution for failure to
follow the building laws if/when it is discovered.

AFAIK the building regulations cannot do more than force you to rectify
bad work.

John Whitfield, in his book on the 17th Edition, says that
contravening the Building Regulations is a criminal offence and
there are penalties including a fine of up to £5000, in addition to
fixing the work. That is the English system he is talking about.

True, although a few points worth noting. The "Approved Documents"
themselves are only guidance to the regulations - hence how a number of
local authorities manage to ignore the procedures laid down for dealing
with part P etc. For there to be any possibility of a fine it would
usually need to involve a building control department taking legal
action to enforce their will. Not something they do very often - and
then usually only in the extreme cases where public safety is at risk
and the violator has refused all other attempts to get them to correct
or modify their actions.

While it would indeed be preferable that the cables are disconnected
before being abandoned in a wall chase, it is worth bearing in mind that
many properties will have unmarked live cables in unexpected places, so
there is always a duty of care on anyone carrying out later work to
allow for this possibility.

--
Cheers,

John.

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