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Diy advice, electrical and tiling
02GF74 - 23/12/17 at 10:36 AM

What's the best way to leave live wires inside a wall. I'm removing a bar heater in a bath room but the circuit is likely to be live. Insulation tape and a plastic container to prevent wire physically touching the wall be safe?

Tiling on hard board, makes up the cupboard for the hot water tank. Does it matter that surface flexes if pushed hard?

There's no way to strengthen it ffom inside, maybe fit/glue another sheet of hard board on top? Rather not use plaster board if possible.


CosKev3 - 23/12/17 at 10:43 AM

You can get what they call 'flexible ' tile adhesive, but if you can see the board move when pushed hard I would guess that's too much and tiles will crack if someone leans on it too heavily.
I know of a timber framed house that had big issues with the tiles cracking as the house settled,on the walls and the floor.


motorcycle_mayhem - 23/12/17 at 10:58 AM

I removed a shaver socket, so the same issue. Live to it had a horizontal approach around the lime plastered bathroom wall, one of the many shear joys of an older house.... IEE regulations? wot?

If it was me, I'd look back up the line. It'll be a spur, probapossibly, so remove it back at that junction. It may even be on it's own earth-leakage protected circuit (depending on what prescribed zone it's in), isolable.


loggyboy - 23/12/17 at 11:23 AM

Choc blocks

Add some ply to wall on outside face .Tiling on ply is much easier to replace in future.

[Edited on 23-12-17 by loggyboy]


cliftyhanger - 23/12/17 at 11:41 AM

Yep, the above 2 posts are spot on. Choc block, ideally in a small box or similar.

And tiling onto flexi hardboard is hopeless. 12mm ply or tile backer board screwed at 300mm centres approx is what I would do. And also use a flexible adhesive. BAL white Star is good.....Oh, and prime the board first.


02GF74 - 23/12/17 at 03:46 PM

Thanks, no idea what a choc block is but will look it up.

Just looked inside airing cupboard and it has about 20mm wall with hardboard on top, so need to screw that in so there is no movement or remove hardboard altogether. Not as bad as I thought.


David Jenkins - 23/12/17 at 03:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
Thanks, no idea what a choc block is but will look it up.



Here's one inside a nice (cheap) box.

Screwfix

(Note: If you buy one of these boxes you'll still need to buy the connection strip that goes inside. They are also cheap.)

[Edited on 23/12/17 by David Jenkins]


loggyboy - 23/12/17 at 05:39 PM

I wouldn't even bother with box. If it gets that wet inside an electrical short is gonna be last of your worries. Just the connector block will be fine for keeping them from touching.


SJ - 23/12/17 at 10:11 PM

Why leave it live?


The Knobs - 24/12/17 at 12:52 AM

Wago box and wago connectors, job done for live cable as maintenance free connections


owelly - 24/12/17 at 01:04 AM

As far as the tiling goes, and I know you don't want to use plaster board (but don't day why) but I'd screw plasterboard over the fibreboard and tile direct onto the plaster board.


02GF74 - 24/12/17 at 09:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by SJ
Why leave it live?


Because I don't know where it is wired to,
If it is on separate circuit then removing the fuse will do but going by the incompetent diy wiring i suspect it won't be.


The Knobs - 24/12/17 at 12:45 PM

quote:
Originally posted by The Knobs
Wago box and wago connectors, job done for live cable as maintenance free connections


Only way to leave a cable live inaccessable is to use maintenance free connectors, not choc blocks


02GF74 - 24/12/17 at 02:16 PM

OK, what are free connectors, same as terminal block?

The lot will be wound with insulation tape and boxed in by plastic so no part will touch the solid wall.

There is no separate circuit as far as I can tell.


daniel mason - 24/12/17 at 08:39 PM

Can you not find where it’s fed from and disconnect it properly?
Connector blocks and tape aren’t acceptable.
Are you sure there’s no double pole isolation outside the bathroom which isolated the heater?