I have a double wall socket that needs to be removed. Can I take the cover off, stick the wires in a junction box and then hide it in the wall, or is this asking for trouble – Darwin Awards here I come? If I need to get an electrician in then I will, just want to know if it’s necessary or not.

If your not going to pull the cables at least stick a blanking face plate on the front . Do not just bury it in the wall

That’s what I’d do. (not a spark)

You need to connect the wires up so as to complete the ring main. Safest thing is to use a blanking plate so it’s obvious what is there. If you fill it and plaster over it, someone might drill into it in the future. All depends where it is, if it is outside of a cable safe zone then you really need to leave some identification.

Cable Safe Zones by brf, on Flickr

Problem is there’s a wood burner going against the wall where the socket currently is so can’t use a blanking plate. Wish the bloody surveyor had told us we needed the socket removing when he looked at the job two months ago, rather than finding out today when the installers turn up.

Id pull the cables back to the attic or under the floor and sealed junction box there then.

Ps im not a spark – i just wouldnt want someone going bang when drilling into a “safe zone”

As above.

Cables should be in safe zones so a blanking plate is required to show where the socket was and thus the cables.

You could chase the wall up to the 150mm zone and then bury the cables there if you don’t want the blanking plate. Don’t bury a junction box as the screw connections need to be accessible for inspection (they could come loose). You could crimp and heat shrink them and ideally put them into a small enclosure (box) which could then be buried.

Work is notifable to building control (Part P Building Regs).

Rich.

Ok, many thanks for all the advice. I’ll find a Bristol based sparky I think as I’d sooner it was done properly!

Id pull the cables back to the attic or under the floor and sealed junction box there then.

Not always possible with ring mains, it depends whether both cables come from the same location…..

im pretty sure its not notifiable under “part p”, its not a new circuit and as long as its not in a special location then it dont need to be notified.

take the cover off and see where the cables run, hopefully there is 2, if they both go down or up, lift a board (upstairs or down) find cables, cut, identify they are the correct cables with a continuity tester and put a jb on them or crimp and enclose them. leave old cables in wall.
if one goes up and one goes down, get the sds out as its going to get messy!

andy, i thought you were a sparky?

im pretty sure its not notifiable under “part p”, its not a new circuit and as long as its not in a special location then it dont need to be notified.

take the cover off and see where the cables run, hopefully there is 2, if they both go down or up, lift a board (upstairs or down) find cables, cut, identify they are the correct cables with a continuity tester and put a jb on them or crimp and enclose them. leave old cables in wall.
if one goes up and one goes down, get the sds out as its going to get messy!

Not an electrian, but I believe it really has to be a crimp as a JB is not maintainence free, as the floor could later be covered in a way to make it inaccessible. That said, there are now maintainence-free boxes on the market, like Wago.

im pretty sure its not notifiable under “part p”, its not a new circuit and as long as its not in a special location then it dont need to be notified.

I think russ295 is right.

That said, there are now maintainence-free boxes on the market, like Wago

We use Wagos all the time. Fantastic.

I would crimp it, but a jb is perfectly fine unless it’s buried (plaster/concrete).
Regardless of flooring it’s always accessible, it just depends on the damage caused to gain access.
Got to watch with the wagos as some of the 2.5mm ones arnt rated at 32a, but they are bloody good!!!

Building control got a mention, good work fellas 😉