What a mess!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve T]

Hi

Today I found a horrible mess of wiring for the heating/hot water under the box my megaflo is on. Here are some pictures.

My question is should I sort it out or leave it? Obviously it does work, but it is messy and a few cables have scorch marks from touching the hot pipes.
If I go ahead and sort it out, I'll probably put it outside the box the megaflo is on, but this would mean extending the three 3core+e cables.
What is the best way to extend these cables?
The flex cables would not need extending.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[Andy-1960]

Well I could not leave it like that.. that's for sure!

 

[Steve T]

Well I could not leave it like that.. that's for sure!

I suppose I'll bite the bullet and sort it out then!
How would you extend the 3core+e cables?

 

[Stejjsush]

One water outpouring and it's a problem.
First... make sure you get paid for it!
Second... remove conductors and mount the jb with the flex attached.
Third... reterminate at the mounted jb with more of the same t&e cable.
Fourth... cut correct length of cable to the cable you originally disconnected then crimp and shrink.
Fifth... plenty of insulation tape and wrap them up nice and neat. Or charge the customer for an IP 45 enclosure.
Sixth... don't take any cheques......!!

 

[Steve T]

One water outpouring and it's a problem.
First... make sure you get paid for it!
Second... remove conductors and mount the jb with the flex attached.
Third... reterminate at the mounted jb with more of the same t&e cable.
Fourth... cut correct length of cable to the cable you originally disconnected then crimp and shrink.
Fifth... plenty of insulation tape and wrap them up nice and neat. Or charge the customer for an IP 45 enclosure.
Sixth... don't take any cheques......!!

This is in my own house-no customer involved
Also, sorry to be difficult but I'd rather not go down the crimp/solder route as I don't have the tools or knowledge.
I was thinking perhaps the inline pushfit connectors, in a suitable enclosure?

 

[Stejjsush]

That's another way to go!!
Shame you can't charge anybody though...!!
Crimp ,shrink and tape is pennies though. Just a thought.

 

[Grant webber]

You could use junction boxes wagos in line splices, your not very limeted because the joint would be accessible.. all i would say is make sure you take a picture of the connctions in the wiring centre, and mark the cables before u start disconnecting anything.

 

[Paul228]

Wago' s and an Ip66/67 box, make sure you get the correct glands or its pointless using an ip rated box, you may as well use a bread bag n tape.

 

[willelec]

Just use a junction box.. extend the 3 core as long as you need. The connections are all going to be accessible so it makes no difference. Using heat shrink and crimps is just pointless

 

[Leesparkykent]

If the cables come the same way could you pull them back to a position gaining some slack? Enough to terminate to the new wiring centre.

 

[Paul228]

Just a side question based on your photos.
How do you get to the magnaclean to give it a clean every year....
It looks like you have restricted access to it

 

[Steve T]

I have had a look to see if there's any slack, and there isn't. So the suggestion is to use an ip rated box under the megaflo box where the pipes are to extend the 3core+e cables, and then a normal junction box outside the box, to terminate all the cables?

 

[Steve T]

Just a side question based on your photos.
How do you get to the magnaclean to give it a clean every year....
It looks like you have restricted access to it

That was installed as part of a new boiler install a few months ago, so I haven't thought about that yet!

 

[Steve T]

You could use junction boxes wagos in line splices, your not very limeted because the joint would be accessible.. all i would say is make sure you take a picture of the connctions in the wiring centre, and mark the cables before u start disconnecting anything.

Yeah I realise I'll need to be very careful to not lose track of what goes where

 

[Paul228]

More than one way to skin the proverbial cat. But yer, that would do it.

 

[willelec]

I would use regular junction boxes to extend any cables that need to be extended and take them all into an adaptable box of some sort. 2-3 flex glands in the side of the box will get all the cables inside nicely and then use some connectors/wagos/din rail connectors to terminate everything.
No need to extend them using IP rated boxes.. you could go on for ever saying 'what if the cylinder leaks'.

 

[Steve T]

Thanks for all the replies! Are there any regs about how close t&e cables (in this case 3+e) can be to hot pipes?

 

[willelec]

If you are worried about the cables running too close to the pipes, put them in some trunking or copex. It'll only set you back a tenner or so but it'll protect them better

 

[Paul228]

If you don't fancy changing it out to a new location and was just wanted to stop water entry into the termination block. You could use some galactic water stop compound and fill the existing block with it.

 

[Steve T]

If you don't fancy changing it out to a new location and was just wanted to stop water entry into the termination block. You could use some galactic water stop compound and fill the existing block with it.

I'm planning on moving what is there to a new location, hence the need to extend to cables. Actually, the risk from water wasn't something I really thought about, but its a good point.