Making damaged wire safe

[PiinkEyee]

Hi, I hope I’ve posted this in the correct place. Please forgive me if I have not.

A little while ago I was drilling a bracket for my home alarm and hit an electrical cable. The cable in question runs from the fuse box to my cooker and hob.

My father made a temporary connection when it happened and now I need to make a permanent fix as we are looking to move house.

My oven and hob can both run from a regular mains plug so I am going to wire a plug onto those and get them working again.

This leaves me with the wires in the wall. There isn’t enough play in the wires to do much with sadly. What I was thinking of doing is capping them off using twist caps (I don’t know if that is what they are called), covering them in heat shrink to add an extra level of insulation and then plastering over the hole I’ve dug to get at them.

I know this is less than ideal as really they should be behind an access plate for maintenance. I figured if they’re blanked off and I put a blanking plate over the oven switch in the kitchen, they should be safe?

Probably wrong though. Just looking for some general advice as I have NO money left to call an electrician.

Feel free to tell me to sod off haha.

 

[James]

The most important thing is to disconnect that cable from the fuse box, safely terminate the end and check the cable is not energised from somewhere else, I.e. a ring circuit.

 

[pc1966]

Is that cable only for your cooker?

If so it will have its own breaker that can be used to isolate it, but really it ought to be disconnected and labelled as damaged so the next person does not put it back in service without knowing what happened.

Did you take a photo of how much damage was done?

 

[telectrix]

as above. switch off the relevant MCB. take all 3 conductors out of their respective terminations (in the CU), bit of tape over each loose end and label as damaged circuit. then again. cost for a sparks to repair and put back into service < £100.

 

[PiinkEyee]

In an ideal world I’d happily pay a sparky to repair it but I cannot see how it could be done without needing to re-decorate. The cable is plastered into the wall and has no play from either end with very little wire exposed.

The cable is for both cooker and hob and does have its own breaker. If I was to switch it off at the breaker (currently is) and label that as damaged are the exposed wires then safe to plaster over?

I basically want to sort it as simply and as cheap as I can. I will call a sparky tomorrow and get a quote for fixing it too just to have it as an option.

 

[Mike Johnson]

A professional Electrician would be able to repair the cable with minimum disruption, but some re-plastering and decoration will be required, better to have it done properly than bodge it, if you are selling the house the bodge is something that would need to be declared in the pre-hose sale documents as its a known fault.

 

[PiinkEyee]

Thanks for the input. It is very much appreciated. I’ll call an electrician first thing tomorrow.

Looks like I’ll be using my microwave for a while haha

thanks again!

 

[Mike Johnson]

If the existing damage cable is 4mm and the rating is correct these can be used by the electrician to join the cable ends together: In Line Spring Lever Connectors 3 Pole Trade Pack 32A - https://www.toolstation.com/in-line-spring-lever-connectors/p45902? if installed inside a maintenance free enclosure that would be a compliant repair.

 

[telectrix]

If the existing damage cable is 4mm and the rating is correct these can be used by the electrician to join the cable ends together: In Line Spring Lever Connectors 3 Pole Trade Pack 32A - https://www.toolstation.com/in-line-spring-lever-connectors/p45902? if installed inside a maintenance free enclosure that would be a compliant repair.

and not only that, but that connector gives a litle bit of wriggle room when there' no slack in the cable.don a couple of repairs with these and enclosed in heat shrink, then plastered in. if OP declares his location, one of us may be close to fix it at a sensible cost. ( if within 5 miles of me it could just be cost of diesel+ a dozen bottles of Old Peculier. ? ).

 

[PiinkEyee]

If anyone did live close I’d be happy to have you come have a look. Probably a long shot though.

I’m located in Barrow in Furness (sadly haha)

 

[telectrix]

OMG a town at the end of a 35 mile cul-de-sac. ?

 

[Mike Johnson]

If anyone did live close I’d be happy to have you come have a look. Probably a long shot though.

I’m located in Barrow in Furness (sadly haha)

No wonder you'r moving. ?

 

[PiinkEyee]

Currently live in one of the worst parts of it too haha

Sooner I’m out of the house the better, bloody hate it!

 

[telectrix]

bet he's only moving to Dalton. ?

 

[Mike Johnson]

Lost me, the only Dalton I know is in Tottenham West London, the Tottenham Royal was a regular haunt back in the day.

 

[telectrix]

Lost me, the only Dalton I know is in Tottenham West London, the Tottenham Royal was a regular haunt back in the day.

it's a small hamlet, just enough room to turn round before hitting the barrow.