Whilst putting up a picture I drilled into the wall and hit a sunken 240v
power cable going to a 13amp plug socket.  It threw the house trip but when
I reset it all seems to work okay & the socket works fine (although I
haven't the equipment to test it, just plugged a lamp in)

What is the best course of action;
+ Fill the hole and leave alone (but if I have weakened the cable could this
cause a fire?)
+ Dig out the wall and make a join in the cable (It is right by the front
door so anything but a very good filling job will show & what should I use
to make the join?)
+ Lift the carpet and floorboards above and pull a new cable through, making
a join in the ceiling void.
+ None of the above or Move house (only joking!)

Many thanks

"Simon"  wrote in message
news:4cGue.1833$rz1.121@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...

> Whilst putting up a picture I drilled into the wall and hit a sunken 240v
> power cable going to a 13amp plug socket.  It threw the house trip but
when
> I reset it all seems to work okay & the socket works fine (although I
> haven't the equipment to test it, just plugged a lamp in)
>
> What is the best course of action;
> + Fill the hole and leave alone (but if I have weakened the cable could
this
> cause a fire?)
> + Dig out the wall and make a join in the cable (It is right by the front
> door so anything but a very good filling job will show & what should I use
> to make the join?)
> + Lift the carpet and floorboards above and pull a new cable through,
making
> a join in the ceiling void.
> + None of the above or Move house (only joking!)
>
> Many thanks
>


The best and safest way is to replace the cable between the two sockets
affected by this damaged section.  If you look along the layout of the
sockets in the house you should see a pattern of where the cable runs are
between sockets.  You have to remember that the wiring goes around the
sockets in a complete circle, with each socket outlet connected to each the
next socket down the line.

Once you get some sort of idea how the sockets are connected to each other,
then you can turn the power off and check to make sure.  You will need to
use a multi-meter with a continuity test function or Ohms (little horse shoe
symbol) feature to do the test properly.

Doing the test:

Open a small hole over the damaged part of the cable.  Bare off the
insulation on the conductors and place the test probes of the meter on the
red and black conductors.  Undo the sockets at either end of the damaged
cable.  Connect together the red and black conductors at one socket outlet.
With the meter on cont' test or Ohms function you should get a short circuit
reading.  Now go to the socket again and separate the red and black wires,
and the meter should show an open circuit reading.  Do the same test with
the other socket outlet.  This gives you the proper two sockets to replace
the cable between.

Test Finished:

Or you could just open the wall up a bit to get access to the damaged area.
Then use a couple of crimp connectors to take the rubbed parts out.  If
you're going down that road, then try to obtain some heat shrink sleeving to
fit over the whole of the outer skin of PVC on the cable.  Once you've cut
the cable to make the new joints, slide the sleeving on one side. The
conductors can now be crimped tightly with the proper crimping tool, then
slide the heat shrink sleeve over the joint and use a hair dryer to heat it
up until it tightens around the cable.  This gives the cable a good outer
insulation again.

Good luck with it.

"Simon"  wrote in message 
news:4cGue.1833$rz1.121@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...

> Whilst putting up a picture I drilled into the wall and hit a sunken 240v
> power cable going to a 13amp plug socket.  It threw the house trip but 
> when
> I reset it all seems to work okay & the socket works fine (although I
> haven't the equipment to test it, just plugged a lamp in)
>
> What is the best course of action;
> + Fill the hole and leave alone (but if I have weakened the cable could 
> this
> cause a fire?)
> + Dig out the wall and make a join in the cable (It is right by the front
> door so anything but a very good filling job will show & what should I use
> to make the join?)
> + Lift the carpet and floorboards above and pull a new cable through, 
> making
> a join in the ceiling void.
> + None of the above or Move house (only joking!)
>


Sorry to be gloomy, but in the time it took the drill to stop - after 
cutting through onto copper - I'd be amazed if cable was still safe.

Strongly advise you don't ignore it.  You may have cut through the cable 
completely, but cos it's a ring main, everything will appear to work ok. 
Trouble is, you could now have twice the current flow through the cable :-(

Done properly, and then wall made good, this could be expensive - could this 
be covered by your insurance policy?

-- 
Martin

(Remove barrier to reply)

"Martin"  wrote in message 
news:FcOue.1432$z61.1345@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...

>
> "Simon"  wrote in message 
> news:4cGue.1833$rz1.121@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...
>> Whilst putting up a picture I drilled into the wall and hit a sunken 240v
>> power cable going to a 13amp plug socket.  It threw the house trip but 
>> when
>> I reset it all seems to work okay & the socket works fine (although I
>> haven't the equipment to test it, just plugged a lamp in)
>>
>> What is the best course of action;
>> + Fill the hole and leave alone (but if I have weakened the cable could 
>> this
>> cause a fire?)
>> + Dig out the wall and make a join in the cable (It is right by the front
>> door so anything but a very good filling job will show & what should I 
>> use
>> to make the join?)
>> + Lift the carpet and floorboards above and pull a new cable through, 
>> making
>> a join in the ceiling void.
>> + None of the above or Move house (only joking!)
>>
>
> Sorry to be gloomy, but in the time it took the drill to stop - after 
> cutting through onto copper - I'd be amazed if cable was still safe.
>
> Strongly advise you don't ignore it.  You may have cut through the cable 
> completely, but cos it's a ring main, everything will appear to work ok. 
> Trouble is, you could now have twice the current flow through the cable 
> :-(
>


Twice the current flow ? how come
-- 
Vass

"Vass"  wrote in message 
news:9OSdnepeJcc8TCbfRVnysw@eclipse.net.uk...

>>
>> Sorry to be gloomy, but in the time it took the drill to stop - after 
>> cutting through onto copper - I'd be amazed if cable was still safe.
>>
>> Strongly advise you don't ignore it.  You may have cut through the cable 
>> completely, but cos it's a ring main, everything will appear to work ok. 
>> Trouble is, you could now have twice the current flow through the cable 
>> :-(
>>
>
> Twice the current flow ? how come


Instead of being fed by two 2.5mmT+E (being the 2 "branches" of the ring), 
one may now be broken.  I suppose an analogy is if you need to use a stretch 
of M25;  if there's a blockage, you can go the other way - but so will 
everyone else so traffic flow on the "unbroken" bit doubles...

-- 
Martin

(Remove barrier to reply)

Martin wrote:

> "Simon"  wrote in message
> news:4cGue.1833$rz1.121@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...
> > Whilst putting up a picture I drilled into the wall and hit a sunken 240v
> > power cable going to a 13amp plug socket.  It threw the house trip but
> > when
> > I reset it all seems to work okay & the socket works fine (although I
> > haven't the equipment to test it, just plugged a lamp in)
> >
> > What is the best course of action;
> >  Fill the hole and leave alone (but if I have weakened the cable could
> > this
> > cause a fire?)


yup, due to arcing or thinning, so dont. Just use a screw connector to
join the cable back together. Youll find the amount of cable available
to work with is tight.

Insulate before filling, dont want wet poly on it.



> >  Dig out the wall and make a join in the cable (It is right by the front
> > door so anything but a very good filling job will show & what should I use
> > to make the join?)


screw con block, aka chocolate block, assuming its indoors



> Done properly, and then wall made good, this could be expensive - could this
> be covered by your insurance policy?


screw block, strip of 12: 70p
polyfilla: £1

Youd be mad to get house insurance involved.


NT

wrote in message 
news:1119983658.340948.176000@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
Martin wrote:

> "Simon"  wrote in message
> news:4cGue.1833$rz1.121@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...
> > Whilst putting up a picture I drilled into the wall and hit a sunken 
> > 240v
> > power cable going to a 13amp plug socket.  It threw the house trip but
> > when
> > I reset it all seems to work okay & the socket works fine (although I
> > haven't the equipment to test it, just plugged a lamp in)
> >
> > What is the best course of action;
> > + Fill the hole and leave alone (but if I have weakened the cable could
> > this
> > cause a fire?)


yup, due to arcing or thinning, so dont. Just use a screw connector to
join the cable back together. Youll find the amount of cable available
to work with is tight.

Insulate before filling, dont want wet poly on it.



> > + Dig out the wall and make a join in the cable (It is right by the 
> > front
> > door so anything but a very good filling job will show & what should I 
> > use
> > to make the join?)


screw con block, aka chocolate block, assuming its indoors



> Done properly, and then wall made good, this could be expensive - could 
> this
> be covered by your insurance policy?


screw block, strip of 12: 70p
polyfilla: 1

Youd be mad to get house insurance involved.


NT




The OP NEVER said that it is a ring main. The words "house trip" suggest a 
main switch with a built in RCD.(This is my interpretation of the word house 
trip but I am not sure what the OP meant)

There are too many variables to give an answer here but here is one 
scenario.

The socket is a spur from a ring and the OP has created a neutral/earth 
fault with a metal drill bit that tripped the RCD. The bit was removed and 
the socket works when a lamp is plugged into it. The drill bit may have 
severed the earth to the socket when drilling and of course the lamp will 
still work when power is restored. Everything now "works" and off we go.
There would be no earth to the socket supplied by the damaged cable but as 
the only test was done with a lamp no one will know until it is too late 
until the socket by the front door is used to power the lawnmover (etc)

Strip connector (insulated or not) buried behind polyfilla or plaster is not 
an acceptable repair. The cables need crimping (if hidden behind plaster) or 
replacing.

The circuit may have tripped when you were drilling but now seems to be OK 
as the metal drill bit is no longer making a short ciruit between the 
conductors in your damaged cable. The cable is still damaged and need 
fixing.

If you have good insurance (that will include decorating) then use it. You 
have paid for it and had an accident. That it what you paid your premium 
for.

Or DIY. Cheaper, easier and usually better

Adam

ARWadsworth wrote:


> The circuit may have tripped when you were drilling but now seems to be OK
> as the metal drill bit is no longer making a short ciruit between the
> conductors in your damaged cable. The cable is still damaged and need
> fixing.
>
> If you have good insurance (that will include decorating) then use it. You
> have paid for it and had an accident. That it what you paid your premium
> for.


Yes, why not take all that time to make a claim, let them get in some
sparks that charge you £150, of which you pay £50 cos of the excess,
then you pay more each year because you made a claim. Great idea!

And meantime live without that circuit on for weeks.



> Or DIY. Cheaper, easier and usually better


i should say. But if the op cant work that out, theres no hope.


NT

But you felt silly. I did a similar thing, but managed to go through the 
meter tails between the meter and consumer unit. straight between the live 
and neutral, taking the insulation off both and BOOM! was I glad my hand 
wasn't on the drill bit!

"Simon"  wrote in message 
news:4cGue.1833$rz1.121@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net...

> Whilst putting up a picture I drilled into the wall and hit a sunken 240v
> power cable going to a 13amp plug socket.  It threw the house trip but 
> when
> I reset it all seems to work okay & the socket works fine (although I
> haven't the equipment to test it, just plugged a lamp in)
>
> What is the best course of action;
> + Fill the hole and leave alone (but if I have weakened the cable could 
> this
> cause a fire?)
> + Dig out the wall and make a join in the cable (It is right by the front
> door so anything but a very good filling job will show & what should I use
> to make the join?)
> + Lift the carpet and floorboards above and pull a new cable through, 
> making
> a join in the ceiling void.
> + None of the above or Move house (only joking!)
>
> Many thanks
>